Genesis Invitational Friday primer for viewers and bettors: schedule shifts, tee times and players to follow
The changes to the schedule matter first for viewers and those tracking wagers: the genesis invitational saw its opening round delayed by rain and then suspended due to darkness, pushing a chunk of action into Friday and compressing the day’s timing. That shift affects when featured groups tee off, how early coverage needs to start, and which late-afternoon windows will contain the leaderboard drama.
Genesis Invitational schedule changes and what they mean for audiences
Round 1 was suspended Thursday evening and will resume Friday morning at 10: 00 a. m. ET. The second round is set to begin at 10: 40 a. m. ET after a 25-minute push to the originally announced times. Television windows and early streaming blocks have been adjusted to match the new flow, concentrating the most consequential coverage into the afternoon and early evening hours.
Here's the part that matters for planning: if you follow specific players or groups, note the updated morning restart and the pushed-back Round 2 start—those two changes determine when featured groups reach closing holes and when final-round position shifts start to form.
Event details, course signals and players to back
Riviera’s setup rewards control. The course architect’s “half-par” holes create frequent birdie-and-bogey swings, and missed tee shots become more costly after the fifth hole—each missed fairway after that point is worth roughly 0. 33 strokes. Approach shots require variety and directional work to access many pin locations. On the greens, Poa annua surfaces demand full commitment: the TOUR average from 6–9 feet is 54. 6%, but that percentage falls to about 50% at Riviera, making those mid-range putts a repeatable pressure point.
Player angles called out for this week include:
- Harris English — recent finishes at this event include a T12 and a seventh, and over eight combined rounds he’s gained upward of 4. 5 strokes around the green and more than 12 strokes putting; his Top-10 price sits at +250.
- Ludvig Åberg — still viewed for upside despite some inconsistency, with a Top European price of +860.
- Sepp Straka — mixed recent form but a strong T2 performance last week makes a Top-5 price of +750 notable.
- Rickie Fowler — sustaining a streak of top-20 finishes this season; he’s in a profile with a steady floor but a limited ceiling, and his Top-20 price is +100. Fowler’s Round 2 tee time is updated to 10: 52 a. m. ET alongside Tom Kim and Max Greyserman.
It’s easy to overlook, but the putt-conversion gap on Riviera changes how you value players who consistently threaten from 6–9 feet: those who can make a higher share of those attempts will gain outsized leverage in final stretches.
If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up, the combination of Riviera’s hole design and the measurable drop in putt percentages creates repeated scoring swings—so look for players who pair low approach error with reliable short putting.
Key tee times (selected groups) and compressed timeline
| Time (ET) | Group |
|---|---|
| 10: 40 a. m. | Aldrich Potgieter, Ryan Fox, Sam Stevens |
| 10: 52 a. m. | Tom Kim, Rickie Fowler, Max Greyserman |
| 12: 33 p. m. | Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Si Woo Kim |
| 12: 57 p. m. | Brian Campbell, Wyndham Clark, Marco Penge |
| 3: 02 p. m. | Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy |
| 3: 26 p. m. | Kevin Yu, Max Homa, Denny McCarthy |
Mini timeline:
- Thursday evening — Round 1 suspended because of rain and darkness.
- Friday morning — Round 1 restarts at 10: 00 a. m. ET so remaining players can finish holes.
- Friday mid-morning — Round 2 begins at 10: 40 a. m. ET after a 25-minute adjustment to tee times.
- Late afternoon — concentrated coverage windows will capture the tournament’s shifting leaderboard through the early evening.
The real question now is how quickly leaders emerge once the restart occurs and whether players noted for short-game strength can convert the putts that are slightly tougher at Riviera.
Writer’s aside: The bigger signal here is that Riviera tends to reward small margins—control off the tee and steadiness on mid-range putts frequently separate winners from the chase group.
Schedule note: listed times are ET and the day’s timetable is subject to change based on weather and play completion. The genesis invitational’s compressed Friday means fans and followers should confirm start windows for the groups they plan to watch or track.
