The Genesis Invitational First-Round Leader Tips: Picks from 55/1 to 90/1

• 66/167.00 Justin Rose is a former winner here and has been starting well

• 55/156.00 Akshay Bhatia is a proven fast starter and has shown promise here

• 90/191.00 Jake Knapp grew up near here and opened with 65 last week

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Weather forecast for Thursday

While the weekend looks set to be pretty calm, wind is definitely part of the Thursday forecast.

It's pretty solid around 15mph throughout the day and could gust at 25mph and even higher later in the afternoon.

With just 72 players (in three-balls), any draw bias is reduced but it certainly helps to pick players who can handle the gusts.

Justin Rose @ 66/167.00

Justin Rose has shot in the 60s in seven of his last eight first rounds and last time the Englishman's opening 65 was enough to secure second place after 18 holes at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Widen the search and Rose has finished day one in the top five in three of his last 10 events and in another he was ninth.

At Torrey Pines - host course of the Farmers but acting as a stand-in this week - he was the FRL in 2017 and second after round one in 2019.

He won that 2019 event and has four top eight finishes in the last eight editions of the Farmers so it's a course he really loves.

After a third place finish at Pebble, Rose (10.36 tee time) has plenty of confidence and can make a mark at 66/167.00.

Akshay Bhatia @ 55/156.00

Akshay Bhatia hasn't got masses of course form but there's enough there to suggest he can do well at Torrey Pines.

As a teenager he made the cut in the 2021 US Open here while in his one Farmers Insurance Open start in 2024 he came on strong at the weekend when both rounds were held on the South Course to rise from 64th at halfway to finish in a tie for 13th.

That's one element ticked; the other is his ability to make low scores in round one.

Last season he was a first-round leader at both the Texas Open and the Rocket Mortgage Classic. With reference to the latter, he'd posted first-round positions of 7-6-2 in his three previous starts.

In his final outing of 2024, Bhatia was second following day one of the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament while last week he again opened with a 66 to lie fourth after Thursday's play at the WM Phoenix Open.

Put the elements together and Bhatia (09.41 tee time) well worth a go north of 50s.

Jake Knapp @ 90/191.00

Jake Knapp (10.25 tee time) was one of the local residents in the field at last week's WM Phoenix Open and opened with a 67 to lie 11th after round one. He dipped in the middle rounds but came back to close with a 68.

The Californian had made an even better start a week earlier when posting a 65 to occupy second spot when day one was in the books at Pebble Beach.

Knapp only made it into the field here at the 11th hour following the withdrawal of Tiger Woods so will feel that everything is a bonus as the field battle it out for the $20m purse.

And Torrey Pines has already brought him a hefty payday. That was in the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open when he shot three 69s and a 70 to finish in third. 

Speaking about Torrey, Knapp said: "That's just a good golf course for me. If I can hit driver a lot, it's going to benefit my game. Torrey with always be one of my favorite courses we get to visit."

Let's back him at a big price to burst out of the blocks.

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