Bubba Watson is defending champion in the PGA Tour’s Genesis Open at Riviera and Tiger Woods is in the field.
Genesis Open Preview, TV Times
Bubba Watson is looking for a fourth Genesis Open win in the space of six years. Bubba will face a strong field, including Tiger Woods, at historic Riviera CC.
A strong international field has assembled for this event as it marks the start of a big run of tournaments on the PGA Tour, including next week’s WGC-Mexico Championship.
Open champion Francesco Molinari will tee it up, together with Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and Paul Casey.
Tiger Woods plays his second event of 2019 in a tournament that’s one of the few he hasn’t won on the PGA Tour. The former World Number 1 is playing in the event for a 10th time. He missed the cut last year.
Tiger Woods starts at Riviera
Phil Mickelson comes into the event on the back of victory at Pebble Beach. He also has a good record at Riviera with two wins in his last nine starts.
Designed by Captain George C. Thomas back in the 1920s, and updated by Tom Fazio in 2008, Riviera is a well bunkered, undulating layout where creative shot-making is key to success. This will be the 54th year Riviera has been the venue for this tournament. Back in 1983 Riviera was also host to the PGA Championship. Last year’s U.S. Amateur was contested at Riviera.
This event began life as the Los Angeles Open back in 1926 and has been won by some big names over the years including Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller. Riviera became known as “Hogan’s Alley” as the Texan won here three times in the late 1940s. The event was sponsored by Northern Trust from 2008 to 2016 but a new title sponsor stepped in for 2017 – Genesis (a car produced by South Korean manufacturer Hyundai.)
Last year, Bubba Watson won for a third time at Riviera, joining Lloyd Mangrum and Ben Hogan as the only men to achieve that feat. Watson overtook Patrick Cantlay with a bogey-free back nine to claim his 10th PGA Tour title.
The weather doesn’t look to great – rain could be a factor on Thursday and over the weekend and there looks likely to be blustery winds.
Venue: Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades, California
Date: Feb 14-17
Course stats: par 71, 7,322 yards
Purse: $7,400,000
Defending champion: Bubba Watson (-12)
How to watch the Genesis Open
TV Coverage:
Thursday 14 – Sky Sports Golf from 7pm (Featured Groups – Sky Sports Golf from 2.30pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 3.30pm)
Friday 15 – Sky Sports Golf from 7pm (Featured Groups – Sky Sports Golf from 2.30pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 3.30pm)
Saturday 16 – Sky Sports Golf from 6pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30pm
Sunday 17 – Sky Sports Golf from 6pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 9.30pm
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Players to watch:
Phil Mickelson is looking for another win
Phil Mickelson – He won last week showing great form and he returns to another venue where he’s enjoyed success. It’s hard to see him not continuing his good run.
Bryson DeChambeau – One of the real form players right now – “The Scientist” has won four times in the last six months.
Rory McIlroy – He’s slowly finding his way back to his best form. He’s finished in the top-five twice this year on the PGA Tour and is knocking on the door of victory.
Key hole: 18th. The 475-yard par 4 is one of the hardest holes on the course. It’s a blind tee shot from below the level of the fairway then a testing approach into a kidney shaped green that sits surrounded by a natural amphitheatre.
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