When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Quadrilateral: The History And Evolution Of Riviera's 10th
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This started out as a preview piece for the Genesis this year and then turned into a Monday after story only to be pushed back with all of the strange news. .
4 Of 6 Who Lay Back At Riviera's 10th Make A Birdie!
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Since PGA Tour players have been known to engage in herd-like behavior when it comes to their dress or lingo or golf holes, but they might want to consider some numbers from the 2022 Genesis Invitational.
A (not) whopping six times, a player placed a shot in the landing area, short of the directional bunker, and in the fairway. Four times the player walked off with a birdie 3.
The culprits behind this exciting and cutting edge trend to play from the fairway:
Round 3: Aaron Rai with a 71-yard approach
Round 2: Alex Noren with an 89-yard approach
Round 1: Justin Thomas with a 62-yard approach
Round 1: Rai with a 76-yard approach
Rai played the hole 2-under par laying up all four days, missing the fairway left in Sunday’s final round.
The 10th featured a 3.870 scoring average, with 5 eagles and 103 birdies, 9 double bogeys, 0 others and a lot of blue pars from the places where the analytics supposedly tell players where they should go.
Granted the entire situation is a mess due to poor equipment regulation, crazy green speeds and a few weird changes over the years so at this point it’s hard to fault any approach.
The Quadrilateral: Niemann's Wire-To-Wire Genesis Win And Other Notes
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Joaquin Niemann, final round 2022 Genesis Invitational
Wire-to-wire wins are impressive at any level in golf. But on the PGA Tour? With all of the world top ten in attendance? On a storied course where the winner had no significant success in three previous appearances? When he’s the second youngest to win a tournament dating to 1926?
We saw some might impressive golf from Joaquin Niemann in a statement win capable of taking him to special places. Oh, and the young man is just so darned classy, too.
Down boy, down!
My 2022 Genesis Invitational round-up is available for all to read here and includes notes ranging from Niemann to Morikawa’s nearly historic comeback, to Kuchar’s love of that silky smooth Brew Ha Ha cold brew at Riviera.
Of course, Quad subscribers already had this one in their inboxes and you can too for the low, low price of nothing. Those in the paid category do get commenting privileges and extra posts on other fun major-adjacent things as the year progresses.
You can read more here about how the whole newsletter thing works here.
More Scatter Chart Silliness: Riviera's 1st and 3rd Holes
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I saw a lot of players at last week’s Genesis Invitational but somehow managed to miss a few of the crazier tee shots. Notably, one by Charl Schwartzel driving over the first hole barranca and Matthew Wolff almost driving the third green.
Let’s look at these two holes and the data collected by Shotlink (thank you team and volunteers). Starting with the 1st hole (Shotlink scatter chart embedded above).
The “par-5” played into the wind at times, including some huge gusts before play was stopped Saturday, and still saw players drive well through the fairway in the barranca or past it. If you know Riviera, this thought has been joked about and tried by a long hitter here and there. The day has now arrived where players are forcing the issue and don’t care if they end up in the barranca. In Schwartzel’s case he cleared it 368 yards away on a carry of 320 according to Shotlink.
Also, a 4.279 average for a par-5 is especially low given that the wind was into the players faces a couple of days.
The second image is of the 3rd hole playing under par for the week with all drives finishing well past the fairway bunker. I’m sure the data analysts of the world will run the numbers and tell players: drive past the bunker, it’s to your benefit. Smart!
Seriously, it’s incredible to see no drive within forty yards of a fairway bunker that once had meaning not that long ago.
L.A. Native Max Homa Wins The 2021 Genesis Invitational
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Awkward but still special as Tiger Woods hands Max Homa the 2021 Genesis Trophy (J.D. Cuban)
Dodgers, Lakers, Max Homa!
On the City of Champions spectrum, Max is a distant third. Heck, Collin Morikawa should be in there too after winning a major last August.
But who cares? Local boy makes good. Local boy saves writers from having to write a Sam Burns story. That alone is a World Golf Hall of Fame stuff. And then Homa goes and gives great quotes!
The cheery ending, coupled with Tony Finau posting 64 ahead of Homa and leading to a 10th hole playoff, almost help make up for the lack of fans. Naturally the rain dance this event normally provides for the region was played under spectacularly sunny skies and a (most days) playable golf course.
Homa’s win is particularly sweet given the Genesis Invitational’s grand history, longevity and relatively small number of local winners. He joins southern Californians Corey Pavin (1994, 1995) and John Merrick (2013) as recent winners with ties to the region.
