Riviera Country Club has been a happy hunting ground for Australian golfers but not for world No.1 Jason Day, who is determined to turn around a dismal record in Los Angeles.
Day joins world No.3 Dustin Johnson, No.5 Hideki Matsuyama, No.6 Jordan Spieth and No.7 Adam Scott among 19 of the world's top 30 players headlining the US PGA Tour's Genesis Open this week.
He's back competing at Riviera for the first time since 2012. His three previous starts on the course produced uncharacteristically poor results - two missed cuts and a 62nd placing.
The 29-year-old Australian plans to draw inspiration from turnaround victories at last year's Players Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational.
"I'll think about the Players Championship and I'll think about at Bay Hill (Arnold Palmer); two courses that I typically haven't played that great on where I won on last year," said Day.
"My best finish here is ... terrible but I feel like I'm a better player now than (2012).
"There's a lot of change that needs to happen for me to play well here, but I'm very positive about how things are progressing in my game."
Day will be paired for the first two rounds with in-form duo Matsuyama and world No.8 Justin Thomas, the pair boasting five US tour wins between them already this season.
Day arrives at Riviera fresh off his first top 10 for 2017, having earned a tie for fifth at last week's Pebble Beach Pro Am.
The Queenslander held a share of the lead starting the third round but a mistake-riddled Saturday 75 cruelled his chances of catching eventual champion Spieth.
"Being No.1 you probably shouldn't be shooting (75) but I actually came home strong and had four birdies in the last six holes, which was nice," said Day.
"I feel confident about my game. Hopefully I can beat these guys this week."
Day's Riviera record stands in stark contrast to his countrymen, with Aaron Baddeley (2011), Adam Scott (2005) and Robert Allenby (2001) having won the LA Open on the course, while Steve Elkington claimed the 1995 US PGA championship here.
Other Australians in the field this week are Baddeley, Marc Leishman, Geoff Ogilvy, Greg Chalmers, John Senden, Cameron Percy, Steven Bowditch and Cameron Smith.
Big-hitting American Bubba Watson is the defending champion.
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