The Genesis Invitational is usually held at the iconic Riviera Country Club, one of the most renowned golf courses on the PGA Tour. But this year, things took an unexpected turn. After wildfires hit Los Angeles in January, the tournament had to find a new venue. So, the South Course at Torrey Pines in San Diego stepped in.

You might remember it from the Farmers Insurance Open, where Harris English won. This is where the 2025 Genesis Invitational will now unfold. Tiger Woods, who hosts the event earlier confirmed his presence in the field, but he will now not be playing. He is still recovering from the heartbreaking loss of his mother, Kultida.

With the host out of the field, let’s see who the top players are for the Signature event.

1. Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler began his 2025 late with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. While his fans were expecting him to come back with the same magic as last year, the World No. 1 has failed to do that, so far. At Pebble Beach, he finished with a T9, and things got worse for him last weekend at the WM Phoenix Open as he finished at a disappointing T25.

The Genesis Invitational might be the ground for his comeback after the disastrous gameplay. After all, the 2024 season’s magic still lures across the golf world. 7 wins in one season and a gold Olympic medal! Who can beat that?

2. Rory McIlroy

Scottie Scheffler might be No. 1 on the OWGR list, but at the Genesis Invitational, Rory McIlroy is undoubtedly the fan favorite. The Northern Irishman has not won a Major in more than a decade, and he plans on doing so this year. This is why, he has cut short his schedule for the 2025 season, and has appeared in only one event so far on the PGA Tour. And what an appearance it was, may we say.

He was so fierce, that no other golfer even dared to come close to him at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He defeated Shane Lowry with a two-stroke lead on Sunday, and people are only expecting more from him. However, his finishes at the Signature event have not been great. Even last year, he finished at T24 at Riviera. Who knows, this might be his year at the Torrey Pines.

3. Collin Morikawa

The 2025 season for Collin Morikawa has been a mixed one indeed. But his luck of clinching the trophy surely has been sidelined. Remember the Sentry? He was exceptional. However, the final saw the title slipping away from him, as he landed a score of 67. He lost to Hideki Matsuyama by just three strokes.

While one would only expect a high graph of performance from No. 4, his performance dropped at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He finished at T17. The golf community is only expecting him to bounce back with a win at the upcoming event.

4. Hideki Matsuyama

Hideki Matsuyama put up a splendid show last season. Out of the 20 events he played, the Japanese pro only missed the cut in one. And that’s not all; he landed himself in the top 10 in seven of them, out of which two were wins. However, his performance dropped at the FedEx Playoffs after withdrawing from the BMW Championship. But he did come back with a bang, grabbing a win at the first event of the PGA Tour 2025 season.

However, his performance has not been great after that. He appeared in four events after that and has failed to land himself in the top 10 in any of them. But who knows? Maybe he is waiting to put up another great fight at the Genesis Invitational; after all, he will be entering the field as the defending champion!

5. Ludvig Aberg

Ludvig Aberg kickstarted the 2025 season with a T5 finish at the Sentry. But things have not been looking particularly great for him after that. He had a disappointing T42 finish, that too with a 3-over score at the Farmers Insurance Open. And at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, after a sad round of 5-over, he withdrew before Friday’s second round due to illness. But he seems to be well-rested and is all set to bring magic to the Genesis Open this weekend. Maybe he could even get home the trophy and finally bag his second win on the Tour.

Who are you rooting for at the 2025 Genesis Invitational? Let us know in the comments section below!