The winner has been coming to the event since he was two, was there for the bizarre 2005 playoff, cited this event as one of his inspirations to purse pro golf, and, best of all, Homa worshipped host Tiger Woods growing up. Woods subsequently handed him the Genesis trophy. Woods has never won the tournament he hosts.
Homa explained where an LA Open win ranks on his tournament bucket list.
“1-A, 1-B, 1-C,” he said. “I don't know if I could ever do anything cooler in golf than this. Just for me, for my caddie Joe, we were raised 25miles north of here. I mean, Tiger Woods is handing us a trophy, that's a pretty crazy thought. We grew up idolizing him, idolizing Riviera Country Club, idolizing the golf tournament. To get it done, it's almost shocking, but it just feels--it feels like it just can't be topped just for me.”
Homa missed a short but tricky downhiller at the 18th to prevent a playoff. Instead, he posted a bogey-free 66 and headed to the 10th hole with Finau. The famous short par-4 was playing just 282 yards and was getting the first playoff hole nod over the 18th hole due to the lack of fans on site.
Hitting second, the 30-year-old slightly pulled his tee shot and was up against one of the Bottlebrush let to defend the hole because the USGA and R&A chose to take the last decade off.
“Ten's a crazy hole. Talor Gooch and I were talking about it on 11 today during the regulation round. A lot of people don't like it, I love it. I think golf could use a little chaos at times.”
Chaos he got, at least upon finding his tee shot at the brush base.
“You kind of aim at these trees and kind of see what happens,” he continued. “I hit a good tee ball, I pulled it probably five yards left of where Tony was, which is kind of where you wanted to hit it. Yeah, what are you going to be mad about when you make a good swing when you're nervous. Obviously had a weird looking shot but I had a shot, which is cool.”
After a few practice tries, Homa hooded his 50-degree wedge to get some “tumble spin” into the kikuyu fringe. He got up and down. Finau missed his first putt under 10 feet in his last 30 or so tries and they were off to the 14th. There Homa hit a beautiful tee shot and Finau could not get up and down for par.
A new member of the City of Champions has been born and at the place that gave birth to his golf career.
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Here’s a roundup of 2021 Genesis moments. For Quadrilateral subscribers my write-up on the week and players I saw a decent amount of (with majors in mind).
Sam Farmer’s L.A. Times game story seized on the tip Homa’s wife provided and another tough loss for Finau.
“This morning, my wife gave me a piece of advice,” he said. “There were a few bullet points, [but] one of them was `forgive quickly.’ She called me after, told me to do that, and it was kind of perfect because I had played a pretty perfect round of golf, very flawless. So what was there to be too mad about? I was about to be in a playoff at the place I first fell in love with golf.”
GolfChannel.com’s Rex Hoggard led with Homa overcoming a miss on a 99.57% putt (yeah about that data forecasting…).
Statistically Max Homa had a 99.57% chance of converting the 3-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole of the Genesis Invitational, but then there is no room for statistics in the chambers of the human heart.
In 11 events this season on the PGA Tour Homa, who is as L.A. as palm trees and Dodger dogs, had been predictably automatic, like most Tour types, from that distance. But not all 3-footers are created equal and the slider for birdie and victory at the event that means more to him than any other might as well have been 30 feet.
Homa, who grew up 30 minutes north of Riviera, admitted he was “shaking like a leaf” over the game-winner on the iconic 18th hole and the only saving grace was that the empty pandemic gallery wasn’t there for a collective gasp.
A few more fun items including Homa’s emotional post-round interview with CBS:
Yes, I cashed a win bet ticket Sunday. Thank you Max! And I hope the three people who liked this per-tournament Tweet bet him too!
And while I hate ending on a sad note, the world famous 18th hole amphitheater Sunday as the leaders approached:
Genesis Set To Get Tougher, Windier: "It's one of those rare weeks"
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From Riviera my Quadrilateral dispatch available to all for free since this isn’t a major, it’s a Friday night and I want to make sure you don’t miss what figures to be fun weekend of PGA Tour golf.
