Patrick Cantlay was asked if he prefers leading or chasing at a PGA Tour event.
“Oh, I’ll take leading, yeah, by as many as I can get,” he said.
Cantlay leads by five at the midway point of the Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, California, the largest lead after 36 holes on the Tour since Brian Harman at the British Open in July and tied for the largest margin in Genesis Invitational tournament history (Sam Burns, 2021). The 31-year-old former UCLA Bruin followed up his opening-round 64 with a 6-under 65 on Friday to shoot 13-under 129 at Riviera Country Club.
Cantlay leads the field in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (+4.471) and SG: Putting (+6.826). “It’s the best putting surfaces I’ve ever seen around this place,” said Cantlay, who ranks 125th in SG: Putting for the season, but is perfect on all 27 putts from inside 10 feet this week. “I like when the greens are really fast, they’re as fast as I’ve ever seen them and I’ve made a bunch.”
Patrick Cantlay leads at Riviera by 5, the largest 36-hole lead on the PGA Tour since Brian Harman led by 5 at The Open last summer.
Over the last 20 years, players who lead by 5 through 2 rounds on the PGA Tour win 72% of the time.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) February 17, 2024
Cantlay will attempt to put an end to his track record as the 36-hole leader or co-leader in individual stroke-play events. This marks his eighth time leading at the halfway point of a Tour event and he’s winless in the seven prior times as the frontrunner (most recently at the 2021 RBC Heritage, where he lost in a playoff). According to stats guru Justin Ray, over the last 20 years, players who lead by five strokes through two rounds on Tour win 72 percent of the time. Cantlay is bidding for his first Tour title since the 2022 BMW Championship.
Here are four more things to know after the second round of the Genesis Invitational, including Tiger Woods’s early exit after six holes due to flu-like symptoms.
This is the 3rd time Patrick Cantlay has gained 6+ strokes on the field putting through 2 rounds on the PGA Tour.
Other 2 instances:
2021 BMW Championship (won in playoff)
2022 WM Phoenix Open (lost playoff)— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) February 17, 2024
Aces wild for Willy Z
Will Zalatoris made his 10th career ace on Friday and this one came with a prize – winning him and his caddie each new Genesis vehicles. Zalatoris was the first to ace the 14th hole at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, during the second round of the tournament.
Zalatoris hit the 184-yard shot with his 7-iron while on his way to a 2-under finish for the round.
“Anytime you make a hole-in-one it’s special, but when you get to win a car, it’s so much better, Zalatoris said. “It’s a memento for life for that ace. It’s one that we both get to enjoy too.”
Zalatoris, who leaped into the arms of his caddie, Joel Stock, was handed the keys to a new Genesis GV80 while his caddie was awarded an Electrified GV70.
“We were just trying to hit it kind of right in the middle of that gap between the two bunkers. I just pulled it about 10 feet and it landed perfectly on the fringe and killed it. Lucky to go in,” Zalatoris said. “It was a nice little bonus.”
Zalatoris noted that he made five aces in 2020 but had gone through a dry spell of late and had been discussing with Stock that he was due.
“I was like I’m going to make one sooner or later,” Zalatoris said.
🚨 ACE ALERT 🚨
@WillZalatoris cards a 1️⃣ on Riviera's 184-yard par 3 14th hole @TheGenesisInv!(Presented by @CocaCola) pic.twitter.com/SEZUWMEBaC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 16, 2024
“He holed a shot from the fairway on 3 (a par 4) in the pro-am and he jokingly said, ‘The lid’s off now, so I guess it was,” said Stock, who previously drove a Chevy Tahoe.
Stock formerly caddied for pro Ben Crane when he made an ace at the Wyndham Championship and was awarded hotel points.
“He’s staying for free everywhere and he’s driving for free everywhere he wants to now, so pretty good,” Zalatoris said.
Scheffler's putter goes ice cold
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler suffered from another day of putting woes. It got so frustrating for the 27-year-old Texan that he smacked his putter and later heaved a ball into the woods at Riviera Country Club. Scheffler’s ball striking remained sublime. He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green this week despite ranking 59th in proximity through two rounds.
On Friday, he made two birdies and an eagle at 11, but lipped out a bogey putt from 3 feet, 7 inches at 15. He signed for 1-under 70 and a 36-hole total of 4-under 138, which left him T-11.
But the putting woes continued on Friday. Scheffler ranks 68th in the 69-man field in SG: Putting. What could be if only the putter were to warm up. Still, never count out Scheffler to make a weekend run as he did last week in Phoenix before the putter let him down.
We the North
Last week, Nick Taylor won for O, Canada. Could we see another Canuck lifting the trophy on Sunday? Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners both shot 65 on Friday at Riviera and are in the hunt.
Riviera is nicknamed Hogan’s Alley for the success that Ben Hogan, one of the great ball strikers, had at the course. Conners is one of the top ball strikers on the PGA Tour these days. Asked if Riviera is a “Corey Conners course,” he said, “I definitely feel good. My record here is just horrendous, but I do love the golf course, I think it sets up well for me,” said Conners, who improved to 7-under 135, and alone in fifth place. “Looking forward to the challenge that’s ahead the next two days.”
So, too, is Hughes.
“I think when you play the par 5s well, you can build a round off that,” he said after 65 to improve to 8-under 134 (T-2) with Luke List and Jason Day. “I think that’s kind of the key to this place. They’re all reachable. The wind on 17’s favorable downwind so that’s a huge priority is kind of taking care of those par 5s because there’s a handful of par 4s out here that are really tough pars.”
Added Hughes: “This is probably my favorite golf course on Tour, so yeah, to have a chance to play it twice on the weekend and have a chance to win, can’t ask for much more.”
Both said that seeing Taylor win last week at TPC Scottsdale motivated them that they could get back to the winner’s circle too.
“What he did down the stretch there [on Sunday] was, yeah, super inspiring for me,” Hughes said. “I come here this week feeling like yeah, he’s given me a little boost of inspiration to kind of go chase him down.”
WD's, DQ's and MCs
It was Freaky Friday at Riviera.
First, Tiger Woods withdrew on the seventh hole citing illness. Later, his team informed the media that he was dealing with flu-like symptoms. Full story here.
Then, Jordan Spieth was disqualified for signing for an incorrect scorecard. He posted a second-round 2-over 73 but wrote down a 3 when he made a 4 on the par-3 fourth hole at Riviera. Full story here.
Others were headed home for missing the cut, which fell at 1-over 143, including Justin Thomas and Matt Fitzpatrick. Full story here.
Xander Schauffele, on the other hand, extended his cuts made streak to 40. Max Homa, the 2021 champ, rallied on Friday with 65 to improve to 4-under 138 (T-11), as did Cameron Young, who made nine birdies in his 66 (T-11). Rory McIlroy posted 66 to and improved to 2-under 140. Congrats to Chase Johnson, the Charlie Sifford exemption winner, who made the weekend at even-par 142 (T-42). And kudos to Gary Woodland (T-42), who made his first cut in four starts since returning to play after brain surgery in September.
