McIlroy lurking at Riviera: 'There’s no Pacific Ocean to hit it into around this golf course'
Rory McIlroy during last year’s US Open. Picture: USGA
Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods couldn’t do it, but Masters champion Rory McIlroy avoided the big numbers that cost him at Pebble Beach to move ominously into contention to win the Genesis Invitational at historic Riviera Country Club.
Combining brilliant ball-striking with a sensational putter, making 174 feet of putts over the first two days, the world number two added a six-under 65 to his opening 66 to lurk just one stroke behind rookie Marco Penge and up-and-coming South Carolinian Jacob Bridgeman at halfway.
The cream came to the top on Friday at the Pacific Palisades track, softened by heavy rain earlier in the week but featuring lightning-fast and pitched greens that make it one of the more fascinating PGA Tour tests.
Shane Lowry continued his promising early-season form, especially with the irons, carding a 68 to make the level-par cut with a shot to spare and share 33rd.
Scottie Scheffler extended the longest active streak on the PGA Tour when he finished off a three-over 74 in the morning before adding a 68 in the afternoon courtesy of a knee-knocking seven-footer for par at the last.
At level par, it remains to be seen if the world number one can rack up a 19th successive top 10 finish at a course that has suited Masters winners.
At the top of the leaderboard, there are a host of thoroughbreds threatening to catch Penge and Bridgeman, who shot seven-under 64s to lead by a shot on 12-under par from a brilliant McIlroy.
The Holywood star made three double bogeys and a triple bogey at Pebble Beach, but he’s made just one bogey in 36 holes so far at Riviera.
A four at the short 16th cost him in round one but he kept a clean card last night, combining at eagle at the 11th with birdie fours at the first and 17th with twos at the fourth and sixth.
Tellingly, he has nothing worse than a four on the card so far this week.
“There’s no Pacific Ocean to hit it into around this golf course, so that helps,” McIlroy said after his bogey-free 65.
“It’s a different type of golf this week, different setup. I still hit some loose shots, but the course setup is in a way that you can get away with it a little bit more
“I still hit some loose shots, but the course setup is in a way that you can get away with it a little bit more.
“But I've hit it well, I've controlled my distance well for the most part, and I've holed some nice putts from sort of inside eight feet for pars when I've needed to.”
Lanny Wadkins' 41-year-old record aggregate of 20 under par now looks in danger, but it will be a challenge for McIlroy and the chasing pack to catch the leaders.
Penge, who earned his card via the DP World Tour last year, made seven birdies in a bogey-free 64 to grab his first PGA Tour lead, having started his US campaign with two missed cuts and a tie for 64th at Pebble Beach.
A brilliant putter, Bridgeman is also making his debut at Riviera, and after finishing tied for fourth at the Sony Open in Hawaii and tied eighth at Pebble Beach, he’s knocking on the door for his maiden win.
Two-time champion Adam Scott joined Xander Schauffele (65) in a tie for fourth after a 63 that threatened at one stage to match Ted Tryba’s 1999 course record of 61.
“I have a slight sour taste after coming off the last there, but it’s probably my best,” Scott said after a bogey at the 18th.
“I actually couldn’t really believe it through 13, I think I was nine (under). I don’t even imagine that going out there.”
The Australian (45) had eagles at the first and 11th and another seven birdies before losing momentum coming home,
Former Open and PGA champion Schauffele shot 65 and asked if he’d prefer to see the event move to August, he said: “I just love playing here. If it’s damp or dry or moist, yeah, I’ll be here to compete. I enjoy playing Riviera.”
As for Scheffler, who has started 73, 72, 74 in his last three starts before rallying, he was at a loss to explain his recent Thursday blues.
“I mean, I would not say anything in particular,” he said. “I think in both the last two, teeing off late is never the easiest and I've gotten off to slow starts.
"Like teeing off yesterday when we did, was pretty challenging around this golf course.
“I mean, the wind and with how soft the greens were and how bumpy they can get along with wind and they're fast, if it was last week it would have been easier because you can kind of at least try to jam it in.
"Here it's like you can't -- you don't want to have another three, three and a half feet coming back.
“It was nice to get out this morning on some fresh greens and hole some putts and do what I needed to do in order to get to the weekend.”