A few notes following round two of the Genesis:
36-hole cut: 67 professionals at even-par 142 from a field of 117 professionals and three amateurs
Second-Round Leaderboard
Sam Burns 64-66—130 (-12)
Tyler McCumber 67-68—135 (-7)
Jason Kokrak 67-68—135 (-7)
Dustin Johnson 68-67—135 (-7)
Joaquin Niemann 67-68—135 (-7)
Sam Burns holds the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history (five strokes) and ties the 36-hole tournament scoring record (130)
Five-stroke margin through 36 holes marks largest on TOUR since 2019 PGA Championship (7/Brooks Koepka)
Burns holds the third 36-hole lead/co-lead of his PGA TOUR career, finishing T7 on both prior occasions
Tyler McCumber sits T2 after having surgery on his left index finger Tuesday
Dustin Johnson posts his 18th round of 67 or better at Riviera since 2008, most of any player in that span
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann seeks to become second consecutive international winner of The Genesis Invitational and sixth international winner this season
Rory McIlroy misses a cut on TOUR for the first time since 2019 The Open Championship, snapping the TOUR’s longest active made-cut streak (25)
Notables to miss the cut include McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson and Bryson DeChambeau
Second-Round Lead Notes
4 Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win The Genesis Invitational since 2000
(Mike Weir/2004, Rory Sabbatini/2006, Phil Mickelson/2008, Dustin Johnson/2017)
5 Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win in 2020-21
(Most recent: Harris English/Sentry Tournament of Champions)
130 Low 36-hole score at The Genesis Invitational
(Sam Burns/2021, Shigeki Maruyama/2004, Mike Weir/2004, Davis Love III/1992)
American broadcast windows:
Scatter Chart Horror: Riviera's 10th Hole, Round One Genesis
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The silliness above is on the governing bodies for not doing anything. Riviera for allowing the green to evolve as it has, and on someone else for not at least getting a tee extension ordered up.
Players now regularly say they aim for the trees left and hope. Is this how golf treats its elders? Oh right, yes it is.
Jordan Spieth’s description is just more forthright than most. But to think a whole ingeniously masterminded no longer gets to present the best players the intended options on a grand stage like the Genesis Invitational, is a stain on the game.
Yeah, so the idea was to hit a 3-wood over the left bunker into those trees. I mean, for real. You can get stymied and not have a shot and if that's the case you just have to kind of punch it forward. And then--but that angle's the best angle to be chipping into the green from. It was blowing pretty hard so I knew I needed to kind of hook it in order to get it over that bunker. So I went a little left of where I wanted, ended up in one of those spots that was not ideal because the palm tree happened to be right in the line I wanted to go. Ended up choosing to go to the left side of it and actually kind of almost cut it out of the rough from about 60yards. That shot was the shot of the day for me. That could have easily been a 5 and it turned out to be a 3.
2021 Genesis Preview: Riviera Can't Play Any Faster And There Is No Rain In Sight
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Riviera is ready but devoid of the usual tournament build out (Geoff Shackelford)
Tiger Woods is hosting but not playing following end-of-2020 back surgery. We might see him Sunday to hand out the stunning trophy and three-year exemption that goes to the $9.3 million Genesis Invitational winner.
Without fans due to the pandemic the parrots and sea breezes will have to provide the ambient noise. But a stellar field with 8 of the world top 10 should put on a stellar show this week. Riviera is immaculate, amazingly firm for this time of year, and drying out as I type thanks to crisp Santa Ana winds.
Brooks Koepka had this to say about the course:
BROOKS KOEPKA: It's as fast and firm as I've ever seen this place. It will be interesting to see what happens. I think scores will be a little bit higher just because you see a couple balls on the greens releasing a little bit more than they have in maybe previous years. I'll tell you what, the greens are flying, so it will be interesting to see, especially if the wind picks up, what they'll do with it; if they slow the greens down a little bit, maybe not cut them, just roll them. It will be interesting to see how the week plays out.
Yes it will!
As for prognosticating, three players with local or Riviera ties who are coming in on form and worth a longshot look: Max Homa, Cameron Tringale and Doug Ghim. The first two are southern Californians, the latter was runner-up in the 2017 U.S. Amateur at Riviera coming off a T5 in the American Express and a T21 last week at Pebble Beach.
Rob Bolton breaks down the field here and puts his money on the big names.
First round play starts at 6:40 am off both tees and here is the full tee time list.
And don’t forget there is significant Golf Channel bonus coverage thanks to PGA Tour Live supplemental coverage. CBS is on for three or so hours each weekend day. Enjoy!
The Genesis Invitational airtimes:
First Round Noon-2 PM, 2-6 PM, 6-8 PM ET Golf Channel (PGA Tour Live bonus coverage)
Second Round 2-6 Golf Channel
Third Round 3:00-6:00 PM (CBS)
Final Round 3:00-6:30 PM (CBS)
Pains Me: There Is No Good Reason To Lay-Up At Riviera's 10th
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I fought the good fight. I wanted so badly to believe laying up could still matter. I even argued with a few players who were good sports in at least listening to my case.
