The clouds may have been out at The Riviera Country Club for the third round of the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational, but that didn’t stop golf’s top players from playing their best game. At the start of the day, it seemed world No. 7 Patrick Cantlay, a Long Beach native, was going to run away with the win, but things quickly turned around. After a less-than-stellar day for Cantlay, he is now at risk of losing the tournament as his five-stroke lead was cut down to two.
Cantlay, who played at Riviera multiple times while at UCLA, sits 14 under par and seemed to have a sort of home-field advantage the first two days, but that wasn’t the case Saturday. In the first round , he finished 7 under par; he was 6 under in the second. Today, Cantlay barely broke par, totaling a 1-under 70. His ultimate downfall came down to his approaches
Cantlay struggled to get in a good position to knock the ball in the cup from short range, which led to only three birdies and the most bogeys he’s had in any round of this tournament. Despite underperforming compared to the last two rounds, Cantlay doesn’t seem concerned and is still confident he can take home the win.
“I had a year not too long ago where it felt like every close call went my way, and lately it hasn’t been like that the last year or so,” Cantlay said. “I played solid golf today; I didn’t make any long putts or anything. Didn’t really give myself too many chances. All in all, a solid day and in a good position for tomorrow,”
Cantlay has the mindset to win in familiar territory, but he will also be facing off against a familiar foe, as he is paired with good friend and world No. 5, Xander Schauffele. The two know each other’s game very well, as they often practice and play together in addition to getting dinner together. They are also no strangers to finishing tournaments together, as this is the third time Cantlay and Schauffele will face off against each other in a tournament final round. Their record against each other is currently 1-1 in those matchups, but Cantlay hopes tomorrow he will take the advantage in their rivalry.
“It won’t be anything out of the usual,” Cantlay said. “We’ve had a few final rounds together, so should be a comfortable pairing, I’m looking forward to it. So, hopefully I can get the edge tomorrow.”
Cantlay has the lead against his close friend, but the momentum has certainly shifted into Schauffele’s favor, who ended the day 12 strokes under par. The two had nearly opposite rounds on their path to the final day. Cantlay’s worst round was Schauffele’s best, and vice versa. Today, Schauffele’s comeback started right away by eagleing the first hole. The rest of the front nine saw only pars, but in the back nine, he made his move. Schauffele sank two birdies on the 10th and 11th holes, then closed the round with two more birdies in a row.
The rivalry match will come down to putting, as both men are superb with drivers and irons. Schauffele will need to play some catch-up though, as he still sits two strokes behind Cantlay. Luckily for Schauffele, that doesn’t seem to be an issue. He has gone 36 holes without a bogey, while Cantlay leads the tournament in strokes gained. Even with momentum on his side, Schauffele knows Sunday will still be a tough day, but he believes he can still get the win.
“I feel like if I can just keep doing what I’m doing, get some pressure on Pat, that is the most important thing. There’s just going to be a certain amount of self-belief that needs to go in,” Schauffele said. “The beautiful thing about the PGA Tour, anyone can win any week, and there’s a lot of stories that go around. People love the Cinderella story.”
Cantlay against Schauffele may be the biggest story going into Sunday, but it’s important not to exclude a wild card in Will Zalatoris, also in second place at 12 under par. Zalatoris won’t be playing in the same group as Cantlay and Schauffele, but he could play spoiler in their big rivalry match.
Zalatoris wasn’t able to replicate his ace from Friday, but he still had a stellar day on the greens and fairways. He knocked in birdies left and right, finishing the day 6 under par with a total of seven birdies. Not to mention, Zalatoris is currently tied for the most birdies and tops the field in strokes gained approaching the green. Zalatoris looks to complete a comeback story and win his first tournament since his April 2023 back surgery.
“This is what I’ve missed. … Enjoy being at one of my favorite golf courses we play on tour,” Zalatoris said. “If anything, whatever happens tomorrow, it is what it is, but I’m really excited of where I’m trending. We don’t need to overwork or overthink things; it’s just commit to what we’re doing and see what it adds up to.”
Cantlay aims to take home his first win this season at the Genesis Invitational, but Schauffele and Zalatoris are right on his tail, only two strokes behind. The three will end the tournament Sunday with the final tee times at 11:04 and 11:15 a.m.