Tiger Woods will play in the Genesis this year. Last year, Joaquin Nieman won the tournament.
It was announced on February 10 that Tiger Woods will make the first start of his 2023 PGA TOUR season at the Riviera during this week’s Genesis Invitational.
All of the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings will be at the Riviera along with 23 of the top 25 in the world led by defending FedExCup champ Rory McIlroy.
Golfers with California connections include 2021 Genesis winner Max Homa and last season’s runner-up Collin Morikawa. Joaquin Nieman won last year beating Morikawa and Cameron Young by a 2-stroke margin. He will not defend his title because he left the PGA TOUR for LIV Golf. (To see the field visit: genesisinvitational.com/field/).
In 13 starts at Riviera Country Club, Woods is winless. (It was also where he played in his first PGA Tour event as an amateur.)
In an earlier interview, he was asked about the historic Riviera Golf Course.
“We wish we could play more venues that are classic and simple like this,” Woods said. “There’s nothing really — there’s no secret to this golf course. It’s right in front of you, but it’s hard. The greens are, except No. 4, everything slopes from back to front, and we all know that, don’t go past the hole, but if you do, there’s a price to pay.”
Round 1 will start on February 16 at 6:30 a.m. with 120 golfers, vying for a $20 million purse. After Round 2, the field will be trimmed. Last year, 76 players made the cut at even-par 142.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the course is closed to the public. The Collegiate Showcase, which was first held in 2015, will be held Monday.
The showcase features a top PGA TOUR professional and a standout collegiate golfer paired with two amateurs, representing a university.
Gregory Odom, Jr. of Howard University was named the 2023 Pathway Player. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Odom began his collegiate career at the University of Memphis. Following his sophomore season, Odom transferred to Howard. Recently, he earned the top spot in the APGA Tour Collegiate Rankings, and with that a start in the 2023 APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines where he finished in third place.
As part of the Pathway Player award, The Genesis Invitational will support Odom’s and Howard University’s travel to Riviera.
The collegiate showcase was first held in 2015, this is the ninth showcase. The teams’ professional and amateurs play a best-ball round with the top three-person team winning a $50,000 donation to the school’s golf program. The low collegiate golfer will earn an exemption into the 2023 Genesis Invitational and will round out the field of 120 players on Thursday and Friday.
To buy tickets, visit: genesisinvitational.com