Seventh-ranked Patrick Cantlay has played a game all by himself for two rounds.
Cantlay, from Los Alamitos and UCLA, posted a bogey-free, six-under-par 65 to take a five-stroke lead over Jason Day of Australia, Like List and Mackenzie Hughes of Canada midway through the 96th Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.
Tournament host Tiger Woods was forced to withdraw after six holes because of an illness.
“I’m putting great and leaving the golf ball in the right spot, which is really key around here,” said Cantlay whose eight victories on the PGA Tour include the 2021 Tour Championship. “It’s a golf course I’m really comfortable on and it’s in the best shape I’ve ever seen it.
“These are the best putting surfaces I’ve ever seen around this place. like when the greens are really fast, and right now they’re as fast as I’ve ever seen them, and I’ve been able to make a bunch of putts.”
Cantlay, who finished solo third last year at Riviera, sank a 14-foot eagle putt on the first hole and added four birdies in his 65 after opening with 64, and recorded a 36-hole score of 13-under-par 139.
Hughes made a two-foot eagle putt on the first hole in another 65, while 2015 PGA champion Day sank an 11-foot eagle putt at No. 1 en route to a 69, which List matched with a bogey-free round that included a 14-foot eagle putt on the opening hole.
Casey Conners of Canada shot another 65 with a 15-foot eagle putt at No. 1 and is six shots back in soho fifth, while fifth-ranked Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego State carded a bogey-free 66 and is seven down in a tie for fifth with Tom Hoge, who birdied three of the first five holes in a 70, and Will Zalatoris, who made a hole in one on the 184-yard 14th hole in another 70.
“Most of the time when I shoot one-under, it’s like two birdies and a bogey,” said Zalatoris, who also made five bogeys, but won a car along with his caddie, Joel Stock, for his ace. “Having a hole-in-one thrown in there and a bunch of crazy bogeys is not exactly how we would have drawn it up, but still, we’ll take it around this course.
“Any time you make a hole-in-one it’s special, but when you get to win a car, it’s so much better. It’s a memento for life for that ace. It’s one that we both get to enjoy too.”
Tony Finau birdied the last two holes to cap a 67 and is eighth strokes behind in a tie for ninth with Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who sank a four-foot eagle putt on the 11th hole to highlight a 68.
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler holed a 40-foot bunker shot on the 11th hole in a 70, and is in a tie for 11th that includes eighth-ranked Max Homa of Valencia and Cal, who birdied the last two holes to complete a 65, while fourth-ranked Viktor Hovland of Norway had four birdies on the front nine in a 69 and is in a tie for 20th that includes 10th-ranked Brian Harman, who made four birdies on each nine in an up-an-down 70.
Second-ranked Rory McIlroy sank a nine-foot eagle putt at No. 11 in a bogey-free 66 and is tied for 31st, while sixth-ranked Wyndham Clark shot 71-73—144 to miss the cut by one stroke, and ninth-ranked Matt Fitzpatrick came in at 75-71—146 to miss the weekend by three shots.
Jordan Spieth shot 66-73—139 to tie for 20th, but was disqualified for signing in incorrect scorecard.
For complete results and third-round tee times, visit: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard
