A rain-soaked Thursday in Los Angeles gave technique to a lot improved circumstances on a marathon Friday at Riviera Nation Membership. Thirty gamers needed to full their first spherical motion beginning at 7 a.m., whereas the second spherical bought going 40 minutes later in an effort to get again on schedule going into the weekend.
Amongst those that needed to come again early have been Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler, who have been transferring in several instructions on the leaderboard in one of many week’s marquee teams. In calm, tender circumstances early on Friday, Schauffele got here out attacking to put up a 3-under 68. After a brief 38-minute turnaround from ending Spherical 1 to beginning Spherical 2, he backed it up within the afternoon with a 6-under 65 to get into the highest 5 at 9 below heading into the weekend.
Scheffler, in the meantime, was attempting to dig himself out of a gap he created for himself on Thursday when he went 5 over in his first 10 holes. He bought two of these pictures again within the morning to wrap up his first spherical, however wanted a robust shut on Friday afternoon simply to make the reduce. Whilst a signature occasion, the Genesis has a reduce for these outdoors the top-50 and ties — and people inside 10 pictures of the lead. Scheffler birdied the par-5 seventeenth to get to even par for the week, after which wanted a 6-footer to save lots of par on No. 18 simply to make the weekend inside that prime 50.
That prolonged his Tour-best made reduce streak to 68 consecutive occasions, however required much more of a grind than he’d like in a restricted subject occasion.
Whereas Scheffler and Schauffele needed to play 26 holes on Friday, Rory McIlroy was capable of take pleasure in a traditional turnaround after a robust 5-under 66 on Thursday in robust circumstances. He did himself one higher on Friday with a 6-under 65 to maintain himself one shot off the lead heading into the weekend.
McIlroy’s improved ball-striking over the past 12 months has been on show over the primary two rounds, as he is third within the subject in strokes gained on strategy. His capability to flight pictures and play with trajectories was important in his first spherical in troublesome circumstances, and in addition allowed him to return residence robust as winds picked up on Friday afternoon.
What’s been most spectacular from McIlroy has been the consistency, particularly after a wild week at Pebble Seaside that noticed him make a ton of birdies but in addition a number of double bogeys (or worse).
“I mentioned this at the beginning of the week, there is not any Pacific Ocean to hit it into round this golf course, in order that helps,” McIlroy mentioned after his second spherical. “Even like I hit a wild tee shot on [No.] 15, 40 yards left of the golf green, but it surely’s OK. It is a totally different kind of golf this week, totally different setup. I nonetheless hit some free pictures, however the course setup is in a manner which you can get away with it just a little bit extra. However I’ve hit it effectively, I’ve managed my distance effectively for essentially the most half, and I’ve holed some good putts from form of inside eight toes for pars once I’ve wanted to.”
Having the ability to bomb it 333 yards off the tee additionally would not damage — nor does being fourth in strokes gained placing by way of two rounds.
As McIlroy has made his priorities recognized for his profession at this level, a win at an iconic venue like Riviera Nation Membership — in Tiger Woods’ occasion, no much less — would undoubtedly carry some added weight for the long run Corridor of Famer. McIlroy famous final 12 months how significant it was to win at a course like Pebble Seaside, and including one other of California’s legendary programs a 12 months later could be a robust addition to his résumé.
McIlroy’s robust efforts within the first two rounds put him in solo third at 11 below, only one shot again of the stunning tandem of Jacob Bridgeman and Marco Penge on the prime of the leaderboard.
The leaders
1. Marco Penge, Jacob Bridgeman (-12)
Penge was one of the best participant on the DP World Tour final 12 months not named Rory McIlroy, and after a tricky begin to his PGA Tour profession with two missed cuts and a T64 final week, he is displaying his full abilities at Riviera. Penge is an exceptionally lengthy hitter and leads the sphere in strokes gained off the tee this week, however he is been red-hot with the putter as effectively and has proven spectacular contact with the irons for a participant together with his swing speeds. He received a number of occasions a 12 months in the past on the DP World Tour, however will now should cope with some totally different nerves within the closing group on the weekend of a signature occasion.
