The Genesis Invitational 2026 First-Round Leader Tips: Dave Tindall's three to back up to 100/1

• 100/1101.00 Tom Hoge has a strong FRL record at Riviera

• 66/167.00 J.T. Poston has been quick out of the blocks here

• 50/151.00 Shane Lowry was eighth at Pebble and loves a fast start

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Weather forecast for Thursday

It's a cool day in Los Angeles but not in a Fonz way.

Temperatures take a while to creep into the 50s and peak at around 55 degrees in the afternoon.

In terms of wind, it's very calm to begin with but picks up after lunch where it'll blow at around 16-17mph and could gust at 25mph.

Just 72 players go to post and they're sent out in three-balls.

But with everyone going off from the 1st tee,  there is quite a range in tee-times. The first trio hit away at 07:15am local and the final group at 12:01pm.

The weather forecast suggests an early tee-time is best.

History adds a helping hand to that idea as in three of the last five years at Riviera, the leader went off before 8:00am.

FRL Bet 1: Tom Hoge @ 100/1101.00

We landed some each-way profits with Tom Hoge last week and simply can't ignore him at a three-figure price here.

The American opened with a 65 at Pebble Beach to sit seventh after day one and ended the week in 14th.

That added to an eighth at The American Express where he set out with a 64.

A first-round leader in 2025 at both Hawaii events, Hoge has some strong FRL history at Riviera.

In the last edition there in 2024, he posted a Thursday 66 to sit fifth, he was seventh after a first-round 67 in 2023 while another 67 put him third through 18 holes in 2018.

Add all that to a favourable tee-time of 07:51 and he's a definite play at 100s (1/4 Odds, 5 Places). 

FRL Bet 2: J.T. Poston @ 66/167.00

J.T. Poston is in the first group out at 07:15 and he'll hope to cash in on the calm early conditions.

His Riviera history says there's a good possibility of that as Poston has finished round one in the top 10 in three of his seven starts on the par 71.

That included 2024 when he was 10th after 18 holes and also 10th at the finish. Poston had fired a 66 on day three.

Looking at more recent first-round scores, his last four openers include a 65, a 66 and a 67.

An 18-hole leader in the 2025 American Express thanks to a 62, Poston is a pick at 66s. 

FRL Bet 3: Shane Lowry @ 50/151.00

It was between Shane Lowry and Pierceson Coody - both are 50s - for the final pick but I'll go with the more experienced of the pair.

Lowry, who fires away at 08:39, finished tied eighth at Pebble Beach last week on his first 2026 start on the PGA Tour and that means his last six worldwide finishes show five top 12s and a 26th.

Fast starts have been a feature and in those half-dozen events his FRL positions were 1-1-9-9-12-19.

He's been striking the ball superbly for some time now but it's worth noting that he ranked 11th for SG: Putting on the Poa Annua surfaces of Pebble Beach last week. He faces that same grass type here.

Lowry has only played Riviera once in the current decade but he finished an encouraging 14th (2023), with three of his four rounds in the 60s.

With five top 25s in his last eight starts in California, he likes the Golden State so let's hope he thrives in his early three-ball alongside Cam Young and Viktor Hovland.

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