The Genesis Invitational: Winners and losers of a disappointing week

One more year goes by, and another LA Open is on the books. This tournament always looks special, the golf course is one of the players’ favorites and it's one of the first events where all the top dogs congregate and battle it out - on paper that seems like a recipe for success.

Disappointingly, this week was a mere shadow of what was promised. Huge absences, DQs, and WDs made this weekend extremely boring and unappealing. It seemed that after a couple of heavy blows, the tournament would be blessed with a tight 5 man battle, but Hideki waxed the competition and played out of his mind to seal a very impressive (and very boring) 3-shot win.

Let's try to keep things objective and go through the winners and losers of this week

LOSERS

1. PGA Tour: Boy was it a disappointing week for the tour. On paper, a tournament full of stars, in one of golf's most prestigious venues and hosted by no other than Tiger Woods. That's the dream.
   Well, not only did we have the WD from Tiger (more on that later), but also our beloved Jordan Spieth got DQ’d for signing an incorrect scorecard. The rule sounds dumb, given that they have a lot of coverage, but it's really not that hard to check the numbers. ¡Come on Jordan!
   Also, to me, it was the first week where I missed some of the LIV players. There was a huge Jon Rahm-shaped hole that I couldn't ignore. Perhaps because he was the defending champion, or maybe i just love watching him play golf, but with no Tiger, it was hard for me to be invested in the result

2. IN n OUT: No way around it, they poisoned half of the PGA tour. From Tiger Woods to Tom Kim and everyone in between, they are in a muddy situation - no pun intended.
   

3. Scottie Scheffler: This has to be fucking infuriating for Scottie. No one hits the ball as well as he does. He is prime Tiger Woods with every club in the bag and a blind toddler with the putter. The difference between his putting and the rest of his game is abysmal. It's so big that he can finish top ten being literally the worst putter on the field.
   The rest of the tour needs to hope that he never figures it out, otherwise no one stands a chance.
   

4. Tiger Woods: This is painful for me to write. I'm as big a Tiger fan as anyone. I love the guy, but this week was far from ideal for the whole Woods camp. It started high, with the SUN DAY RED release. The merch looks incredible, I can't wait to spend every single penny I own on it, and he looked like 10 billion dollars walking onto the first tee wearing it.
   After that, everything went downhill. The golf looked rusty and he clearly was out of play. He always said that as long as he has the hands and the touch he can compete and win, but clearly those were missing this week. After a round and a half of disappointing playing, he WD’d due to food poisoning, in between an awfully familiar scene of TV cameras and ambulances. Let us pray his back is healthy and we can see him again next month
   Just keep our guy away from Los Angeles. Nothing good happens to him there
   

WINNERS

1. Hideki: pretty obvious, right? Not only did he earn a modest 4 million dollars, but he also became the most accomplished Asian to play the game, beating KJ Choi. Matsuyama overcame a 6-shot deficit and beat a leaderboard with some interesting names on it.
   

2. Riviera Country Club: That place looks amazing. Year after, players rave about how good the course looks and how it always delivers. Without the natural scenery of Pebble Beach or the over-the-top design choices of a TPC Sawgrass, Riviera manages to look and feel unique. It has an awe that only a few courses have.
   It seems like a regular guy can go and shoot a career low at any time. No hard carries over the ocean, no island green bullshit - but in reality, it has the ability to kick you in the dick and make you regret the day when you decided to pick a golf club. Every hole is unique and interesting. Can't wait to see what the USGA does with the course in 2031 for the US Open.
   

3. The first hole: Let's keep sucking Riviera dry. I LOVE the first hole. A par 5 where walking away with a 5 seems like a catastrophe. I really don't care about yardage and difficulty. Give me a hole where pros know that a par loses them a stroke. Watching them lose their mind without making a bogey is fun. Also, that first tee camera angle is breathtaking. I can only hope to be able to play it one day and slice my tee ball 250 yards into some celebrity's backyard.
   

4. Will Zalatoris: Willy Z is back. A 100-pound guy that can outdrive 95% of the PGA tour - that’s fun to watch. But a 100-pound guy that can outdrive 95% of the PGA tour, but also can miss every 2-foot putt is a must-watch.
   In all seriousness, good for him. Not only did he earn a T2 finish, but he got himself and his caddie new cars with a hole-in-one.

Final Thoughts

That wraps up today's diverse golf discussion!

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