They were right. These athletes today are just too much for Riviera’s 10th. The yoga, the Pilates, the organic foods, the fiber, it’s too much for Riviera’s tenth at 315 yards. With some Santa Ana winds likely making it downwind, the one condition Jack Nicklaus would consider driving the green in, driving irons may be enough to get there Thursday.
The tenth at Riviera is just a long par-3. Still a compelling and weird one, but with its bizarre design evolution and the extra squats by today’s players, it is not the best short par-4 on the PGA Tour. That’s because it’s a par-3.
Now, don’t let me dampen your Genesis Invitational plans because we have a stellar week on hand despite the lack of fans. Perfect weather, elite field, great course and expanded television coverage. All swell as long as your electricity is working.
That painful admission made, the comments and numbers do not lie.
Collin Morikawa:
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Most likely I'll be hitting driver every single day or whatever gets me to that front edge, kind of just rolls over. I keep looking at the wedge shot. I keep saying yes, we can hit a 70-yard wedge shot, we can hit a 100-yard wedge shot, but when you look at the green and how narrow and shallow it is, it just doesn't make sense in my head. Like especially how firm the greens are, that first bounce is going to bounce so far, so you're working with two yards, two, three yards. When you're on, you're going to hit that shot, but if you're off a little bit and there's wind or it's cold or whatever, that can cost you being in the short bunker, that can cost you being over. You hit driver, hit it down there, most likely you'll hopefully have a chip shot. If you don't have it at the pin, you'll have a chip shot at the middle of the green, two-putt, you know. If I'm even par, I'm not going to be sad, I'm not going to be happy, I'm going to be just okay with even par because I don't think I'm really losing any shots to the field if I'm even par through four rounds on that hole.
Q. So it's basically saying the wedge shot's no guarantee so there's no real advantage?
COLLIN MORIKAWA: Absolutely.
Xander Schauffele:
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Statistically, I am--as my dad made aware to me today thatI'm not very good from 50 to 125 yards, I would not be laying up on that hole. That would leave me about 50 to 125 yards in. So I will be going for it like I have every other year and kind of rely on getting up and down and a couple good bounces here and there. The 10th is a special hole here, it's a key hole for the tournament and it can kind of either make or break your week.
Q. So no matter what the pin, you're going for it?
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I will be pulling some sort of furniture out on the tee.
Less risk-reward and more hit-and-hope.
There are solutions of course, The hole needs extra length until the USGA/R&A local rules come into play, and the green desperately needs to be restored size-wise.
Anyway, I’m procrastinating. The numbers from the always stout Shotlink team:
Par 4 10th Hole - Riviera Country Club
According to ShotLink
2nd Second toughest par 4 under 350 yards on TOUR since start of 2013-14 season (3.94)
197th The drivable par-4 10th hole at Riviera Country Club was the 197th easiest hole on the PGA TOUR last season (-0.12).
4 The 10th hole at Riviera Country Club has played under par in four of the last five seasons
-222 Field combined score to par on the par-4 10th hole in the last five seasons
12 total players six under or better on this hole in the last five seasons
-10 Byron DeChambeau’s cumulative score to par on the par-4 10th hole in the last five seasons (best of any player)
61.81% Green in Regulation percentage from inside 75 yards on the 10th hole in last 10 seasons, toughest green to hit in regulation from within this distance on TOUR (min 300 attempts)
3,289 Since 2011, there have been 3,289 shots played on the 10th hole from inside 75 yards and the field has hit the green in regulation on 61.81% of those approach shots (2,033 of 3,289).
87.20% Last season the average TOUR player from inside 75 yards hit the green 87.20% of the time from this distance and players hit the green in regulation from inside 75 yards 63.29% of the time on this hole in 2020 (7th highest GIR percentage since 2003).
96.0% Last season, James Hahn has the best Greens in Regulation percentage from this distance of any player, hitting the green 96.00% of the time.
79.52% of the field went for the green and were a combined 63-under par. The remaining 20.48% of the field choose to layup were a combined 18-over par. This marked the highest Going for the Green percentage on this hole in the ShotLink era.
Well and that’s why it’s a par-3 now.
