Genesis Invitational: Featured Groups Preview Medinah Matchups

Play is underway at the 2026 Genesis Invitational, and for fans of the Presidents Cup, the Round 1 tee sheet at Riviera Country Club reads like a preview of the Sunday Singles matches at Medinah.

The Heavyweight Group: Scheffler, Schauffele, Kim

The marquee grouping of the morning wave features World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele paired with the International Team's Si Woo Kim.

This grouping offers a direct "stress test" for Kim. Scheffler and Schauffele represent the absolute apex of the American roster—consistent, unflappable, and historically dominant. For Kim, often the emotional sparkplug of the International side, competing shot-for-shot with these two on a classic ball-striker's course like Riviera is the ultimate audition for Medinah.

The Ball-Striking Clinic: McIlroy, Fleetwood, Morikawa

Another featured group brings together Collin Morikawa, fresh off his win at Pebble Beach, with European stars Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. While McIlroy and Fleetwood are Ryder Cup rivals, their presence alongside Morikawa highlights the standard of iron play required to compete at this level.

Riviera, much like Medinah No. 3, demands precision from tee to green. Seeing how Morikawa's game stacks up against the European heavyweights provides a lateral comparison for how he might handle high-pressure matches against top-tier International ball-strikers.

Captain's Watch

With Chris Gotterup (a two-time winner this season) also in the field paired with veteran Justin Rose, both Captains Snedeker and Ogilvy will be monitoring the scoring closely. Riviera is rarely overpowered; it must be navigated. The players who manage their game well this week are the ones who will be trusted when the pressure mounts in Illinois later this year.