Becoming a member of him shall be Jacob Bridgeman, who has quietly made robust finishes on the PGA Tour a behavior. Bridgeman has 4 top-20s to begin his 2026 season and is coming off a 2025 season the place he made the Tour Championship for the primary time — because of a pair of top-20s within the first two Playoff occasions. Bridgeman’s calling card is his putter, and he is lapping the sphere on the greens to begin this week with 7.4 strokes gained placing. The query for Bridgeman shall be if his lengthy recreation can maintain up on the weekend and create sufficient alternatives to attain — as he could not fairly sustain with the weekend scoring final week at Pebble Seaside in the same place.
Different contenders
3. Rory McIlroy (-11)
T4. Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott (-9)
T6. Max Greyserman, Min Woo Lee (-8)
T8. Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Wyndham Clark, Kurt Kitayama (-7)
T12. Max Homa and three others (-6)
T15. Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa and two others (-5)
McIlroy and Schauffele shall be tight within the rear view of Penge and Bridgeman on Saturday as they attempt to keep in place for his or her first PGA Tour victories, and that’ll present a major take a look at for his or her nerve.
After an extremely uneven week of play at Pebble Seaside, McIlroy appears to be like way more in charge of his golf ball at Riviera — with ball-striking harking back to what he used to win final 12 months at Pebble. Schauffele, in the meantime, appears to be like to be gaining confidence in his recreation by the day, and appeared fairly snug shaping pictures and enjoying aggressive within the tender circumstances offered on Friday. When he is enjoying with that confidence, he is extraordinarily harmful and is seeking to get again within the winner’s circle for the primary time since 2024.
Scott put collectively the spherical of the day with an 8-under 63 — which included a closing bogey — however as a former winner at Riviera, he must be thought-about a risk on the weekend to grow to be the second 45-year-old winner on the PGA Tour this season.
Lurking additional again within the pack are some others who’ve carried out effectively to begin 2026. Tommy Fleetwood continues to stack rounds within the 60s and moved into the highest 10 with a 66 on Friday. Min Woo Lee got here one shot away from a playoff final week and is carrying that constructive momentum into his play this week. Matt Fitzpatrick has been sniffing round leaderboards since Phoenix and is as soon as once more heading into the weekend in rivalry.
Then there’s Max Homa, Jordan Spieth and final week’s winner Collin Morikawa again at 5 below. Homa is a former winner right here and is determined for a robust end on a course the place he is carried out effectively. Spieth continues to indicate indicators of constructive kind, significantly with the putter, which supplies optimism a breakout win could possibly be coming. Morikawa, contemporary off snapping his personal winless streak at Pebble Seaside, is enjoying stable golf once more, however he (and Spieth) will want one other tremendous Saturday like he had per week in the past if he will get in rivalry.
Notable gamers to overlook the reduce
- Sam Burns (+1)
- Maverick McNealy (+1)
- Russell Henley (+2)
- Chris Gotterup (+3)
- Justin Rose (+3)
- Keegan Bradley (+3)
- Jason Day (+5)
Two of the 5 winners on the PGA Tour this season will miss the weekend at Riviera, as Gotterup and Rose struggled in L.A. It is also stunning to see Henley, McNealy and Burns fall off the tempo and miss the reduce after they’ve proven robust kind to begin the 12 months as effectively.
Up to date 2026 Genesis Invitational odds, picks
- Rory McIlroy (+185)
- Jacob Bridgeman (+380)
- Marco Penge (5-1)
- Xander Schauffele (15/2)
- Adam Scott (13-1)
- Tommy Fleetwood (17-1)
- Min Woo Lee (20-1)
The best way McIlroy is hitting his irons and with the expectation that the course corporations up some because the week goes on, he’s the rightful favourite right here and I do not assume his odds will worsen after Saturday’s third spherical. I do assume Schauffele presents some worth at 15/2 with the best way he is placing it as effectively, and of the group a bit additional again, Lee’s confidence proper now means he is a risk to go low and get himself in actual rivalry on Sunday.
