Rory McIlroy Says Riviera Change 'Horrible' Ahead of Genesis Invitational

Rory McIlroy looking over a putt at Riviera ahead of the Genesis Invitational — (Image credit: Getty Images)

It's fair to say Rory Mcilroy isn't the biggest fan of changes made at Riviera Country Club, describing one in particular as "horrible" ahead of the Genesis Invitational.

The $20m Signature Event hosted by Tiger Woods is one of the biggest stops on the PGA Tour schedule, due in part to the history and tradition of the event, the course and the name attached to it.

Already a tough par three, the signature fourth hole is now an even more difficult prospect for even the PGA Tour's finest - and McIlroy is definitely not a fan.

"I don't think four plays any differently, you're just hitting a slightly longer club. I actually think it's a horrible change," said McIlroy after a practice round at the Genesis Invitational.

"And 18, yeah, 18 played downwind today and I hit driver, 8-iron. So certainly it's a bigger hole than it was, so 18's probably the better change."

The new Grand Slam champion says extending the fourth hole was not a change that was needed given how tough it was to find the green in the first place.

McIlroy also feels Riviera needed to amend the surrounds to the fourth green, with the grass type not conducive to players being able to run the ball up onto the putting surface from such a hefty distance.

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"Well, like 15 percent of the field hit the green last time when it was played at its original yardage at 230," McIlroy explained. "If you want it to be a 275-yard par-3, you have to change the apron leading up onto the green.

"It can't be kikuyu, it has to be another type of grass that can help you run it onto the green because again, in the right conditions, you try to fly that ball on the green with a 3-iron, it's going to land - it's going to finish up on the fifth tee box.

"That's sort of what I mean by why it's not a great change."

With the famous old Californian classic celebrating its centenary, McIlroy says the difficulty of the greens is a particular reason for Riviera continuing to be a challenging favourite on the PGA Tour even after all this time.

"I think the green complexes are a big part of it," he said. "We haven't been here in a year obviously and I just, I don't know why I was surprised but some of the movement and some of how much break you have to play on a lot of the putts out here, it just, I don't know why I didn't remember but it's like 'wow'.

"So the greens provide a challenge in themselves. Then you get a little bit of wind and it starts to swirl in this valley a bit and it starts to play pretty tricky."

Could Genesis move to August?

And the course may play even trickier if the event is moved to August in the new PGA Tour future schedule - as Tiger Woods himself hinted it could.

"If you do get it in August where the greens are firm, there's more of a consideration of strategy off the tee especially and it starts to make the guys think a little," McIlroy said.

"But it certainly becomes a much more strategic golf course in that way.

"I mean, same as Pebble last week as well. We mightn't be able to play that in August because of the car show and everything else that goes on at that time of the year there, but even if you moved it a little bit later in the year there just to have the opportunity to have better weather and firmer conditions, that would be a good thing."

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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.

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