Riviera’s Return Sets Stage for Tour’s Most Intriguing Comeback Story
There’s something about watching Scottie Scheffler start a tournament 5 over par through 10 holes that makes you stop and really think about what we’re witnessing on the PGA Tour in 2026. And I don’t mean that in the doomsday way—quite the opposite, actually.
After 35 years covering this game, I’ve learned that context is everything. Yes, Scheffler’s first-round stumble at Riviera Country Club is concerning on its surface. But the fact that he’s made “furious comebacks the last two weeks to finish in the top 3 after slow starts” tells a far more interesting story than a single bad start ever could. This is a player who’s not just talented—he’s mentally tough in a way that separates the good from the truly great.
The Relief of Getting Home
Let me be candid: I’m genuinely glad Riviera is back. When the Genesis Invitational moved to Torrey Pines last year due to the LA fires, it was the right call, absolutely necessary. But there’s something about a major championship-caliber event at its spiritual home. Riviera isn’t just another course on the tour schedule—it’s Tiger Woods’ tournament, hosted at a club that’s been hosting elite golf since the 1920s. The fairways, the greens, the challenges—they’re all part of golf lore.
“Riviera will certainly be a welcome sight for all involved,”
as the source notes, and having covered enough tour stops to know the rhythms of the circuit, I can tell you that’s not hyperbole. Players, caddies, media—everyone felt that absence. Torrey Pines is a fine course, but it’s not Riviera.
The Reigning Champion Factor
What strikes me about this week’s field is the presence of four past champions: Ludvig Åberg (defending his title), Hideki Matsuyama, Max Homa, and Adam Scott. In my experience caddying for Tom back in the ’90s, I learned that past winners at a specific venue carry an advantage that statistics alone don’t capture. They’ve walked these greens under pressure. They understand the breaks, the wind patterns, how this particular course plays in February.
But here’s where it gets interesting: the biggest names—Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood—are all hunting for their first Riviera victories. That’s a different kind of pressure. These are players accustomed to winning everywhere, and Riviera becomes the white whale. McIlroy opened with a solid 5-under round, sitting one shot back after 18 holes, which tells me he’s locked in mentally. That’s the kind of start that can carry momentum through 72 holes.
“Scottie Scheffler, who has made furious comebacks the last two weeks to finish in the top 3 after slow starts,”
is exactly the kind of narrative that makes professional golf compelling. This isn’t a player who’s falling apart—it’s a player showing us how champions respond to adversity. The tournament isn’t won or lost in the first 10 holes; it’s won or lost in how you respond to them.
The Morikawa Narrative
I want to spend a moment on Collin Morikawa, because his win at Pebble Beach matters more than the typical signature event result. When Morikawa was No. 2 in the world rankings, he looked like he might be a fixture at the top of the sport for the next decade. Injuries and inconsistency derailed that trajectory, and it’s been rough watching a player with that much talent search for form.
“Collin Morikawa will also be back in action after winning the Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his first victory on the PGA Tour since 2023, showing the form that once made him the No. 2 player in the world.”
This isn’t just another tournament win for Morikawa—it’s validation that the talent is still there, that the machinery can still work. If he plays well at Riviera this week, we might be looking at genuine resurgence. And frankly, the tour is better when players of Morikawa’s caliber are playing their best.
A Stacked Field Points to a Healthy Tour
When you look at the favorites—Russell Henley, Patrick Cantlay, Tommy Fleetwood alongside the big names—you’re looking at genuine depth. This isn’t a tour carried by two or three players; it’s genuinely competitive top to bottom. I’ve covered enough tournaments to know that when you see 8-10 legitimate contenders at the beginning of the week, you’re usually in for an entertaining finish.
The television schedule is solid too. CBS and Paramount+ picking up the action on Saturday and Sunday, with early coverage starting Friday through the Golf Channel—this is a well-packaged event that respects both the casual viewer and the hardcore fan who’ll be streaming on PGA Tour Live from first tee to final putt.
Riviera is back, the field is stacked, and we’ve got several compelling storylines developing. Scheffler proving he can comeback from bad starts, McIlroy searching for his first Genesis title, Morikawa rediscovering his form, and all four past champions looking to prove that experience still matters on the PGA Tour.
That’s the kind of week that reminds you why we’ve been covering this game for three and a half decades. The best players in the world, the most storied courses, and questions that only 72 holes of professional golf can answer.
