The third Signature Event of the season is here as Torrey Pines will host. Here are the latest odds and our staff picks.
LA JOLLA, Calif. — This year’s Genesis Invitational will look much different than years past as the South Course at Torrey Pines will host a Signature Event for the first time. The PGA Tour had no choice but to relocate this week’s event from Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles due to the wildfires that have severely impacted the region.
Consequently, 37 players who played in this year’s Farmers Insurance Open return to Torrey Pines three weeks after Harris English emerged victorious on the South Course. That includes Hideki Matsuyama, the fourth-ranked player in the world, who also arrives as the defending champion of the Genesis Invitational. But last month’s Farmers Insurance Open featured only 17 players ranked among the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). That starkly contrasts this week, which features 46 of the top 50 in the OWGR.
Once again, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler arrives as the pre-tournament favorite again, having 4-to-1 odds to win, according to FanDuel. Oddsmakers currently list Rory McIlroy, the third-ranked player in the world, at 7-to-1 to win, which is second-lowest among the field.
Meanwhile, World No. 2 Xander Schauffele remains sidelined with a rib injury and has given no timetable for his return. The Southern California native has not played since the season-opening Sentry in Maui.
The other big storyline this week involves Mother Nature, which will once again impact play at Torrey Pines. If you recall, during the second round of this year’s Farmers Insurance Open, PGA Tour officials had to suspend play due to 35-mile-per-hour wind gusts that made conditions unplayable. Golf balls would not stop rolling on these fast and firm greens, which forced the stoppage of play.
The wind will again impact play this week, but an ‘Atmospheric River’ will descend upon Southern California, bringing chilly, rainy weather. Temperatures will not exceed 60 degrees, meaning the golf ball will not travel as far. The course will receive over an inch of rain between Wednesday and Friday, making it longer and more challenging. At least the greens will be softer. As for the winds, the PGA Tour’s official meteorologist calls for gusts to peak at 24-miles-per-hour on Wednesday and Thursday.
Expect scores to be higher this week because of the conditions. Anyone who shoots lower than 10-under will likely emerge as the winner.
Genesis Invitational Odds:
Here are the latest odds for players to win the 2025 Genesis Invitational, courtesy of FanDuel:
Scottie Scheffler +400
Rory McIlroy +700
Collin Morikawa +1400
Justin Thomas +1800
Hideki Matsuyama +2200
Ludvig Aberg +2500
Patrick Cantlay +3300
Sungjae Im +3500
Jordan Spieth +4000
Rasmus Hojgaard +4000
Taylor Pendrith +4000
Tony Finau +4000
Tommy Fleetwood +4000
Jason Day +4500
Robert MacIntyre +4500
Shane Lowry +4500
Will Zalatoris +5000
Sam Burns +5000
Thomas Detry +5000
Tom Kim +5000
Sepp Straka +5000
Maverick McNealy +5500
Viktor Hovland +5500
Keegan Bradley +6000
Russell Henley +6000
Min Woo Lee +6000
Wyndham Clark +7000
Cameron Young +7000
Byeong Hun An +7500
Adam Scott +7500
J.T. Poston +8000
Sahith Theegala +8000
Si Woo Kim +8000
Samuel Stevens +8000
Max Greyserman +9000
Akshay Bhatia +9000
Harris English +9000
Daniel Berger +9000
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Playing Through’s Picks:
Jack Milko — Staff Writer, Golf
After taking a week off, Collin Morikawa returns to his home state, looking to win for the first time since October 2023, when he captured the ZOZO Championship in Japan.
Morikawa will snap his 15-month winless drought this week and win the Genesis Invitational on a course that suits his game perfectly. The scorecard measures 7,765 yards, an eye-opening length that will play even longer thanks to the wet conditions forecasted across rounds one and two.
Sure, Morikawa is not the biggest hitter on tour — he ranks 154th in driving distance. But the most crucial attributes he will rely on this week are his accuracy and his approach play. The two-time major winner has hit 90-of-116 fairways so far this season, which equates to 77.59 percent and is second on the PGA Tour. Avoiding the thick, healthy, and wet ryegrass rough that line these fairways is of utmost importance this week. Morikawa will do that and plot his way around Torrey Pines.
He also has gained more strokes on approach than any other player so far in 2025, further proof that he is one of the best ball strikers in the world. His long irons will come in handy this week, as he will once again hit plenty of greens, avoiding scrambling for par as much as possible. Nobody hits their four, five, or six-irons better than Morikawa.
This golf course suits Morikawa’s eye too. He tied for fourth at the U.S. Open in 2021 and finished solo third at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open. He missed the cut by a stroke last year, but one bad swing on the 17th hole late on Friday sealed his fate. He hooked one out-of-bounds left and made a double en route to shooting a 3-over 75, just the second over-par score he has signed for at Torrey Pines in his career.
FanDuel Odds: Morikawa to win at +1400
Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
RJ Ochoa — Senior Producer, Blogging the Boys
So far this season I have only picked Scottie Scheffler and while I do not feel any guilt or shame about that… I have come up dry.
I’m noting here before my pick that I am NOT picking Scottie, which, OF COURSE, means this will be the week he wins, everything goes chalk, and I look silly. Anyway, I digress.
For this unique edition of the Genesis Invitational, I am going to take the advice of my new friend, former New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. Ludvig Åberg has had some time away to recuperate from the illness that plagued him at the beginning of the West Coast swing. After all, before he became ill, Åberg fired a 9-under 63 on day one of the Farmers Insurance Open and held the solo lead. Then the flu struck, and he sunk down the leaderboard and ultimately tied for 42nd. He shot 75-74-79 over his final 54 holes at Torrey Pines three weeks ago, barely looking like the player who was firing on all cylinders on day one. He reportedly got sick on the course, too. So now he has a chance to capture a big-time win, redeem himself at an iconic course, and take his name to a new level as things ramp up towards The Players. It feels like we are due a win from a big-time name, even though Rory McIlroy just won, and this checks that box for me.
FanDuel Odds: Åberg to win at +2500
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Mark Schofield — Staff Writer, NFL and Formula 1
I was getting back in the car last Friday after getting a haircut when my phone buzzed.
It was my dear friend Jack, with the unfortunate news that my pick for the WM Phoenix Open, J.J. Spaun, withdrew due to an illness.
Given that, I feel the need to pick another long shot this week in his honor. So let’s go with Irishman Shane Lowry, who seems to play well in terrible weather. Lowry has not won on the PGA Tour since teaming up with Rory McIlroy at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last year, one of his three career victories. But when one of those wins is The Open itself, as he did back in 2019 at Royal Portrush, you know he can strike the ball well.
That is what Lowry did the last time out at Pebble Beach. Lowry finished second at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, getting off to a blazing start over his first three rounds. He was 15-under heading into the final round, but three bogeys on his front nine on Sunday saw his Ryder Cup and Zurich Classic teammate pull away.
Lowry has also been fantastic with the flat stick so far this season, ranking second on the PGA Tour in both One-Putt Percentage (50-percent), and Putts per Round (27).
And the fact that he goes off at +4000 is mighty intriguing.
Oh, and if you’re wondering, the 2025 Open is at Royal Portrush too.
FanDuel Odds: Lowry to win at +4000
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
