Rory McIlroy to pair up with Scottie Scheffler as big guns bid to overturn five-shot gap on Genesis Invitational leader Patrick Rodgers
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and world number one Scottie Scheffler will tackle the Genesis Invitational final round with a tee-off time much earlier than either had planned for Sunday in San Diego.
Both sitting in a five-strong group tied eighth after the third round, the two high-profile names start at 6.20pm (UK time) aiming to close a five-shot gap on leader Patrick Rodgers.
Scheffler posted 76 on Saturday, with McIlroy’s 74 featuring bogey blues on the sixth and eighth holes before a double bogey on the 16th.
Birdies across the ninth and 18th offered positives.
And some measure of progress overall across the par-five holes on the sixth, ninth, 13th and 18th which caused him frustration across the two previous Torrey Pines rounds.
He went Saturday with a tally of two birdies from the eight par-five tests to date.
Rodgers carded a four-under 68 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Genesis Invitational.
The American picked up two shots on the front nine and three down the stretch before finishing with a bogey on the par-five 18th to head to the clubhouse on eight under.
Rodgers leads by one from compatriot Denny McCarthy, as he searches for his maiden PGA Tour victory.
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg sits two shots back in outright third, thanks largely to an ace on the 140-yard par-three third.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood is among four players still in the hunt on four-under par, alongside Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay and Davis Thompson.
“It felt like early in my career with the amateur resume that I had, I felt like there was a lot expected of myself internally," Rodgers said on the official PGA Tour website following his penultimate round. "And it was something where when immediate success, immediate wins didn’t come straight away, it was kind of fighting who I saw myself to be.
“So instead of playing with a monkey on your back that gets bigger and bigger over time when it doesn’t happen, I’m trying to play from a perspective that feels fresh and new and exciting and full of opportunity.
"Because that’s what this game is, and I have a great one tomorrow.”