17 hours Ago By Associated Press
SAN DIEGO — Denny McCarthy ended a miserable day in a most brilliant manner Thursday (Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, PH time) at the Genesis Invitational, closing birdie-eagle for a 4-under 68 on a Torrey Pines course that more than lived up to its reputation as a beast. McCarthy had a one-shot lead over Seamus Power and Patrick Rodgers.
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who is starting to find his groove after a late start, missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and was in the group at 70. The best preparation for McCarthy and a few others was the pro-am.
It was cold and wet for that, too, and he knew what to expect. “I came out with the attitude that I was just going to have fun and try to embrace it as much as I could,” McCarthy said, who is still trying to win for the first time on the PGA Tour. McCarthy was coming off a bogey on the par-3 16th when he holed a 25-foot birdie putt, and then switched to a 3-wood for his second shot on the par-5 closing hole to a back right pin.
The ball rolled up to 7 feet for his eagle putt. The Genesis Invitational relocated this year from Riviera to the fearsome South course at Torrey Pines because of the LA wildfires that leveled so much of Pacific Palisades. It was a good choice because it was tournament-ready from having hosted the Farmers Insurance Open three weeks ago.
And it has a connection to Tiger Woods, the tournament host, whose eight Torrey Pines victories as a pro include a U.S. Open.
Torrey has hosted two U.S. Opens and played as though it could host another one in a moment’s notice.
Even on soft greens from a steady rain, just three players broke 70 and only 10 others managed to break par. / AP.
