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The 2023 Genesis Invitational is set to tee off on Thursday, February 16. The four-day event, set to be held at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, will have a stacked 132-player field. Golfers will face off for the $20 million prize purse and the Official World Golf Ranking points on offer.
Headlined by the likes of Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, the event has grabbed fans’ attention. Ace golfers will go up for the $3.6 million winner’s share alongside more than 40 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
While the odds are in favor of the top ranked-players on the star-studded field, there are some names that stand out as the PGA Tour experts' sleeper picks.
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Top sleeper picks at the Genesis Invitational
1) Taylor Moore
According to PGA Tour experts, Taylor Moore is one name that can’t be written off at the 2023 Genesis Invitational. The golfer comes into the competition with +333 odds for a Top 20 finish. Coming off the back of a T11, a T15 and a T14 in the last three tournaments, the golfer will look to make it into the top 15 yet again this weekend. Having debuted with an incredibly steady T21 at Riviera last year, Moore is one golfer to watch out for.
2) Jhonattan Vegas
Jhonattan Vegas is a bigger surprise on the list compared to Moore. The Venezuelan golfer returns to Riviera for his 10th start this weekend. Having had two top-15 finishes in the past, PGA Tour experts expect the golfer to replicate his best result this weekend. According to them, Vegas comes with +375 odds for a top 20 finish.
It is also pertinent to note that this will be the golfer’s first competitive outing after an unplanned five-month break. Vegas is expected to have his body and mind likely feel more refreshed due to the rest.
3) Kurt Kitayama
Kurt Kitayama sat 284th in the Official World Golf Rankings a year ago this time. The golfer was ineligible for The Genesis Invitational and was forced to watch the event on TV. However, Kitayama comes into the tournament this week sitting 44th in the rankings.
Coming off the back of a strong performance at Pebble Beach, where he went out for the final threesome in the finale with eventual champion Justin Rose.
It's safe to say that the ‘sleeper’ label isn’t perfect for Kitayama. But the golfer can surprise a few while making his tournament debut on the star-studded field.
4) Adam Schenk
Adam Schenk is another name to watch out for at the Genesis Invitational. The golfer finished T16 at the Zozo Championship and surprised many. Famous for short-term inconsistency, Schenk will look to pull through a top-20 finish at the Genesis Invitational.
However, PGA Tour experts predict him to settle for a top-30 finish. Coming to Riviera as part of a stacked field, it’ll be interesting to see how the American golfer performs.
