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 staff occasions, roommates on the street, shut mates who take holidays along with their wives, and extra apply rounds than they’ll depend.
Sunday at Riviera may have some familiarity to it with one exception: They’ve by no means competed in opposition to one another with $4 million on the road.
Cantlay was stable as ever Saturday within the Genesis Invitational till a smooth bogey towards the top 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 event during 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 12 months after again surgical procedure, and now he has an opportunity to point out he is all the best way again.
“Being in competition, 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 all the things collectively, it simply appears that manner.
“We play most apply rounds collectively and we play so much at residence. It will not be something out of the standard,” Cantlay mentioned.
They’ve been within the remaining group twice and it is a draw — Cantlay acquired the most effective of him on the BMW Championship in 2022 at Wilmington Nation Membership, whereas Schauffele gained earlier that summer season on the Vacationers Championship.
This might be their twenty first time enjoying collectively on the PGA Tour, to associate with 13 occasions 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, however it awards $4 million (up from $3.6 million) as a player-hosted occasion. Woods may not be round to current the trophy, confirming on X he had influenza, the reason for him withdrawing Friday.
“Once we play on Mondays and Tuesdays we’re attempting to beat one another,” Schauffele mentioned. “I feel the one time we’re actually rooting exhausting for one another is after we’re enjoying staff occasions. I am rooting for myself tougher than anybody else and similar goes for him. However after all I might wish to see him do nicely, however after we’re within the remaining group collectively it is fairly apparent what we’re attempting to do.”
Cantlay lastly missed a putt inside 10 ft, this one for par on the third gap, however was in any other case stable on an overcast afternoon at Riviera. He saved a troublesome par on the tenth when his chip rolled off the inexperienced and added birdies on the eleventh and thirteenth.
“I performed stable golf as we speak,” Cantlay mentioned. “I did not make any lengthy putts or something. Did not actually give myself too many possibilities, however all in all a stable day and in good place for tomorrow.”
However he misplaced somewhat of his cushion, significantly 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 correct 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 brief par-4 tenth and a tee shot to 7 ft on the par-3 sixteenth.
Zalatoris, who missed most of final 12 months 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 competition with 5 birdies over his 10 holes for a 65.
Luke Listing (68) was three photographs behind, whereas Harris English (65) and Jason Day (69) had been one other shot again going into the ultimate spherical.
Nobody else was nearer than 5.
Cantlay is attempting to hitch Max Homa (2021) and John Merrick (2013) as gamers from the better Los Angeles space attempting to win what quantities to a hometown occasion. Cantlay gained the Zozo Championship at Sherwood in Thousand Oaks, about 35 miles to the north, when the event was moved to California in the course of the pandemic.
However Riviera is particular.
“Being from southern California, it is one of many tournaments on the record that I might wish to win essentially the most,” Cantlay mentioned.
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