RADIO
After just a few short weeks, the PGA Tour returns to Torrey Pines, this time with Signature Event status for the 2025 Genesis Invitational. It was announced on January 16th that the South Course at Torrey Pines will serve as host because the tournament was relocated from Riviera Country Club after the fires in Greater Los Angeles.
I have carefully evaluated the field to project proper course fits and looked into how players' incoming form has been in the categories that matter the most, specifically at Torrey Pines. Let's dig into my top-10 power rankings for the 2025 Genesis Invitational.
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No. 10 - Taylor Pendrith
- He played great on the South Course a few weeks ago, finishing -3 under par and in a tie for 7th place.
- #1 ranked player in the field in recent strokes gained OTT which is a huge predictor of success at the South Course
- Ranks 2nd in Driving Distance average over the last 50 rounds played. The South Course plays 7,700+ yards.
No. 9 - Patrick Cantlay
- Cantlay improves his baseline OTT metrics on long, driver-heavy golf courses with penal rough.
- Always reliable around the greens. He ranks #2 in the field in SG: ARG over the last 50 rounds.
- Data looks good on Cantlay, but I have some concern over his lack of "in contention" moments over the past year. He only has one top-10 in his last seven starts.
No. 8 - Sungjae Im
- Inconsistency still plagues Im at times, but a T4 finish at The Farmers Insurance Open a few weeks ago brings some optimism.
- He performs substantially better on very long golf courses, averaging +2.5 strokes per round over his career.
- Ranks 2nd in the field in SG: Total at Torrey Pines South Course over the last 24 rounds played here.
No. 7 - Tommy Fleetwood
- No course history, but always elevates his game on long, difficult-scoring tests like we expect this week.
- Top-10 in SG: Approach over the last 30 rounds played.
- Accurate Driver who should feel comfortable hitting his long irons out of the fairway and in coastal wind conditions.
No. 6 - Justin Thomas
- Electric final round at TPC Scottsdale that ended in a walk-off hole-out eagle. He's continuing to build confidence.
- Ranks 3rd in SG: Approach over the last 36 rounds. The irons are dialed in.
- Terrific short game. Improved putter to go alongside a #1 overall ranking in SG: ARG over the last 50 rounds.
AN EAGLE FROM THE FAIRWAY!
Justin Thomas closes his round out in style. pic.twitter.com/uAayBHWbuM
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) February 9, 2025
No. 5 - Ludvig Aberg
- First Round Leader at the Farmers a few weeks ago, albeit he did most of his damage for the week on the North Course
- Underrated long iron player. Ranks #9 in the field in proximity to the hole from 200+ yards.
- Barely made it through the final round due to a flu bug and had to WD next week. He's due for revenge if healthy again.
No. 4 - Collin Morikawa
- Although not a long-hitter, Morikawa gains more strokes OTT on long courses with difficult rough because he routinely pounds fairways.
- He's always been good in California, mostly because of comfort on the greens. Ranks 4th in SG: Total on Cali-courses.
- The tougher the scoring conditions, the better he plays. Top-5 in the field when you filter in data from the most difficult tournaments only.
No. 3 - Hideki Matsuyama
Hideki Matsuyama continues to play great golf in the 2025 season. This week he ranks 3rd overall in my stat model and arrives as the defending Champion, although this event was of course played at Riviera Country Club in 2024.
Matsuyama has been flushing his irons all season long. He ranks 2nd in SG: Approach over his last 36 rounds played. His ball-striking consistency has always been a marker of his game which typically allows him to elevate his performance on these longer, more difficult stops on the PGA Tour schedule.
Matsuyama is finally starting to get the recognition he deserves as one of the best chippers on the PGA Tour. He's first in my rankings for Around-The-Green proximity and given that Torrey Pines South has a very low GIR rate, he'll have to showcase his great hands once again this week to find himself in contention.
No. 2 - Rory McIlroy
In case you missed it, Rory McIlroy put his talents on full display for the world two weeks ago, capturing his 27th PGA Tour victory at historic Pebble Beach. Now, he arrives in full form to Torrey Pines which is legitimately a much better course fit where McIlroy's strengths should create a big advantage for him once again.
He's still the best driver of the golf ball on the planet, and Torrey Pines South Course is the longest course on the PGA Tour schedule at over 7,700 yards. The fairways are narrow, averaging less than 30 yards wide which makes carry distance all that much more important.
His distance will create leverage, accentuated by the tiny greens at Torrey Pines which are difficult to hold in general, but become much more manageable the closer you can effectively hit your approach shots. It's starting to feel like this could be his year, and we have another great opportunity for McIlroy this week to showcase his greatness. He's still got that chip on his shoulder that makes him dangerous with something to prove.
I asked Rory McIlroy about the letter Charley Hoffman wrote.
No surprise, he gave me a thoughtful answer and clearly took it a bit personally... pic.twitter.com/amkHqbEfgh
— Joe I (@TourPicks) February 5, 2025
No. 1 - Scottie Scheffler
The frustration was outwardly displayed on multiple occasions last weekend at the WM Phoenix Open for Scottie Scheffler. His swing coach had comments that Scheffler is struggling to get his hips through the golf ball, leading to unusual pulls with his irons and driver. It's unfamiliar territory for World #1 as there were times when it felt like nothing could ever go wrong with his golf swing.
That said, I'm typically not one to overreact after one lackluster performance. He made an early charge on Sunday morning where it felt like the boogeyman was coming once again to slay another leaderboard. Any way that you slice it, long-term or short-term form, Scheffler is going to rank #1 in your stat models this week. If he doesn't, scrap your projections.
It feels like the pendulum swung a bit too far after last week, and while we realize that this man is actually human, there is still no player in the field more likely to win this tournament than reassert his place atop the world of professional golf than Scottie Scheffler. Hot take here, he's going to win...
Enjoy the Genesis Invitational, and thanks for reading! Good luck, RotoBaller family!
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