Riviera Country Club, host of the Genesis Invitational, is one of the most beloved golf courses on the planet among fans and players.
It’s also the place where Tiger Woods made his debut on the PGA Tour aged 16 years old, and the greatest golfer of all time is now the tournament host for the Genesis Invitational.
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The irony is, however, that Riviera is the one regular PGA Tour stop that Woods never won. It wasn’t necessarily his bogey course; he frequently played well there. But for whatever reason, Woods couldn’t string together four rounds as he could literally everywhere else.
It’s a difficult course, which challenges golfers strategically unlike any other PGA Tour venue, but there’s a very simple reason why Woods never won at Riviera, according to the man himself.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
The reason Tiger Woods gave for not winning at Riviera
Riviera forces players to be accurate with their mid to long irons, which was typically a strength of Woods. He was one of the most creative and accurate shot shapers of all time. But the issue wasn’t getting to the undulating greens; it was putting on the poa grass.
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Woods explained before the tournament in 2024, “I have traditionally not putted well here. This is a fader’s delight, most of the holes are, for a righty, run left to right. I’ve driven it well here.
“There are small greens, and traditionally throughout my entire career, my iron game has been pretty good, but I have never really gotten hot with the putter at this course. Generally, they’re bumpy poa, so it’s been a little bit tricky.”
That’s a bit of a mystery, because Woods won the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach by a record margin, and that iconic course also uses poa grass on the greens.
This is one of the most intriguing weaknesses in the sport’s history, and one that doesn’t quite line up.
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Tiger Woods’ history on poa greens
Woods’ dominance on Poa annua greens is one of the most statistically significant trends in golf history. While many professionals despise poa for its tendency to grow unevenly and create bumpy surfaces, Woods usually used those imperfections to separate himself from the field.
His history on these West Coast surfaces is defined by two primary fortresses: Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach. At Torrey Pines alone, Tiger has won eight times, including his legendary 2008 U.S. Open victory played on a fractured leg.
At Pebble Beach, he authored the greatest performance in golf history during the 2000 U.S. Open, winning by 15 strokes and remarkably recording zero three-putts over 72 holes on the notoriously difficult greens.
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Between 2002 and 2005, Woods famously made 1,536 out of 1,540 putts from three feet and in. On Poa, where spike marks and uneven growth make short putts a lottery, this level of consistency was unprecedented.
So why he could never master the poa greens at Riviera is a complete mystery. He clearly had no trouble everywhere else! Perhaps this remains one of golf’s great coincidences, and one Woods continues to wrestle with.
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