Back to win: Rory McIlroy –

Defending champion Dustin Johnson is the favourite to win at Riviera this week, but he’s too short to back at .

Instead, opt for McIlroy, who should bounce back from a missed cut at Pebble Beach last week, having otherwise made an excellent start to 2018 with back-to-back top-threes.

The 28-year-old has only played in this event once – finishing 20th in 2016 – but the layout at Riviera should suit his game.

Since 2013, McIlroy ranks first on courses with hard-to-hit greens, and leads all players in events with strong fields.

Each-way shout: Branden Grace –

Grace placed 22nd on debut at the Genesis last year, and is poised for a better finish this time around, having made four cuts out of four in 2018.

The 29-year-old came second at the BMW SA Open a month ago, and has made a fantastic start to the year statistically, ranking first on the PGA Tour in total shots gained, second off the tee, second in putting and fourth in GIR percentage.

The South African should enjoy the kikuyu fairways at Riviera – a tough grass that is native to his home continent.

Outside chance: Charl Schwartzel –

Success at Augusta is generally a good barometer for how a player will perform at the Genesis, with 11 Masters champions having won 19 times at Riviera in total.

For that reason, Schwartzel – who triumphed at Augusta in 2011 and finished third there in 2017 – is worth backing this weekend.

The South African placed third at the Genesis in 2013 and fifth a year later, and – like Grace – is familiar with the kikuyu fairways and rough at this course.

Schwartzel finish 15th in his only start of this year at the BMW SA Open last month, and should fare better than that this week.

Tiger watch

Woods will make the second start of his comeback at the event where he made his PGA Tour debut as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992.

He’s played at Riviera 11 times, making the cut on nine occasions and – surprisingly – never winning, with back-to-back seconds in 1998 and 1999 his best finishes to date.

The 14-time major winner hasn’t played here since 2006, and there will be better events in which to back him later in the season.

A top-20 finish – priced at – is the best he can really hope for.