Marco Penge and Jacob Bridgeman tied for the lead at the Genesis Invitational.
LOS ANGELES — Marco Penge and Jacob Bridgeman delivered impressive performances at Riviera on Friday, each carding a 7-under 64 that placed them in a tie for the lead at the Genesis Invitational, with Rory McIlroy closely trailing behind.
For Scottie Scheffler, the goal was simply to make it to the weekend. He achieved this by the narrowest of margins, sinking a 7-foot par putt that just managed to catch the edge and drop in.
Penge, the top player from the European tour to earn a PGA Tour card this year, surged ahead with five birdies over his last seven holes, becoming the first to reach 12-under 130. More noteworthy than his score was his focus on golf, as his wife is moving into their new home in Florida and is expecting their second child next week.
“It’s been quite challenging, to be honest, the last four weeks for me and my family,” Penge stated. “She’s been in the U.S. by herself, heavily pregnant, taking care of a 1½-year-old without any family or friends around.”
“It’s felt a bit like a gamble for me to go compete while leaving her alone.”
Bridgeman only played at Riviera for the first time on Wednesday due to rain. He birdied his final three holes, concluding with a 5-iron into a cool breeze that landed 8 feet from the pin to tie with Penge.
The former Clemson standout has developed an appreciation for poa annua, the type of grass that becomes uneven with spikes and footprints and grows more in the late afternoon, which can be quite daunting on short par putts when the greens are this quick.
Joe Greiner, a caddie in his group, even inquired, “Are you sure you’re not from the West Coast?”
“It’s surprising how soft and fast they are,” Bridgeman remarked. “I think two or three times today I hit it 6 feet past the hole and was just like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe they’re that fast,’ because you can hit a 5-iron and it will spin back. This is probably the most pristine poa annua I’ve ever encountered.”
McIlroy has started with rounds of 66-65 and has recorded only one bogey over 36 holes, a significant contrast to last week at Pebble Beach, where he had three double bogeys and a triple bogey that derailed his chances of contention.
He played the three par 5s with two birdies and an eagle on the 11th, and he birdied the par-3 fourth for the second consecutive day. The hole was extended to 273 yards, which McIlroy described as a “horrible change” at the beginning of the year. The PGA Tour has yet to utilize that tee.
The most significant adjustment was avoiding mistakes during his round.
“There’s no Pacific Ocean to hit into around this golf course, so that helps,” McIlroy noted. “I still hit some loose shots, but the course setup allows for a bit more leeway. However, I’ve struck the ball well, controlled my distance effectively for the most part, and made some important putts from inside 8 feet for pars when necessary.”
Xander Schauffele showed further improvement with a 65, leaving him three shots back, alongside two-time Riviera champion Adam Scott, who recorded the day’s lowest round at 63. Scott was 9 under through 13 holes before spending the final hour scrambling for par, only failing to do so on the last hole.
This tournament is one of three signature events that features a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties, as well as anyone within 10 shots of the lead.
