Genesis Invitational
Well last week was fun. Jordan Spieth was once again in first place after 3 rounds, but failed to seal the deal on Sunday. However, according to Spieth he was just happy to be playing well, and he's showing levels of confidence we have not seen from him in a few years. In my opinion Jordan Spieth is very much back and we are going to see him win a lot more in the coming years. Personally i'm excited he's back because he's been one of my favorite players for quite sometime now. However the real show goes to Daniel Berger, the winner of the AT&T Pro Am. Berger played solid all week but his Sunday performance is what sealed the deal. Berger came out of the gates hot, through his first three holes he was already three under for the day. He managed to battle all day long coming in with an incredible seven under 65. To top off Berger’s victory he made his second eagle of the day on 18 to win by 2 shots. This marks Berger’s fourth win and his second in eight months. After the restart Berger has moved from 115th ranked in the world all the way down to 13 in just about a year’s time. Berger has commented many times on his talent and the lack of media attention he's gotten, stating “He stays under the radar, nobody really knows how good he is and now he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder.” Personally I think Berger is a fantastic player and there are more wins in his future but I believe the lack of media attention he gets is due to the fact that he’s got the driest personality on the face of the planet. If he shows a little more emotion, smile once or twice I promise the media will give him the time of day. Nevertheless super happy for Berger, but i'm even more excited for the Genesis Invitational this week, and being able to watch Dustin Johnson win again.
This week we are back out in California for the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club. This is a really cool event because Tiger Woods is the host and at the end of the event Tiger Woods hands you the trophy. Tiger Woods handing you your trophy after winning a huge event is the second best trophy ceremony in golf, first being getting a green jacket of course. Another reason why I love this event is that the field is also extremely stacked and Riviera plays extremely hard. Riviera is a 7,400 yards par 71 golf that requires extremely accurate play off the tee. With thick rough and perfectly positioned bunkers protecting every green, being in the fairway proves to be extremely valuable. Coupled with demanding tee shots, the green complexes are incredible. If you are not on the correct side of the green putting to certain pin locations will prove to be extremely challenging. Coupled with the tough course the California weather always proves to challenge the players just a little bit more. The course is not the only impressive thing about this event, the field this week is incredible. This week fans will be able to watch Patrick Cantlay, Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau, Collin Morikowa, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Bryson Dechambeau, and Jon Rahm. The field this week is stacked just as much as a major field, so expect some fire power and some incredible golf this week. This week we also have a player that has received a sponsor exemption who is paving the way for minorities and inclusion in the game of golf. Willie Mack III will receive the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption. This exemption is in honor of Charlie Sifford, an African American man who was a pioneer for minorities in the game of golf. Sifford became a professional golfer in 1961 and he became the first minority golfer to win a PGA Tour event in 1967. Sifford paved the way for inclusion in the game of golf. Willie Mack III will be able to continue that legacy and showcase his talents this week out in California. All the best Willie. (Mike)
My two biggest takes from last week were that Daniel Berger is still somehow flying under the radar and that Jordan Spieth is nearly back. Berger has now put together 26 consecutive rounds under par on tour. He was dominant at times last summer and his good form has continued. He is not a household name to the non-golf community, but he is quickly becoming a household name on the tour. I, like many people, did not think Jordan Spieth would bring it in back to back weeks after basically being absent for two whole years, but he gave it a real run despite struggling for most of Sunday’s final round. I am not ready to announce Jordan is back, but if he can get a couple more top 10’s in his next few starts I think it would be time to declare that he is back. Would not be surprised to see him ride that wave of momentum this week. (Tyler)
Pick’s of the Week:
Mike: As always we have made it to the pick’s of the week. This week it's hard to pick with this field being so loaded, but i'm sure most of you know what i'm going to say. Dustin Johnson will win this golf tournament. Hands down he will win this event. Not only is he coming off a hot win on the European tour but, he’s well rested and confident. As long as DJ putts well he will have no problem running away with this event.
My notable to miss the cut goes to Rickie Fowler once again. Straight up Rickie is struggling, he seems to be lost in his own head right now and he is showing little to no confidence. As a player I understand that feeling, being so lost with your game and have no idea what the ball is going to do is just down right painful. However slumps eventually end and Rickies slump will end eventually. I have no doubt one day Rickie will be in the winner’s circle again.
Lastly my underdog pick goes to Max Homa. Max has been flying under the radar for quite some time now, he's been sliding his way into numerous top 25’s and last week squeezed into the top 10. He’s playing very stellar golf as of late and the difference is his confidence. He seems to be moving around with determination, his mind is clear and his swing is looking extremely sharp. I would love to see Max get another win this year he is most definitely due. (Mike)
Tyler: My picks last week were pretty bad once again. I did not think Spieth would play well two weeks in a row and miss the cut, but he proved me wrong and went and got a T-3. I am inching closer to saying Spieth is full blown back. If he plays well a few more times that would add even more pressure for those competing for a spot on the Ryder Cup team. Molinari was my pick to win and while he made the cut, he did not play very well on the weekend and finished T-59. Alex Noren was my sleeper and he missed the cut. Not sure the picks this week can be any worse.
My pick to win this week is Dustin Johnson. At 6-1 he is the betting favorite to win this week and it is easy to see why. He is on a career defining hot streak right now. Coming off a win on the European Tour I expect him to stay in great form and win by at least two shots on Sunday. Watching Dustin Johnson golf is like watching art. I am excited to see him go up against the strongest field he has seen since his win at The Master’s last November.
My sleeper pick was going to be Max Homa as well. He played really well here last year and has been trending in the right direction. For the sake of not repeating Mike, I will go with Francesco Molinari. He was my pick last week and this week with his odds at 90-1 present a lot of value. He is clearly not back to the level we saw him playing at just a few years ago, but you never know when it may show back up, just like Jordan Spieth. Molinari is too good to lose his game for too long. I think this is the week he turns it around and makes a weekend run at Riv.
My notable to miss the cut is Bryson DeChambeau. While he has continued to crush the ball off the tee this year, his putting is really bad right now. He will be competitive if he is a slightly above average putter, but I do not see this week being the week he turns it around with the putter and barely misses the cut. (Tyler)