Golf tips, free bets and latest odds for the Genesis Invitational – Best golf sign up offers

YES, Tiger Woods is back in action this week; yes, you can bet big odds on him winning the Genesis Invitational  - 175-1 to be precise - but no, he won’t be collecting any silverware on Sunday.

These really are occasions to just wallow in nostalgia as arguably the greatest golfer of all time returns once again to the big stage.

But he and his fans will have to  accept that at 48, and with a gruesome history of injuries behind him, he is not going to be a threat to Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and company - especially on one of the rare courses where he has never tasted success.

This week’s venue, Riviera, is the closest stop to his boyhood home on the other side of Los Angeles. It rankles with Woods that none of his 82 PGA Tour victories came here - but he doesn’t have many regrets, as a golfer at least. 

The Genesis, hosted by Woods, is one of the Topur’s signature events, with an elite field of seventy golfers chasing the $4million top prize.

It looks wide open - which means there are some tempting odds on offer.

How to bet on golf

Here are five easy steps for beginners.

1. Choose Your Favourite Sportsbook – there are plenty to choose from and most have their own app or mobile site.

2. Make a Deposit – each sportsbook will walk you through how to connect your bank account to their system including providing a list of all the safeguards they have set up to ensure the safety of your transactions.

3. Claim Your Bonuses – most sportsbooks offers bonuses to first time bettors in the form of free bets.

4. Place Your Bet – now it’s time to navigate through your sportsbook’s odds where they will offer a variety of options including outright winners, or top finishing positions, such as top 10 or 20, or even to make the cut. For the event this week each way odds are generally paid on the top eight players.

5. Collect Your Winnings – If you're successful you will be able to withdraw your winnings once the bet is complete. Some bookmakers offer cashout options on certain bets as well, which is worth keeping an eye on.

Where to find the best odds for the golf?

Lots of bookmakers have different options for betting on the golf this week, including competitive odds and different place markets.

We like the markets on bet365, including the price boosts on offer pre-event.

This week you can get Tiger Woods to finish top 20 at 13/4, as well as Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg and and Viktor Hovland to finish top 10 at 11/1.

Genesis Invitational Tips

World no 1 Scheffler occupies his customary spot at the head of the market. But if you’re happy to take 7-1 about a player whose best effort in five appearances at Riviera is a share of seventh, then good luck to you.

McIlroy is next best at 10-1, and he has managed a couple of top five finishes in this event. But his latest start, a share of 66th at Pebble Beach, does not exactly inspire confidence.

The player to beat is probably Los Angeles native Max Homa. He finished runner-up to Jon  Rahm - now loving life with LIV - last year, and was a winner here in 2021.

At 18-1 he represents solid each way value - although there were signs he might be going off the boil when he missed the cut in Phoenix last week.

I prefer the chances of three players at slightly better odds, 20-1 shot Ludvig Aberg, 25-1 chance Sam Burns, and Adam Scott, who is available at 30-1.

Justin  Rose described Aberg as “an absolute stud” last year, and it is probably only a matter of time before he becomes world No 1, and starts winning for fun.

He has already tasted victory on both sides of the Atlantic and climbed to 11th in the world rankings in just eight months as a pro. His runner-up finish at Pebble Beach a couple of weeks ago suggests the next win is just around the corner.

Scott is a previous winner here - in 2020 - and always seems to play well in LA. Five top tens in his last six outings suggest there is no reason he should blot his Riviera copybook this week.

Burns is another player whose form is trending in the right direction. Two top tens were followed by a share of third in  Phoenix.

Two missed cuts here in the last two years dent confidence in the American slightly - but he was third here in 2021, so he can certainly handle the course when his game is on, as it is right now.

And the advice given last week to not get too worried about a couple of missed cuts for Nick Taylor paid handsome dividends, as he rewarded bold backers at odds of 150-1.

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Taylor is 100-1 to make it back-to-back wins. But even the top players find it difficult to follow up a victory with another big performance.

The player he beat in a play-off, Charley Hoffman, can be backed at 200-1, and that is a lot more appealing.

Hoffman has been in the golfing doldrums for a few years. But there were signs he might be emerging even before he pushed Taylor all the way.

He has missed the cut just once in his last six starts, so at those odds he is worth a small interest. And each way backers should also consider the 50-1 available on Will Zalatoris.

He was sidelined for seven months last year after undergoing back surgery, and has had to ease his way back. 

But a share of 13th at the Farmers last time out suggested he could be close to recapturing the sparkle that earned him three runner-up finishes in the Majors in  2021 and 2022. He would be hard to beat in that form.

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• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
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• Never chase their losses
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