The PGA TOUR is hosting the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club (par 71, 7,322 yards, POA greens) this week Located in Pacific Palisades, California and the course has been the only host of this event since 1973. Joaquin Niemann won last year’s Genesis at -19 but won’t be defending his title this week after taking his talents to LIV Golf last year. This week’s field consists of 130 golfers and there will be a normal top-65 and ties cut after the first two rounds. Below are some of the top PGA DFS picks for the Genesis, utilizing Stokastic’s Top Golfers Tool to find the best leverage plays for GPPs.
Legal gambling age is 21 in most states. Gambling Problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER
PGA DFS Picks & Optimizer Plays: Genesis Invitational
You need to be in pristine form with your irons to contend at Riviera. Niemann led the field in SG APP last season and became the fourth Genesis champion over the last five years to rank top-12 in the metric. With six of the eleven par fours at Riviera landing between 450-500 yards, being efficient on this length of hole will also be extremely crucial. Three of the last five Genesis winners finished the tournament top-three in efficiency on the 450-500-yard par fours at Riviera.
Leverage scores are a product of comparing a player’s ownership versus their salary-weighted odds to finish in the top 6 of the tournament.
Xander Schauffele
Stokastic PGA Optimizer Leverage Scores Ranks: DraftKings: 1st, FanDuel: 50th
Hovering around 10% expected ownership for both DraftKings and FanDuel in Stokastic’s projections, Schauffele isn’t getting the attention he deserves and is one of the best pay-up options on the board this week. Coming off a T10 at the Phoenix Open, Schauffele has made 14 consecutive cuts, with 11 of those finishes being top-15s. The 29-year-old ranked fourth in SG APP at TPC Scottsdale last week and ranks third in the stat when we compare this field’s last 36 rounds. That bodes well with a second shot course like Riviera on the menu this week.
The California native has never finished worse than T23rd at the par 71 in five tries and should find himself in the mix for a win this Sunday afternoon.
Brendan Steele
Stokastic PGA Optimizer Leverage Scores Ranks: DraftKings: 2nd, FanDuel: 2nd
With Stokastic slating him for essentially no ownership on either DraftKings or FanDuel, Steele needs to be included in your GPP pool. While the veteran missed the cut at the Phoenix Open last week, Steele still collectively gained strokes from T2G and on APP for the fifth start in a row. The 39-year-old had made five straight cuts prior to this, including a pair of top-20 finishes and should get back on track at Riviera this week.
Steele grew about three hours away from Riviera and has made eight-of-11 cuts at the California venue, with a pair of top-20 finishes.
Update: Steele has withdrawn from the Genesis Invitational.Â
Wyndham Clark
Stokastic PGA Optimizer Leverage Scores Ranks: DraftKings: 25th, FanDuel: 36th
Clark is playing excellent golf right now and is a must-have for GPPs this week, with Stokastic projecting him to be less than 5% owned on both DraftKings and FanDuel. While ranking seventh in SG APP among the world class field at TPC Scottsdale, Clark posted a T10 finish at the Phoenix Open this past week, marking his seventh made cut in a row. During this stretch, Clark has produced five top-30 finishes and has gained strokes on APP at all but one event.
On top of the stellar current form, the 29-year-old is always a strong target on POA grass. Including a pair of top-20 finishes at Riviera, Clark has made nine of his last 10 cuts at events that present POA greens.
Matt Kuchar
Stokastic PGA Optimizer Leverage Scores Ranks: DraftKings: 27th, FanDuel: 57th
Kuchar is an appealing combination of current form and course history to attack this week. The veteran comes into this week making six of his last eight cuts, with all six of these finishes being results of T35th or better. As for his resume at Riviera, Kuchar has advanced to the weekend in 14 of his 16 attempts at the par 71, including eight top-30 finishes, most notably with a runner-up in 2020.
The 44-year-old is a very safe bet to make the cut this week and is forecasted for minimal ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel, according to Stokastic’s projections.
Legal gambling age is 21 in most states. Gambling Problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER
