The PGA Tour remains on with its second consecutive Signature Event on the West Coast with the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Similar to the Bethpage Golf Course on Long Island, New York, Riviera rewards smart decisions over sheer power. The opening round was suspended due to darkness following a mid-afternoon rain delay. Aaron Ria leads at 6–under par after 16 holes with the rest of his round being finished out early Friday morning. Jacob Bridgeman and Rory McIlroy are tied at 5-under at the completion of their opening round.
Early Leaderboard After (Most of) Round 1
McIlroy sits as a prime option for an outright win following a 5-under 66 on Thursday after navigating difficult weather and a delayed start to his outing. Bridgeman, Si Woo Kim and Collin Morikawa were dealt similar hands and all found themselves near the top of the leaderboard near the start of action on Friday.
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Genesis Invitational Leaderboard (Top 5) |
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| Position | Player | Round | Thru |
| 1 | A. Rai | -6 | 16 (suspended play) |
| T2 | J. Bridgeman | -5 | F |
| T2 | R. McIlroy | -5 | F |
| T2 | M. Penge | -5 | 12 (suspended play) |
| 5 | R. Fox | -4 | F |
Scottie Scheffler entered the tournament as a favorite, but continued to struggle in the opening day of a tournament this season. The world’s top-ranked golfer finished five-over par and tied for 64th place alongside Justin Rose and J.J. Spaun. Scheffler will need a strong outing in his second round to climb out of the early hole if he hopes to contend.
Leaderboard Movement and Odds Shifts
As expected, McIlroy surged to the top of the sportsbooks as the expected winner after the first round with top sportsbooks like DraftKings at +370, Bet MGM at +333, and FanDuel at +340 moving his odds to the head of the pack. At the same time, Scheffler’s typically strong betting odds have slipped following a difficult Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles.
Keep an eye on Akshay Bhatia, particularly if the American can put together a solid second round to go alongside his three-under opening round. Following four top-10 finishes in 2025, Bhatia led after three rounds at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am before a tough Sunday at even par left him in a tie for sixth place at the conclusion of last weekend’s tournament.
Betting Tips for New York Audiences
There are a few trends worth nothing for New York sports bettors after the first day of action at the Riviera Country Club. McIlroy and Bridgeman showcased the ability to navigate a demanding layout in Los Angeles, California which leads them to owning immediate value in placement markets as a winner, top five, or top 10 finishers.
With Scheffler needing to do a ton of work, there could be some value on his betting market if he turns things around on Friday. While he likely can’t erase all of his mistakes from day one, the American could put a jolt into the betting markets if he can get closer to even par on the leaderboard with a five-under (or more) on Friday afternoon. Keep an eye on the top-10 and/or top-20 markets over an outright win this weekend if you want to wager on the best golfer in the world.
As a matter of fact, keep an eye on those markets overall as the weather clears out of the area for the remainder of the weekend. It will be worth monitoring how the leaders transition from a rainy first outing to a typical full day of golf under cloudy skies entering the weekend.
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