Rodgers grabs Genesis lead as Scheffler struggles

Los Angeles, United States: World number one Scottie Scheffler recorded his worst round in almost three years, shooting a 4-over-par 76 at the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines on Saturday.

Patrick Rodgers on eight-under holds a one stroke lead over fellow American Denny McCarthy heading into Sunday´s final round with the top two both aiming for their first wins on the PGA Tour. Sweden´s Ludvig Aberg, who shot a hole in one on the third hole, is a further shot back on the course near San Diego, hosting the tournament instead of Riviera because of wildfire damage in Los Angeles. Despite Scheffler´s worst score since the final round of the 2022 Players Championship, the two-time Masters champion is not completely out of contention.

Scheffler is five shots off the lead, tied in eighth place alongside Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas who will also be hoping to make a charge on Sunday. The dominant force in golf last year, who won nine tournaments worldwide including the Olympics, made a birdie on the par-4 fifth hole before the first of three bogeys came on the next hole -- the par-5 sixth where he found a fairway bunker and then missed a 4-foot putt for par.

Another bogey followed on the par-5 ninth, where Scheffler got in trouble in the rough, but it was his double bogey on the par-4 14th that did the most damage. Scheffler, who was the lone player who was bogey free on Friday, drove wide left into the native area and took a drop. He then drove into the greenside bunker before two putting.

Rodgers would have had a bigger lead had he not ended a fine round with a bogey on the 18th where he found water with his approach shot. “It´s definitely an exciting finishing hole. You can have happen what happened to me today or you can hit a great shot and make a three, it´s all part of the excitement,” said Rodgers who hesitated over his club choice for the fateful shot. “What happened was it came out just a little slower with the moisture so my gap wedge, little like 95, 100 yard shot just came out really slow. Felt like I executed OK. Obviously it looked silly when it ends up in the water, but I´m proud of the way I got it up and in,” he said.