January 27, 2021

Major winners commit to 2021 Genesis Invitational

As the field for the 2021 Genesis Invitational takes shape, the world’s best golfers once again have circled Riviera on their calendars. Let’s take a look at past Major championship winners who are currently committed to play in the 2021 tournament.

  • Dustin Johnson – when Dustin Johnson won the 2016 US Open and captured his first major championship, it was the sign of things to come. The following season, Johnson ascended to the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking and won a total of 13 tournaments before once again being crowned a major winner. During the long-awaited 2020 Masters Tournament, Johnson solidified his spot atop the rankings as he cruised to victory to earn the green jacket.
  • Bryson DeChambeau – brains and brawn were on display at Winged Foot during the 2020 US Open. Bryson DeChambeau hit his driver as much as possible and it paid off as he cruised to a six-shot victory and was the only player to finish under-par for the week. For DeChambeau, it was his first major championship.
  • Collin Morikawa – originally scheduled for mid-May, when the 2020 PGA Championship got underway in San Francisco in August 2020, the golf world took a sigh of relief. After a blustery week of golf, Collin Morikawa also took a sigh of relief having just won his first major championship with a two-shot victory at TPC Harding Park.
  • Gary Woodland – with four rounds in the 60s, Gary Woodland played the type of golf that wins major championships at the 2019 US Open. Holding off charges from past US Open winners, Woodland earned his first major championship and added his name to the list of golf’s greats who have won majors at Pebble Beach.
  • Brooks Koepka – going back-to-back at a major championship is impressive. Going back-to-back twice is almost unheard of. Brooks Koepka became only the third person to win consecutive US Opens since 1950 when he captured the 2017 and 2018 US Opens. For good measure, Koepka went back-to-back in a second major, winning the 2018 and 2019 PGA Championships.
  • Francesco Molinari – playing the final round of a major paired with Tiger Woods is a moment that soon won’t be forgotten. Especially for Francesco Molinari who was paired with Woods in the final round of the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie. Molinari started the final round three-shots off the lead but ended the day with a two-stroke advantage, earning his first major championship.
  • Justin Thomas – growing up with a father who is a PGA professional, Justin Thomas shined at Quail Hollow during the 2017 PGA Championship. A second round 66 helped Thomas climb the leaderboard and consistent play over the final 36 holes elevated him to a one-stroke victory and his first major championship.
  • Jordan Spieth – bursting onto the golf scene, Jordan Spieth announced his arrival by winning consecutive majors in 2015. Starting with the 2015 Masters and through the 2015 US Open a few months later, Spieth was writing a season for the history books. Two years later he would add to his legacy, escaping a wayward tee shot on the 13th hole to memorably save bogie en route to a three-shot victory in the 2017 Open Championship.
  • Sergio Garcia – tied for the lead over the final 36 holes, Sergio Garcia needed one extra hole of golf to secure his first major championship. On the first playoff hole, the 18th, Garcia’s drive found the fairway. With an accurate approach shot, he made birdie to secure the victory at the 2017 Masters.
  • Jimmy Walker – after the first round of play during the 2016 PGA Championship, Jimmy Walker held a one-shot lead. Over the following three rounds, Walker would never relinquish his grasp on the lead, at times tied with other competitors, but in the end, that one-shot lead held as Walker earned his first major championship.
  • Danny Willett – consistency was key for Danny Willet at the 2016 Masters. At even-par heading into the final round, a bogie-free 67 helped elevate Willett to his first major championship, earning a three-shot victory over the defending champion.
  • Bubba Watson – during a playoff in the 2012 Masters, Bubba Watson found himself in the pine straw on the 10th hole. What happened next is where legends are born. Watson hooked his shot nearly 90 degrees and found the green. The recovery allowed for a two-putt par to win his first major. Two years later, a three-shot cushion made winning at Augusta National for a second time much easier as Watson captured the 2014 Masters.
  • Adam Scott – after finishing 72 holes tied at nine-under, Adam Scott headed to a sudden-death playoff at the 2013 Masters. With both players making par on the first hole, Scott’s birdie on the second playoff hole gave him his first major championship and the first major championship ever won by an Australian player.
  • Keegan Bradley – 72 holes weren’t enough to decide the 2011 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Keegan Bradley and Jason Dufner went head-to-head in a three-hole aggregate playoff. A birdie and par on the first two holes gave Bradley a two-shot advantage heading the final playoff hole. Despite a birdie from Dufner, Bradley made par and won his first major championship. The win marked the seventh consecutive major to be won by a player who had not previously captured a major title.
  • Charl Schwartzel – the old saying it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish is the perfect summary to the 2011 Masters Tournament. Charl Schwartzel did the nearly unimaginable as he birdied the final four holes at Augusta National to earn the green jacket in 2011.
  • Stewart Cink – on the final hole in regulation, Stewart Cink made birdie to force a playoff with Tom Watson to decide the 2009 Open Championship. Watson was looking for his sixth Open Championship and his second at Turnberry, but over the four-hole aggregate playoff, it was Cink who emerged victorious and captured his first major championship.
  • Lucas Glover – during a week remembered most for rain and suspensions in play, Lucas Glover overcame the conditions at Bethpage Black to capture the 2009 US Open title. Down one-stroke after 54 holes, Glover overtook Ricky Barnes during Monday’s finish and earned a two-shot victory over for his first major championship.
  • Padraig Harrington – three wins in just over a year is an accomplishment. All three wins being major championships are that much more impressive. For Padraig Harrington, winning the 2007 Open Championship, 2008 Open Championship and 2008 PGA Championship cemented his legacy among major winners.
  • Jim Furyk – starting the final round with a three-shot lead, Jim Furyk kept pace at Olympia Fields during the 2003 US Open. After the final 18 holes of play, Furyk’s lead remained at three-shots and he captured his first major championship.

As the 2021 Genesis Invitational approaches, additional player commitments will be announced.

NOTES
Commitments listed above as of Jan. 27, 2021

Player commitments are not official until the commitment deadline on Friday, February 12. Commitments and the player field can change at any time.