Collin Morikawa headed into Riviera in fine spirits for the Genesis Invitational this week.
Morikawa ended his 28-month wait for a PGA Tour title at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last week, and he’ll be hopeful of making it two wins in a row in his home town at the Genesis Invitational.
The 29-year-old from Los Angeles had been in the golfing wilderness for more than two years up until last week.
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However, Morikawa’s win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am has completely shifted the narrative.
He is once again being talked about as one of the best players in the world, and rightly so.
On his day, he can live with anyone due to his exceptional iron play. On paper, his game should be ideally suited to contend at Riviera this week.
However, he might face one very big problem.
Collin Morikawa says what’s ‘not normal’ about Riviera ahead of the Genesis
The Pebble Beach champion addressed the media ahead of this week’s PGA Tour event at Riviera.
Morikawa was asked if he employs anyone specifically to plan out a strategy for him on each course ahead of tournament weeks.
“I’ve always done it myself,“ Morikawa insisted.
“It’s myself and my caddie, so Mark and I. We’ve done this for our entire lives. I know a lot of stats go into how you play certain holes and there’s a lot of stats guys out there, but they also don’t know what you see and how you see certain shots.
“Maybe you’re more comfortable on 2 versus 3 versus whatever hole. It’s going to change a lot, I think, how we’re going to play this week or at least the next couple days.
“Tomorrow will be very interesting with the rain and the wind. Looks like the last three days will be pretty calm, in a way. But out here, the last two days, I’ve been spinning back 5-irons. You can spin back a 3-wood.
“It’s not normal out here. There’s some pin locations that normally when you step in the fairway you’re looking to, not play defensive, but just give yourself 30 feet. With the greens, it’s going to be interesting to see how we attack, I think, a lot of front and middle pins, and the back pins you’re going just to have to take the 30-foot spinning back and just take your two-putt par.“
Morikawa was ranked 136th in driving distance during the 2025 season and while he’s added some ball speed in 2026, he’s still very much in the middle of the pack when it comes to speed and distance.
Riviera will play long this week with all of the rain the course has taken on.
One hole in particular will play very long indeed, perhaps unnecessarily so.
Rory McIlroy has actually complained about one of the changes made since the Genesis was last held at Riviera in 2024.
Rory McIlroy critical of one change made at Riviera
McIlroy addressed the media on Wednesday and admitted he hates one change that has been made to the golf course.
“I don’t think 4 plays any differently, you’re just hitting a slightly longer club.
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“I actually think it’s a horrible change.“
“Well, like 15 percent of the field hit the green last time when it was played at its original yardage at 230,“ McIlroy said.
Like if you want it to be a 275-yard par-3, you have to change the apron leading up onto the green. It can’t be kikuyu, it has to be another type of grass that can help you run it onto the green.
“Again, in the right conditions, you try to fly that ball on the green with a 3-iron, it’s going to land — it’s going to finish up on the fifth tee box.
“That’s sort of what I mean by why it’s not a great change.“
There have been a few players at Riviera this week who have shared their dismay at the Genesis Invitational about the new tee on the fourth hole.
It will be very interesting to see how that specific hole plays throughout the week and whether or not the fairways and greens firm up as the week goes on.
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