Rory McIlroy is one back from the lead after two rounds of the Genesis Invitational, but that should be no surprise.
Riviera Country Club is a ball-striker’s paradise, and unique on the PGA Tour in the way it tests players’ ability to hit mid and long irons accurately. Few are better in the sport’s history at that than McIlroy.
While there are few places that test this skillset like Riviera on the PGA Tour, there is one place that McIlroy plays every single year which is similar: Augusta National, home of The Masters. In fact, players who perform well at Riviera tend to do the same at the first major of the season.
McIlroy is the reigning Masters champion, so a win at this event would further cement that correlation. He described the attributes that both Riviera and Augusta share.
Rory McIlroy explains the similarities between Riviera Country Club and Augusta National
After shooting a second round 65 to stay within touching distance of the lead, McIlroy explained the key similarities between Riviera and Augusta National.
The five-time major winner said, “I think it’s probably a little similar off the tee. I’d say there’s some tough driving holes, but then there are some that are a little more generous like Augusta.
“But it’s the second shots, it’s controlling your spin and your trajectory. And then the green complexes, they’re not as — maybe not as severe as Augusta, like the slopes, but they’re just as tricky so I think that’s part of the reason.”
McIlroy won The Masters for the first time last season, but is yet to win at the legendary Riviera. Perhaps this is the year that he can check this one off his list too.
Masters winners have success at Riviera
There is a well-documented correlation between Riviera and Augusta National. While playing well at Riviera doesn’t guarantee a Green Jacket seven weeks later, the two courses share a specific DNA that identifies Masters-ready players.
Riviera is often cited as the third-most predictive course on the PGA Tour. It and Augusta National both demand shot-making, the ability to shape the ball both ways and control trajectory, rather than outmuscling the course.
Both courses feature massive, undulating greens where missing on the wrong side leads to a likely three-putt. In 2024, Hideki Matsuyama led the field in scrambling at Riviera before finishing T38 at the Masters; however, his iron-play profile is a blueprint for both.
Riviera’s Kikuyu rough and Augusta’s tightly mown collection areas both require immense touch. Players who scramble well at Riviera tend to handle the pressure of Augusta. Legends like Fred Couples and Bubba Watson have famously stated that they only felt truly competitive at two places late in their careers: Riviera and Augusta.
Having said this, only a handful of players have managed to win both the Genesis Invitational and the Masters in the same calendar year, but the list is prestigious.
Jon Rahm won both in 2023, as did Bubba Watson and Mike Weir in 2014 and 2003. Additionally, Phil Mickelson won The Masters in 2010 after finishing second at Riviera.
So a win this week would set the stage for another great Masters showing from McIlroy.
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