Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Feb 15, 2025 7:16 pm

Patrick Rodgers, Denny McCarthy pursue 1st PGA Tour win at Genesis

Patrick Rodgers

SAN DIEGO — While golfers with grander resumes struggled to keep pace, a pair of veteran non-winners moved to the top of the leaderboard Saturday in the third round of the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines.

Despite a bogey on the par-5 18th hole when he put his third shot in the only water hazard on the course, Patrick Rodgers grabbed a one-shot lead over Denny McCarthy with a 4-under 68. Rodgers, who finished three rounds at 8-under 208, and McCarthy have combined for nearly 500 PGA Tour starts without finishing better than second.

Rodgers, 32, has been a runner-up four times in 286 previous events; his record also includes three top-10 showings at the Farmers Insurance Open, the annual tour stop at Torrey Pines. The South Course here is hosting the Genesis this week due to wildfires last month near its usual home at Riviera Country Club, about 125 miles north in Pacific Palisades.

The 31-year-old McCarthy, who has two runner-up finishes in 193 starts, made four birdies in a five-hole stretch to get to 9-under for the tournament after 10 holes Saturday, but dropped back to 7 under after a 71.

Meanwhile, the two players who began the day at the top of the leaderboard tied for the worst rounds of the day at 4-over 76. Davis Thompson, who had the lead, dropped into a tie for fourth at 4 under, one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler. The world’s top-ranked player made bogeys on both par-5 holes on the front nine and a double bogey at the par-4 14th.

World No. 3 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland also struggled, finishing with a 2-over 74 that left him five shots behind Rodgers.

Ludvig Aberg of Sweden is in third place at 6 under after a 70 that included the first hole-in-one of the tournament. Aberg struck a pitching a wedge on the 140-yard third hole, with the ball landing just a few feet past the pin and spinning back into the hole.

According to the PGA Tour, the last ace on that hole came 1,479 days ago when Richy Werenski holed out in the first round of the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open. It was the sixth ace of the year on the tour — all by international players: Sami Valimaki of Finland, Kris Ventura of Norway, McIlroy, Shane Lowry of Ireland, Emiliano Grillo of Argentina and Aberg.

–Jay Posner, Field Level Media

You may also like

Viktor Hovland
May 27, 2025 11:47 am

Viktor Hovland looking for answers at Memorial Tournament

Viktor Hovland has dealt with very public issues involving his swing, leading some to question whether he’s dealing with mental or physical issues in his game. Hovland hopes to put…

will zalatoris
May 26, 2025 1:28 pm

Will Zalatoris out for season following back surgery

Will Zalatoris announced Monday he will miss the rest of the PGA Tour season after surgery to repair two herniated discs in his back. “This spring, I started feeling some…

angel cabrera
May 25, 2025 7:17 pm

Angel Cabrera wins second major in two weeks at Senior PGA

Angel Cabrera of Argentina achieved the rare feat of winning two major titles within six days when he captured the Senior PGA Championship on Sunday in Bethesda, Md. Last Monday…

More Golf News

Viktor Hovland
May 27, 2025 11:47 am

Viktor Hovland looking for answers at Memorial Tournament

Viktor Hovland has dealt with very public issues involving his swing, leading some to question whether he’s dealing with mental or physical issues in his game. Hovland hopes to put…

will zalatoris
May 26, 2025 1:28 pm

Will Zalatoris out for season following back surgery

angel cabrera
May 25, 2025 7:17 pm

Angel Cabrera wins second major in two weeks at Senior PGA

ben griffin
May 25, 2025 6:23 pm

Ben Griffin holds on to win Charles Schwab Challenge

chisato iwai
May 25, 2025 4:43 pm

Chisato Iwai wins in Mexico on strength of final-round 66

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds
[gs-fb-comments]