Tournament Recap
Daniel Berger made a 31-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole to win his fourth PGA Tour event. Berger’s prolonged putting routine frustrated other tour players and fans alike. Berger addressed the ball, allowed his caddy to line up the putt before backing off, and eventually addressing the ball actually to put. He moved up two spots in the world golf ranking and is now number 13.
Jordan Spieth excited golf fans again this week with a T3; Spieth led the tournament to Sunday but struggled on Sunday, posting a final round 70. Besides Tiger, Spieth seems to be the only player that can attract the casual golf fan to be excited about a non-major. Back-to-back Top-5 finishes for Jordan move him to 62nd in the world golf ranking. Keep an eye on Spieth’s tee shots as he has struggled to hit fairways the last two weeks; if he can improve off the tee, he will get back to his winning ways.
Maverick McNealy finished a career-best solo 2nd finish this week. The 25-year-old is one of the best in the world around the greens and has a very bright future.
Nate Lashley led on the back nine Sunday but four-putted 16 to eliminate his chances of winning for a second time.
Patrick Cantlay continues to play well; with a T3 finish this week, he jumps into first in the FedEx Cup. Cantlay seems to have trouble finishing tournaments on Sunday; look for him to get over the hump very soon.
This week’s field was very weak, with zero players ranked Top-10 in the world; next week will be much better with the likes of Dustin Johnson, John Rahm, and Justin Thomas teeing it up at the Genesis Invitational.
Prospect Watch
Davis Thompson
Started the spring golf season with a T11 at the Florida Gators Invitational. Posted 69-67-68 for a six-under three-round total. The twenty-one-year-old is currently ranked second in the world amateur rankings. Thompson will turn pro and likely compete on the Korn Ferry tour next season. Missed the cut at the U.S Open and the RSM Classic in his only PGA Tour action in 2020. With a collegiate scoring average of 68.67, he will be a favorite to break onto the tour in the coming years.
Ricky Castillo
The fourth-ranked amateur in the world shot 71-69-64, finishing T11 at the Florida Gators Invitational. As a Freshman at Florida, Ricky had a scoring average of 70.08 and showed his ability to go low by shooting a 63-last season. Ricky is only a sophomore and may come back to Florida for another year before testing his luck on the Korn Ferry Tour. He missed the cut at the U.S Open in his only tour appearance.
Davis Riley
Shot 74-71 at Pebble to miss the cut by two strokes. The twenty-four-year-old won twice last year on the Korn Ferry Tour but has missed three out of four cuts this season on the PGA Tour. Averaged 318 yards off the tee last year, along with a 69.38 scoring average. His game has not translated to the PGA Tour yet, but it likely will sooner rather than later.
Andy Ogletree
The U.S Amateur champion missed the cut this week, shooting 73-75. Ogletree was the low amateur at the Masters this fall and recently turned pro. A fantastic putter of the golf ball needs to improve driving accuracy before contending on tour. Should begin playing on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.
Akshay Bhatia
Put the golf world on notice after shooting a 64 on Thursday at Pebble. Finished the event T30 after rounds of 64-73-72-73. The 19-year-old is fantastic around the greens and seems to have a very bright future. He finished T9 at the Safeway open in September, an incredible feat for an 18-year-old at the time. Look for him to get a few more sponsor’s exemptions on the PGA Tour this year while playing most Korn Ferry Tour events.
Genesis Invitational Picks
Dustin Johnson
Won this event at Riviera in 2017 by five shots. Since then, has T16, T9, and T10 finishes at this event. Dustin has played well recently with a win on the European Tour earlier in the month and a Top-15 the last time we saw him on the PGA Tour. He is the obvious pick this week but cannot be ignored.
Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay has been fantastic of late with back-to-back Top-10 performances at the American Express and Pebble Beach. Cantlay is putting together a great season with a win earlier in the year at the ZOZO Championship. He is currently leading the FedEx cup and has not missed a cut this season. Aside from that, he has an excellent track record at Riviera with T17, T15, and T4 finishes in his last three starts at this event.
Max Homa
T5 here last year, along with a Top-10 last week at Pebble. Has played a great season so far with three Top-20s in the past month. The tournament typically favors long hitters, and he certainly fits that mold.
Rory McIlroy
Top-5 at Riviera the past two years and a Top-20 here in 2018. His form has been great as of late, with Top-20s in his past three tour events.
Kyoung-Hoon Lee
T2 at the Phoenix Open two weeks ago. T13 last year and T25 in 2019, he withdrew from Pebble Beach last week; if he tees it up this week at Riviera, keep an eye on him.
Feel free to reach to me on Instagram @Zanemassey32