Maybe you've heard - Tiger Woods is back ... again. We're just as excited as you are.
Maybe you've also heard that Netflix's much-anticipated docuseries, "Full Swing," is out Wednesday. The PGA hopes that, at the very least, those previously only mildly interested in this tournament will be amped up for golf on the first weekend post-NFL.
Meanwhile, the players will get their second straight crack at $20 million at the Genesis Invitational. Of course, our goals on a weekly basis involve more modest dollar figures. That's especially the case after a half-step back in Phoenix last week, where only Justin Thomas came through for a top-20 result as Hideki Matsuyama's ball-striking fell apart in the final round.
Three draws (odds to win/top 20)
Three golfers more valuable than their odds suggest this week.
Cameron Young (+4000 / +145)
Cameron Young has so far played a different schedule than his first full season on the TOUR. He earned an appearance fee to play an Asian Tour event in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago - finishing second - after his outstanding results last year. However, Young struggled on the greens at TPC Scottsdale just days later thanks to the tough turnaround.
Last season, he went from T26 in Phoenix to a runner-up at the Genesis Invitational, edging the likes of Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, and Viktor Hovland in strokes gained: tee to green. A little bit off the radar, Young has a better probability than +145 suggests to finish in the top 20.
Adam Scott (+5000 / +200)
Speaking of out of sight, out of mind, Adam Scott played in both Hawaii events to start 2023 before taking the next three weeks off due to a revamped travel plan.
Scott is serious about this season. He's also won twice at Riviera, including his victory in 2020, and he finished fourth here last year despite a modest ball-striking week. With a perfect swing, Scott can be relied upon tee to green, so his comfort on the Pacific Palisade greens makes him dangerous.
Taylor Moore (+15000 / +475)
Given the sheer volume of golfers, why make life more difficult when you can pinpoint a handful of players on the come-up? We should've backed Taylor Moore for a top-20 result last week after doing so at Pebble Beach. Instead, we missed out on his third straight top-20 finish.
Those results came in three different tournament setups (Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach, and TPC Scottsdale), and Moore shot all four rounds under par in last year's Genesis Invitational, making +475 for a top-20 finish very tantalizing.
The scary fade
Here, we pick a golfer with high expectations who's worth betting to miss the cut at a big price.
Nick Taylor (+160 to miss cut)
It's a compliment to Nick Taylor that he's included in this section, but Taylor's journeyman-like career suggests you shouldn't fear fading him. A nice week at Pebble Beach was followed by a close call for the biggest win of his career in Scottsdale. However, he now heads to a place where he hasn't had much success, so you wouldn't blame him if he wasn't locked in on a tough course where bogeys can pile up in bunches.
The favorite club in the bag
Going into this betting season, we picked two golfers to bet to win each week - Max Homa and Tom Kim. The thinking is that our second-tier duo on the oddsboard will win more than once and be profitable on the assumption they play 20-to-25 events. It took one week for that to pay dividends, as Homa won at Torrey Pines at 20-1.
Are Max and Tom playing this week?
Yeah, they are! Homa had arguably his biggest win at the Genesis in 2020 and is 22-1 this week. Kim is at 40-1 after having one of the highlights of the Phoenix Open when he was mic'd-up for a birdie in the third round.
Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
