"On paper, it seems kinda easy" - Scottie Scheffler opens up on Riviera struggles

Scottie Scheffler says Riviera is a golf course that "eats away at you" as he opened up on his record at the iconic venue. 

The four-time major champion arrives in Los Angeles for the Genesis Invitational as the overwhelming favourite to clinch his 21st PGA Tour title this week. 

But the American has not always had his best stuff over the years at the crown jewel of the west coast swing. 

Scheffler missed two cuts here as an amateur and, in the professional ranks, has posted four top-20 finishes. 

Clearly, it's far from a poor record, but it's striking that a player as dominant as Scheffler has been since his breakout 2022 season has never finished within six shots of the winner.

Tournament host Tiger Woods has also never won at Riviera. Neither has Rory McIlroy. 

"I think it's an interesting golf course because there's not really many hazards," Scheffler told reporters in his pre-tournament news conference on Wednesday. 

"There's not really too much out of bounds that comes into play. 

"When you think of some of the other great golf courses like TPC Sawgrass, you've got a lot of water that comes into play. 

"And when you look at this golf course and you look at it on paper, it seems kind of easy.

"Then you start playing it, and you're like, hit a ball in the rough on two and you're like, 'Man this hole is kind of hard.' 

"Then you don't hit the fairway on three and you're like, 'oh, shoot, I don't know how I am going to hit the ball on the green here,' and then the golf course just eats away at you over time."

Two notable changes have been made to Riviera since the tournament was last played here in 2024.

The fourth hole, already a long par-three, has been lengthened. The aforementioned McIlroy described that change as "horrible". 

The grounds crew have also installed trees near the tee box on the 15th hole to prevent Viktor Hovland taking an aggressive line up the adjacent 17th fairway. 

Scheffler said Riviera is "still a great golf course". 

"I think it challenges us in some different ways," he said. 

"Then I think you have a lot of history here, and it's a golf course that's stood the test of time. 

"The golf course has changed and evolved than when it was first built and I think it's evolved for the better and it still challenges us to this day, which is pretty cool. 

"Like I said, greens got a lot of slope. The rough is a whole new challenge for us this week. Yeah, it should be fun."

Scheffler is playing the first two rounds of the Genesis Invitational alongside compatriot Xander Schauffele and South Korea's Si Woo Kim. 

GolfMagic will be posting regular updates over the rest of the week.