THE MAGIC OF RIVIERA ADDS SPARKLE TO INVITATIONAL GENESIS

The freshness of a new PGA TOUR season is upon us. The vibes are buoyant and high levels of anticipation abound.

- by Jim McCabe

It's as if every player looks at the leaderboard and sees they are tied for the lead.

But if as a fan you're quickly shifting your attention to THE PLAYERS Championship in March or the magic of Augusta National in April followed in quick succession by three other major stops, here's a word of advice: There's a massive tournament in February that captures the attention of elite players first.

We're talking the Genesis Invitational, which takes place February 13-16 and to capture the essence of this tournament stop, one needs to feel the love players have for the course, Riviera Country Club, the city of Los Angeles, the special touches like a bond with the esteemed owner of the club, Noboru Watanabe, and the cultural warmth that is inviting to Japanese and Koreans.

"It is," said Adam Scott, a two-time winner at Riviera, "always a highlight of my year playing here. I love this track and I love this event." He is not alone. Fact is, the hugely popular Aussie is in great company when he gushes about Riviera and the Genesis Invitational, which tournament host is none other than Tiger Woods. Go no further than the man who put on a ball-striking clinic to win last year's tournament, Hideki Matsuyama.

"To win this tournament was one of my goals ever since I became pro," said Matsuyama.

"And after Tiger became host, that goal became a lot bigger." One could argue that there wasn't a more impressive performance on the PGA TOUR last year than what Matsuyama did at Riviera.