Patrick Cantlay takes 2-shot lead into final round at Genesis

LOS ANGELES — Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele first competed at playing cards on the lengthy flight to Australia for the Presidents Cup. They turned companions in workforce occasions, roommates on the highway, shut buddies who take holidays along with their wives, and extra observe rounds than they’ll depend.

Sunday at Riviera could have some familiarity to it with one exception: They’ve by no means competed towards one another with $4 million on the road.

Cantlay was strong as ever Saturday within the Genesis Invitational till a comfortable bogey towards the tip of the spherical that successfully minimize his lead in half. He was main by 4 photographs many of the again 9 till his mistake on the par-5 seventeenth and robust finishes by Schauffele and Will Zalatoris.

Cantlay settled for a 1-under 70, giving him a two-shot lead over Schauffele and Zalatoris, who every birdied the sixteenth and seventeenth holes for 65s.

For a match through which host Tiger Woods withdrew with the flu and Jordan Spieth was disqualified for signing an incorrect card amidst his personal abdomen points, the ultimate spherical of this signature occasion has some attraction.

Zalatoris missed most of final yr after again surgical procedure, and now he has an opportunity to indicate he is all the best way again.

“Being in rivalry, that is how you discover out the place you are at,” he mentioned.

The ultimate group is Cantlay and Schauffele, a pair of Californians who are actually neighbors in Florida. They do not do the whole lot collectively, it simply appears that means.

“We play most observe rounds collectively and we play lots at house. It will not be something out of the same old,” Cantlay mentioned.

They’ve been within the last group twice and it is a draw — Cantlay received one of the best of him on the BMW Championship in 2022 at Wilmington Nation Membership, whereas Schauffele received earlier that summer season on the Vacationers Championship.

This can be their twenty first time taking part in collectively on the PGA Tour, to associate with 13 instances they’ve been companions within the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, and 12 rounds they performed collectively as companions within the Zurich Basic of New Orleans, profitable in 2022.

Cantlay, a UCLA alum who grew up 30 miles down the coast at Virginia Nation Membership, was at 14-under 199.

The Genesis Invitational has a $20 million purse like different signature occasions, nevertheless it awards $4 million (up from $3.6 million) as a player-hosted occasion. Woods won’t be round to current the trophy, confirming on X he had influenza, the reason for him withdrawing Friday.

“After we play on Mondays and Tuesdays we’re making an attempt to beat one another,” Schauffele mentioned. “I believe the one time we’re actually rooting arduous for one another is after we’re taking part in workforce occasions. I am rooting for myself tougher than anybody else and similar goes for him. However in fact I might wish to see him do properly, however after we’re within the last group collectively it is fairly apparent what we’re making an attempt to do.”

Cantlay lastly missed a putt inside 10 ft, this one for par on the third gap, however was in any other case strong on an overcast afternoon at Riviera. He saved a tricky par on the tenth when his chip rolled off the inexperienced and added birdies on the eleventh and thirteenth.

“I performed strong golf immediately,” Cantlay mentioned. “I did not make any lengthy putts or something. Did not actually give myself too many possibilities, however all in all a strong day and in good place for tomorrow.”

However he misplaced somewhat of his cushion, notably on the par-5 seventeenth, the second-easiest gap at Riviera that yielded solely two bogeys among the many 51 gamers who reached the weekend.

Cantlay discovered a fairway bunker to the proper off the tee, blasted out to wedge vary and his shot to a entrance pin got here off the inexperienced. He chipped weakly to fifteen ft and missed the par putt.

Schauffele opened with a 15-foot eagle putt on the par-5 first and was comparatively quiet till caring for the par 5s on the again and including birdies on the quick par-4 tenth and a tee shot to 7 ft on the par-3 sixteenth.

Zalatoris, who missed most of final yr recovering from again surgical procedure, already has one spotlight this week along with his hole-in-one Friday on the 14th that resulted in a automotive for him and his caddie. He zoomed into rivalry with 5 birdies over his 10 holes for a 65.

Luke List (68) was three photographs behind, whereas Harris English (65) and Jason Day (69) have been one other shot again going into the ultimate spherical.

Nobody else was nearer than 5.

Cantlay is making an attempt to hitch Max Homa (2021) and John Merrick (2013) as gamers from the larger Los Angeles space making an attempt to win what quantities to a hometown occasion. Cantlay received the Zozo Championship at Sherwood in Thousand Oaks, about 35 miles to the north, when the match was moved to California through the pandemic.

However Riviera is particular.

“Being from southern California, it is one of many tournaments on the listing that I might wish to win probably the most,” Cantlay mentioned.