Justin Thomas unveils custom Kobe Bryant golf shoes for Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles

This week’s Genesis Invitational begins today at Riviera Country Club outside of Los Angeles, the same city the late Kobe Bryant starred in for two decades.

Bryant’s tragic death on Jan. 26 shocked the sports world, and leagues — not just the NBA — have been honoring the superstar since his passing.

While pro golfers wore his jerseys and did other tributes beginning at the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks ago, the Genesis, in Bryant’s backyard, is dedicating a hole to Bryant. The par-4 8th tee box has a Lakers purple and gold sign with the name “Mamba,” Bryant’s nickname, attached to it. The flag on the 8th hole — Bryant’s number was 8 before he changed to 24 — is also gold with a purple 8.

There are other pro tributes this week too. TaylorMade created custom headcovers for its staffers, and Justin Thomas got some new kicks thanks to Nomad Customs. Check them out for yourself. Thomas and Jon Rahm have the second-best odds to win at 10/1, and Rory McIlroy is the favorite at 8/1.

Have you heard our new “Subpar” series? Check out the first installment featuring John Rahm below!

CLICK HERE TO STREAM THE FULL SUBPAR INTERVIEW WITH JON RAHM ON SOUNDCLOUD

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