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Five players who made rankings moves at the Genesis Invitational

After a gripping event at Riviera, we highlight the players which have seen notable changes to their rankings.

The seventh PGA TOUR tournament of the calendar year was one to remember for many, but one some will be quick to forget.

Riviera Country Club certainly whipped up a few surprises, with Rory McIlroyBryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas among the notables missing the cut.

Sam Burns had a tight grip on the field through 54 holes, but his dominance started to loosen on the final day and he was not alone in struggling.

The finale witnessed a 3-foot putt missed for the win from Max Homa and playoff heartbreak for Tony Finau.

Riviera had it all, including redemption for Homa.
But who were the big movers in the rankings after the Genesis Invitational?

Max Homa

At a tournament he has been watching since he was eight-years-old, it was only fitting that L.A native Homa won his second TOUR title in his hometown.
Carding a 5-under-par 66 in the final round, the American was just a three-foot birdie putt away from victory after 72 holes.
When the ball lipped out, a two-man play-off between Homa and Finau was the outcome, with the former claiming victory on the second hole.

The triumph for the 30-year-old has seen him skyrocket up the Official Golf World Rankings, from 91st to 38th. A career-best position to date.

The biggest rise, however, is Homa's new FedEx Cup ranking. Starting the week in 79th, he now finds himself occupying the final top-10 position.

He did it all be becoming only the third player in the last 30 years to win a TOUR event at Riviera with a bogey-free final round.

He also jumped 20 places in the Ryder Cup rankings to 14th, staking a claim for this year's event at Whistling Straits.

Tony Finau

After scorching the final 18 holes with a 7-under-par 64, it looked like Finau's time had finally come.
Had he ended his near five-year drought?
No. The wait goes on.
A pulled tee shot into the sand at the second play-off hole left Finau with a tricky recovery which he left short of the flag and he failed to convert the lengthy downhill par putt.
Nevertheless, his fifth in top-10 finish of the season saw him catapult up the FedEx Cup rankings from 21st to sixth.
In his last four events, he has four top-fours and this result completed a hat trick of runner-up finishes.

From nine events this season, he's accrued 918 FedExCup points and has the joint-highest number of top-10 finishes, alongside Xander SchauffeleJon Rahm and Harris English.

His tally of 37 top-10's since 2017 is the most on TOUR.
The 31-year-old also saw his Ryder Cup ranking change. He now holds the final automatic spot, climbing from 11th to sixth.
Moving up two places in the OWGR to 13th, a much-hoped for victory could propel the American past his career-best ninth.

Sam Burns

Sam Burns took to Riviera Country Club like a duck to water.
After 36 holes, Burns had already written his name into the history books. His five-shot lead was the largest 36-hole lead in a PGA Tour event at Riviera since 1950.
Sam Burns PGA TOUR

Sam Burns held a 54-hole lead at the Genesis Invitational.

Looking down on the field once again, after 54 holes, he became the first player to lead the event outright after every round since Charlie Sifford in 1969.

Despite the American not securing his first TOUR victory, his third-place finish has seen a huge difference to his rankings.
Now sitting in 80th in the OWGR, he rose by a massive 69 places after his performance in California.
It only gets better for the 24-year-old. He's now in 30th in the FedEx Cup rankings, rising from 68th.
His third top-10 finish in 10 outings has also resulted in Burns' Ryder Cup ranking improving from 52nd to 31st.

Francesco Molinari

After recently moving to L.A and becoming a member at Riviera, Francesco Molinari had hopes of grabbing a fourth TOUR win.
After a steady 2-under-par start, the Italian failed to break 70 in two laps, before a Sunday 67 secured tied eighth.
It was his third top-10 finish in four starts, but he has not recorded a top five since his implosion at the 2019 Masters.
The former Open Championship winner is now 76th in the FedEx Cup rankings, up from 107th.

Cameron Smith

Not only is Cameron Smith known for his impressive golf game, but his hairstyle is also eye-catching.
His solo fourth on Sunday was Smith's best result since his surprising tied second at the Masters in November.
A final round which featured six birdies, including a near hole-in-one at the par-3 6th, the Australian has seen a slight change in his rankings.
The 27-year-old is now 27th in the OWGR, up four places and closing in on his highest-ever ranking of 24th.
Rising from 27th to 18th in the FedExCup rankings, he's now accumulated 681 points and now cushions himself within the top-20 for the first time this year.

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