376 In 2020, there were 376 tee shots on the par-4 10th hole at Riviera Country Club
7,629 Since 2003, there have been 7,629 tee shots on the 10th hole. Players going for the green are a combined 789-under par compared to just 117-over par combined for players laying up.
Alright you made your point already.
-20 Aaron Baddeley has the best cumulative score to par on the par-4 10th hole of any player in the ShotLink Era (-20)
3 The most times a player has hit the green off the tee on the par-4 10th hole in the ShotLink Era (Scott Verplank, Scott Brown, Matt Kuchar, Aaron Baddeley & Sung Kang)
16 Total rounds played by Patrick Cantlay on the 10th hole at Riviera CC since 2012 without making a bogey or worse (most of any player)
51.6% Since 2012, players only manage to salvage par 51.6% of the time when the flagstick is on the back-right side of the green.
72% / 31% Since 2003, 148 tee shots hit the green and 107 made birdie or better (72%). Keeping your tee shot left on the 10th hole is key. Historically, 1 out of every 3 players to hit their tee shot in the right rough come away with bogey or worse (31%).
Rory And Justin: Two Different Views On Riviera's Tenth
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By now many are probably weary of hearing about Riviera’s wily 10th hole. Annual discussions of design dynamics that produce magical play and baffling decisions has been covered pretty extensively.
So here is more on George Thomas and Billy Bell’s 311-yard gem!
Two top-5 players, two views on how to play a hole where the lay-up decision is rarely a decision in the bomber’s world of 311-yard three-woods.
Here is Rory McIlroy from today’s Genesis Invitational press room asked about short par-4’s in general:
RORY McILROY: The first hole I ever played as a professional golfer was a drivable par 4 was the 10th hole at The Belfry back in 2007. I hit 6‑iron off the tee. I mean, look, this is possibly the best drivable par 4 in the world here at Riviera, the 10th. It's just so ‑‑ it's just as easy to make a six as it is to make a three, but all the statistics suggest that if you do go for the green, you're going to play the hole .3 of a shot lower than if you lay up. All the statistics suggest that it's a hole to go for.
And then there was Justin Thomas who has played the hole every year since 2012 when he played the NCAA Championships at Riviera, asked about Rory’s use of stats to make his decision about to drive it or lay-up:
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don't, personally I've always laid up on that hole. I'll go for it to that front pin, but I've laid up ever since I've been on Tour. I mean, the way I look at it is I try to make par on the hole and if I happen to make one birdie, then I beat the field for the week I would think. It's a shot shape or the green shape is good for my wedge, my spin that I have on it with the left‑right spin. I've had anything from 4‑iron to 6‑iron off the tee kind of up that left side of the fairway. It's not a very hard wedge shot as long as you can just get your number right.
So that's just how I've always look at it. I've never looked at the numbers because my miss with a 3‑wood or sometimes driver is right and right's no good up there. I'm just trying to make 4 and maybe sprinkle a 3 or two.
Riviera Wants A Lakers Courtside-Seat-Style Ryder Cup
/While the U.S. Amateur proved a good fit for Riviera given the weather and sensational match play setup by the USGA's Ben Kimball, it was not a big draw in LA. The miniscule crowds, even more miniscule member support and commitment to the possible 2028 Olympic golf all but rules out any return to the major championship world. The U.S. Open is also slated to return to Los Angeles in 2023 at The Los Angeles Country Club. 
Apparently in the mind of the club's "corporate officer" Michael Yamaki, the amateur has positioned Riviera for the first ever boutique Ryder Cup. His reasoning? Folks in LA overpay for Laker courtside seats and gasoline at San Vicente and Allenford, so they'll do the same at Riviera for a massive-scale golf event like the Ryder Cup, PGA or U.S. Open.
From John Strege's Golf World item:
“I’m still talking with the PGA of America. At some point they professed they’d like to see a Ryder Cup on the West Coast. I think we could do that event. I’d still like the PGA Tour [to consider] a Presidents Cup here.”
And this pearl...
“Its [the USGA] perception of us here in Southern California is that we’re just in our hot tubs or surfing,” Yamaki said. “They don’t think that we will support sports in the same way as the East Coast.”
Given the piles of tickets from the U.S. Amateur, I'm guessing the USGA's mind hasn't been changed.
Video: 20 Years After Steve Elkington's Riviera Win
/Hard to believe it was 20 years ago this week,
Read MoreFinal Follow Up On Riviera's 10th: "Fun to watch. Tough to play."
/I know, I know, you're in full Bear Trap mode.
Read More
