The Genesis Invitational First-Round Leader Tips: Picks from 28/1 to 80/1

• 40/141.00 Cam Young continues to throw in fast starts

• 28/129.00 Patrick Cantlay keeps bursting out of the blocks

• 80/181.00 Kevin Yu has take the eye in California events

Weather forecast for Thursday

It's going to be mostly cloudy and cool in round one, with temperatues starting in the low 50s and edging into the 60s after midday. Wind speeds are very light in the morning but they could pick up to 10mph in the afternoon.

Tee-times (3-balls) for the limited 70-man field begin at 07.20 local time, with the final group heading off at 12.06.

It's hard to see any real bias, especially as tee-times are pretty bunched, although perhaps the early starters have the calmest conditions.

Back Cameron Young @ 40/141.00

Cameron Young is a familar face on first-round leaderboards and he's continued that trend in the early weeks of 2024.

The American fired a Thursday 67 to bank a piece of the 18-hole lead in the Dubai Desert Classic while another 67 put him eighth following the first lap in Phoenix last week.

Young was first-round leader three times in seven starts in 2022 while looking at his last seven worldwide starts, he's ended round one in the top eight in five of those.

At Riviera, his very first round was a 66 in 2022 and that put him second after Thursday's play. Young followed that with a stunning 62 and eventually finished runner-up.

Last year, he was 14th after day one and 20th at the finish so there's plenty to like at 40/141.00 for an in-form player who finished third in Dubai and eighth at TPC Scottsdale.

Young is an early starter at 08.44.

Back Patrick Cantlay @ 28/129.00

In a limited 70-man field and each-way odds of 1/4, 5 places, I don't mind playing one at a shorter price and Patrick Cantlay certainly fits the bill.

The local man has a bunch of history at Riviera and he's turned that knowledge into a string of good performances here, including third last year and fourth in 2018.

In terms of starts, he was the first-round leader in 2018, fourth after day one in 2021 and seventh following the opening circuit in 2020.

He's been a bit patchy so far in 2024 but certainly not on day one.

Cantlay, who heads out at 09.13 on Thursday, was second after 18 holes in both of his latest two starts (Farmers Insurance and Pebble Beach) and fifth and seventh after R1 in his other two.

Let's list his first-round scores this season to highlight why the 28s is worth a bet: 66-64-65-64.

Back Kevin Yu @ 80/181.00

I'll take a bit of a punt with pick three and try Kevin Yu at 80s.

The 25-year-old from Taiwan, who played for Arizona State, couldn't live up to the raised expectations at TPC Scottsdale last week but should feel more relaxed here.

He's certainly taken the eye in his starts in California, finishing third at The American Express and sixth in the Farmers Insurance Open last month as well as seventh at Pebble Beach in 2023.

Yu was the first-round leader at Torrey Pines via a 64 at the North Course while a closing 63 at The American Express was further evidence of him going low.

The 80/1 shot tees off at 10.13.

Read Steve Rawlings' Genesis preview here