Patrick Cantlay holds a two-stroke lead over Xander Schauffele and Will Zalatoris entering Sunday’s final round of the $20 million Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club, trying to complete a wire-to-wire victory.
The 31-year-old former UCLA star who played at the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach as a youth led by one stroke after Thursday’s first round and five after Friday’s second round. Cantlay shot a 1-under 70 Saturday to go to 14-under 199 for the PGA Tour tournament in Pacific Palisades.
Cantlay had played 22 consecutive bogey-free holes since bogeying the 16th hole Thursday, then bogeyed the third and 17th holes Saturday. He birdied the first, 11th and 13th holes.
“I played solid golf today,” Cantlay said Saturday. “I didn’t make any long putts or anything. Didn’t really give myself too many chances, but all in all a solid day and in good position for tomorrow.”
Cantlay is seeking his ninth PGA Tour victory and first since the 2022 BMW Championship. His PGA Tour victories include teaming with Schauffele to win the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Cantlay is the 11-10 favorite, Schauffele the second choice at 11-4 and Zalatoris the third choice at 9-2, according to BetMGM, an official betting operator of the PGA Tour.
“I see Pat’s still making birdies, so he looks like a tough man to beat right now,” said Schauffele, who was among four golfers shooting 6-under 65s Saturday, the day’s low round, along with Zalatoris, Harris English and Eric Cole.
Cantlay and Schauffele will play in the final twosome. They are set to tee off at 11:15 a.m.
Cantlay said he and Schauffele play most practice rounds together and “we play a lot at home” in Jupiter, Florida.
“It won’t be anything out of the usual,” Cantlay said.
Their friendship dates back to the 2019 Presidents Cup, when Fred Couples, an assistant captain of the U.S. team, “suggested that Xander and I play together,” Cantlay said Saturday.
“We played four matches together that week and we really became friends that week in Australia,” Cantlay said.
This will be the third time Cantlay and Schauffele play in the final group in the final round together in an individual stroke-play event on the PGA Tour.
Schauffele entered the final round of the Travelers Championship on June 26, 2022, with a one-stroke lead over Cantlay and fired a 2-under 68 at the TPC River Highlands course in Cromwell, Connecticut to win by two stokes over J.T. Poston and Sahith Theegala while Cantlay shot a 6-over 76 to finish among six golfers tying for 13th, nine strokes off the lead.
Cantlay had a one-stroke lead over Schauffele and Scott Stallings entering the final round of the BMW Championship Aug. 21, 2022, and shot a 2-under 69 at the Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware to win by one stroke over Stallings while Schauffele shot a even-par 71 to tie for third with Scottie Scheffler, three strokes off the lead.
This is the fifth time Cantlay has held a 54-hole lead or co-lead in an individual stroke-play event on the PGA Tour, not including the Tour Championship, where the player with the most FedEx Cup points leading into the tournament starts at 10 under par, the second most at 8-under and down to the 26th through 30th players who start at even par.
Cantlay has had two victories with a 54-hole lead or co-lead — the 2021 and 2022 BMW Championships.
Schauffele is a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, most recently in the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open, and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist.
Schauffele and Zalatoris were among three golfers tied for sixth entering Saturday’s play at 6-under 136, seven strokes behind Cantlay.
The bogey-free 65 was Schauffele’s career-low score in 27 career rounds at Riviera.
Schauffele began his round Saturday by eagling the par-5 first hole, shot eight consecutive pars, then birdied the 10th and 11th holes.
On the par-3, 151-yard 16th hole, Schauffele hit his tee shot 153 yards to the green, then sank a 6-foot, 11-inch putt for a birdie.
On the par-5, 569-yard 17th hole, Schauffele hit his tee shot 316 yards and second shot 274 yards, then two-putted from 62 feet, 1 inch for his second consecutive birdie and fourth in nine holes.
“To play good golf around Riviera you’ve got to sort of fire on all cylinders and been able to do that the last couple days,” said Schauffele, who has played his last 27 holes at 10-under with eight birdies, an eagle and no bogeys, after playing his first 27 in the tournament at 2-under with six birdies and four bogeys.
Zalatoris birdied the first, second, ninth, 10th, 11th and 16th and 17th holes Saturday and bogeyed the par-3 fourth hole.
“I got away with a couple of really bad tee shots today and ended up making a few birdies and a few really nice pars out of it,” said Zalatoris, who is playing on a sponsor’s exemption in the limited field event.
Zalatoris is playing in his fourth official PGA Tour event since undergoing back surgery last April. He missed the cut in last month’s Sony Open in Hawaii, tied for 34th in The American Express the following week and tied for 13th in the Farmers Insurance Open the week after that.
Zalatoris did not play the past two weeks.
Zalatoris was last in the field of 20 in the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event hosted by Tiger Woods, Nov. 30-Dec. 3. Woods is also the host of The Genesis Invitational.
“I’m really excited of where I’m trending,” the 27-year-old Zalatoris said. “No. 1 is always making sure that I’m peeking for the majors and I think we’re pretty far ahead of schedule.”
Luke List is in fourth at 11-under 202, three strokes off the lead, after shooting a 3-under 68 Saturday.
English and Jason Day are tied for fifth, four strokes off the lead at 10-under 203. Cole is among five golfers tied for 15th at 6-under 207, eight strokes off the lead.
The winner will receive $4 million.