As the field for the 2021 Genesis Invitational takes shape, the world’s best golfers once again have circled Riviera Country Club on their calendars. Let’s take a look at the players who won on the PGA TOUR since last year’s Genesis Invitational and are committed to play in the 2021 tournament February 18-21 at the famed course off Capri Drive:
Patrick Cantlay—the Long Beach native who played college golf at UCLA felt at home in October when the ZOZO Championship was held at Sherwood just down the road from his old stomping grounds. Down four shots heading into the final round, he made up ground on Sunday to earn his third career PGA TOUR win and his first in two years.
Stewart Cink—When the 2020-21 season opened in Napa, California in early September, it had been more than a decade since his last win on the PGA TOUR. When he hoisted the wine barrel trophy on Sunday at the Safeway Open, Cink closed a gap of 4,074 days since his last victory at the 2009 British Open.
Sungjae Im—It took 50 starts on the PGA TOUR for him to earn his first win. With birdies on five of his last six holes, he earned a one-shot victory at the 2020 Honda Classic.
Dustin Johnson—The 2017 champion at Riviera won four times last year and was named the 2020 PGA TOUR Player of the Year. Victories at the Travelers Championship, Northern Trust and Tour Championship helped propel him to the No. 1 ranking, which he solidified by winning The Masters in November.
Jason Kokrak—Heading into The CJ Cup at Shadow Creek his best finish on TOUR was a tie for second, something he had done three times, including at Riviera in 2016. That all changed in Las Vegas where he overcame a three-shot deficit in the final round to earn his first win in his 10th season and 233rd tournament.
Matt Kuchar—A tie for second at the 2020 Genesis Invitational was his best finish of the 2020 calendar year, that is until December when he and teammate Harris English won the QEB Shootout. The pair set a tournament record with their nine-shot victory.
Martin Laird—A three-man playoff took place in Vegas and he came up aces. With a playoff victory over Matt Wolff and Austin Cook, Laird won the Shriners Hospital for Children Open, his first win on the PGA TOUR in more than seven years.
Kevin Na—Coming from three shots behind with six holes to play, he won the Sony Open with a one-shot victory after making a birdie on the final hole. It was his fourth victory in less than three years.
Carlos Ortiz—Not many people held off Dustin Johnson in 2020, but he did to win his first PGA event at the Vivint Houston Open.
Jon Rahm—Posting six top-10 finishes in his last eight starts leading up to the annual stop in Ohio, Rahm won the 2020 Memorial Tournament for his fourth TOUR victory and moved to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career. He then beat Dustin Johnson in a playoff at the BMW Championship, holing a 67-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole.
Robert Streb—There is something he likes about Sea Island, Georgia, where he notched his second career win, and second tournament victory, at The RSM Classic in November.
Michael Thompson—Nearly 3,000 days after his first TOUR win at the 2013 Honda Classic, he got his second career win at the 3M Open.
Richy Werenski—The lowest score wins, except in the Barracuda Championship, a tournament that awards points for birdies, eagles and albatrosses and subtracts points for bogies and double bogies. He shot a +13 last round to earn a one-point win on Tahoe Mountain in August.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
