This week back to California for the Genesis Invitational
Held at the Riviera Country Club
7322 yards Par 71
Last Years Winner Was Jon Rahm
Another one he can’t defend
In the TH Our Defending Champion is JJ
This is an invitational and a premium event, so big money and a limited field. As this is an invitational . . . there will be a 36 hole cut.
This event has it’s roots as the L.A. Open that goes back to 1926, where Harry Cooper won $3500, and that was a whole lot back then. Prize money continued to be generous for the next few years but then went down during the depression. When Harry repeated as champ in ’37, he took a pay cut to $2500. First place money took a big jump in 1944, when Jug McSpaden won $4300. Might seem out of place for prize money to spike during WWII, but in ’44 players were paid in war bonds. Still . . . ‘Jug McSpaden’ has to be one of the all time great golf names.
Kind of looks like someone named Jug . . . real first name was Harold
FUN FACT: Jug holds the PGA record for finishing second the most times in a season . . . in 1945, he finished second 13 times. Of course we know Byron Nelson has the record for most wins in a season, 18; as well most consecutive wins, 11 . . . which he did in . . . wait for it . . . 1945.
The Riviera Country Club is home to the Hollywood Elite. Movies such as Pat and Mike have been filmed there and it has hosted majors. The actor Conrad Veidt, who portrayed Major Strasser in the film Casablanca, died less than a year after the movie of a heart attack while playing golf at Riviera.
On a happier note, the course will host the 2026 U.S. Womens’ Open and the 2028 Olympics.
Fled Germany in 1933 with his Jewish wife
FUN FACT #2: There are two HoF golfers who have played but never won this event . . . Jack and Tiger. You have to believe that would make Jug feel extra special. Tiger is teeing it up this week so . . .
Four and an Alt
| Slinger | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Alternate | TOTAL |
| Phil | SCHEFFLER (3) -8 | Homa -7 | Hovland -6 | Cantlay -13 | McIlroy MC 6 | -31 |
| Max | Hovland -6 | Aberg -6 | McIlroy -5 | Cantlay -13 | WOODS WD | -30 |
| Wendy | Thomas MC6 | Scheffler -8 | Schauffele -13 | ZALARORIS (3) -14 | Fitzpatrick MC | -26 |
| Scrums | Finau -6 | Scheffler -8 | MORIKAWA (3) -6 | Fleetwood -8 | McIlroy -5 | -25 |
| MX2 | Morikawa -6 | Scheffler -8 | Burns -8 | ABERG (3) -6 | Thomas MC | -25 |
| Taf | Scheffler -8 | Conners -5 | Hovland -6 | ABERG (3) -6 | Fitzpatrick MC 6 | -22 |
| JJ | Scheffler -8 | Hovland -6 | Schauffele -13 | Thomas MC 6 | MORIKAWA -6 | -21 |
| Hedge | McIlroy -5 | Scheffler -8 | Schauffele -13 | Thomas MC 6 | WOODS WD | -20 |
| Radar | Scheffler -8 | Aberg -6 | Hovland -6 | SPIETH (3) DQ 6 | Thomas MC6 | -14 |
| Chevy | Scheffler --8 | Aberg -6 | Hovland -6 | Thomas MC 6 | SPIETH DQ 6 | -14 |
| Metro | McIlroy -5 | Spieth DQ 6 | ABERG -6 | Scott -6 | Woods WD | -11 |
| EMC | Taylor -1 | CONNORS -5 | Burns -8 | Clark MC 6 | Spieth DQ | -8 |
“If you obey all the rules . . . you miss all the fun”
