A week after Daniel Berger took the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title with a thrilling eagle on the 72nd hole, the players head down the road to Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the Genesis Invitational.

This tournament is hosted by Tiger Woods, but he’s unable to compete as he recovers from a back injury.

After the worst field that Pebble Beach has ever seen since world golf rankings started in 1986, the Genesis Invitational at famed Riviera Country Club is stacked with talent.

Eight of the top-10 golfers are teeing it up, with Tyrrell Hatton and Webb Simpson the exceptions.

With four wins in his last eight worldwide starts, Dustin Johnson enters as the heavy favourite to win this event for the second time, having won in 2017.

Twelve of the last 14 winners of this prestigious tournament have been American, with Aaron Baddeley and last year’s champion Adam Scott the two Australian exceptions.

This invitational tournament is capped at 120 golfers as opposed to the typical 156, and the winner receives a special three-year exemption compared to the usual two years for winning a PGA Tour event.

Four Canadians are teeing it up, each considered a long shot to earn the trophy come Sunday.

Corey Conners has the shortest odds at +10000, followed by Adam Hadwin at +15000.

Mackenzie Hughes (+17500) and Nick Taylor (+20000) are even more unlikely to win outright according to oddsmakers, though Canadians have had success here, with Mike Weir winning back-to-back years in 2003 and 2004.

Here's our first look at the field for the Genesis Invitational.

Betting Odds To Win 2021 Genesis Invitational – Top 15

Dustin Johnson              +550

Jon Rahm                     +1200

Rory McIlroy                 +1300

Justin Thomas              +1400

Xander Schauffele        +1400

Bryson DeChambeau   +1600

Patrick Cantlay             +1600

Brooks Koepka             +2200

Tony Finau                   +2500

Collin Morikawa           +2800

Daniel Berger               +2800

Jordan Spieth              +3000

Viktor Hovland             +3000

Adam Scott                  +3300

Hideki Matsuyama       +3500

DJ has been on an absolute tear

Dustin Johnson can’t be stopped, with four worldwide victories in his last eight events, including the 2020 Masters title.

In his last 10 starts, he has nothing worse than a T-12 finish.

Two weeks ago, he won the Saudi International for the second time, and then he decided to skip Pebble Beach after initially entering the event to recharge his batteries.

Not only has he won the Genesis Invitational in 2017, he’s also been a runner-up twice, in 2014, and again in 2015 when he lost in a playoff.

He’s been on an absolute heater worldwide recently and he’s led several ‘strokes gained’ categories at Riviera in the last 24 rounds.

DJ is first in total strokes gained, tee-to-green, short game, approach, and is second in ball striking.

Normally, +550 odds are enough to potentially dissuade a bettor because there’s simply not that much value, given the elite field he’s up against.

This is Dustin Johnson we’re talking about, however, and he continues to rack up trophies at will, so betting against him is a dicey proposition.

Past Five Winners of Genesis Invitational

2020: Adam Scott                   -11 (2 shot win)

2019: J.B. Holmes                 -14 (1 shot win)

2018: Bubba Watson            -12 (2 shot win)

2017: Dustin Johnson           -17 (5 shot win)

2016: Bubba Watson            -15 (1 shot win)

FORE YOUR INFORMATION

Horse for this Course

Bubba Watson +4500

This is one of Bubba Watson’s favourite tracks on tour, as he’s won the event three times in his career – in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

His game has turned a corner, with just one missed cut in his last 10 tournaments, where he’s compiled six top-25 finishes.

In the last 36 rounds at Riviera, the two-time Masters champion is first in strokes gained off-the-tee, and third in total strokes gained, ball striking and tee-to-green.

During the 2020-21 campaign the mercurial lefty is also third tee-to-green, and sixth off the tee.

At +4500 odds, you’re getting Bubba at pretty decent value because there are so many top competitors playing, but nobody in this field has won as much on this course as Watson has.

Trending Up

Carlos Ortiz +6600

Carlos Ortiz has gone under the radar but has quietly been playing the best golf of his career.

The Vivint Houston Open winner earlier this season is coming off a T-4 showing at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

That’s a part of a stretch of eight straight tournaments that he’s been around for the weekend.

In the last 24 rounds on tour, he’s seventh in strokes gained with his short game and he’s eighth in total strokes gained.

In four career starts at Riviera, he’s made the cut each time, with nothing worse than a T-26 showing, including a T-9 result in 2019.

Subsequently, in his last 16 rounds at this track he’s first in SG: putting, third in short game, and 10th in total strokes gained.

Though he’s unheralded, he has every bit of game to contend this weekend, and at +6600 odds to win outright he’s got incredible value.