Golf: In Genesis, Mike Kern likes Adam, plus Hideki and Cameron

It happens. Sometimes, even for the good.

Last week, as usual, I gave you three names to consider at the AT&T Pebble
Beach Pro-Am. The first was Brandt Snedeker, who I also had in my yearlong
pool, at 50-1. Alas, the two-time champion of the event missed the cut.
That’s why they call them longshots. You’re taking a chance. Next was Jason
Day, at 9-1, and he finished fourth. Not bad. Then I added in Phil
Mickelson, who’d won there four times but not in awhile, at 25. And darned
if he didn’t get it done, even though it took him until Monday. Still pays
off in real cash. So I can only hope you got in on him, because it’s not
easy trying to get this stuff right.

Now we’ll try to go back-to-back, which is even harder. But that’s what I’m
here for.

The Genesis Open, at Riviera in Los Angeles, has Tiger Woods once again in
the field. And he’s listed at 22-1. This is the only course he’s played at
least four times where he’s never won. And this is the strongest field on
the PGA Tour to date this year. He’s started there 11 times as a pro. He
missed the cut last year when his comeback was just starting, one of only
two cuts he missed in 2018. So I would stay away. There will be better
opportunities later.

Dustin Johnson is the fave, at 9-1. He could be the fave almost every week.
Justin Thomas is at 12-1. Rory McIlroy is also 12-1, while Bryson DeChambeau is
14-1 and Jon Rahm 16-1. They’re all capable. The biggest knock against
DeChambeau here is that he doesn’t have much experience on this layout.
Sometimes that doesn’t matter as much as maybe we’d like to think.

Then there’s Bubba Watson, at 20-1. He’s won this thing three of the last
five years, which is, well, hard to overlook. But just in case, a better
bet might be to play him just to finish in the top five, at plus $470. Or
perhaps you put something on both.

Mickelson is 22-1. He tied for sixth last February. But that could be pushing
it.

A few other interesting possibilities are Jordan Spieth at 22-1, Hideki
Matsuyama at 28-1 and Adam Scott at 30-1. Tommy Fleetwood, who hasn’t played
much over here, is 35-1. I’m just not sure about Jordan yet. Matsuyama can
certainly get it done if he’s on, and might be worth a shot. Scott has
finished in the top 12 here two of the last three years, and nearly won two
weeks ago at Torrey Pines. But for whatever reason he just doesn’t seem
like he wins enough.

I’m tempted to try Bubba, who I have in my yearlong pool next week. This
week I have Matt Kuchar, who’s 35-1. But he’s been playing well. Hey, you
never know.

I’m going with longshots. Yo, I’m feeling lucky. I’d put a little something
on Scott, and Matsuyama. Nothing too serious, though. I’d also take a flier
on Cameron Smith, at 35-1. He tied for sixth at Riviera a year ago, and has
been in the top 25 five of six times this season. But what do I know? Every
week is a fresh start. All you can do is keep firing away and hope you
actually hit something now and again.