PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Max Homa described his second round in one word: scrappy.
“It was pretty fun to rely on my short game and have it bail me out,” he said. “I’ve been working hard to make a weakness to at least be average. To have it be a strength today was awesome.”
Homa made six birdies en route to shooting 3-under 68 at Riviera Country Club on Friday, his 13th consecutive round at par or better at The Genesis Invitational. He improved to a 36-hole total of 10-under 132 and a one-stroke lead over Keith Mitchell and Jon Rahm.
After an early birdie at the third, Homa made bogeys at six and eight, but bounced back to make four birdies in a five-hole stretch.
“I’m doing a good job of not dwelling on bogeys and thinking my golf game’s not there,” he said. “I thought I did a great job on the front nine knowing that I was going to play better.”
The lone non-birdie between Nos. 9 and 13 may have been the best of all as he rescued par from a fried-egg lie in the front bunker.
“I deserved it, but oddly enough, if that wouldn’t have plugged and gone back in the middle of the bunker, I don’t think I could have gotten it as close,” Homa said. “So it was probably a lucky break, oddly enough.”
HOW?!@MaxHoma23 with the par save of the day @TheGenesisInv. pic.twitter.com/sfR3TIgMuE
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 18, 2023
Through 36 holes, Homa, who won this event in 2021, is leading the field in putting, gaining more than three strokes in each round so far.
“I think I see the bumps on the poa annua green and I don’t cringe, doesn’t give me the shivers, I enjoy it,” he said. “I know people are going to get frustrated and I like that in a competition.”
Homa enjoyed his first share of an 18-hole lead and he was proud that he was able to build on that on Friday.
“I kind of feel like I should be doing this when I’m playing well, and I am playing well,” he said. “Yeah, it’s exciting, 36-hole leads are awesome. Like I said, there’s a long way to go, but regardless, I can rest on the fact I’m playing great golf and I’m just going to try and do that for two more days.”
John Rahm can’t wait to be in the next compilation video of luckiest bounces.
“I will be in it, yeah. I hope it’s in it,” he said. “If anything beats that, I’ll be very surprised.”
Rahm tried to cut a 5-wood from 270 yards up the hill at the par-5 17th hole and ended up flaring it out to the right and into the grandstand that surrounds the green. His ball banked off the railing and skirted on to the green and stopping inside 4 feet from the hole to set up his second eagle of the day.
“I was just hoping it would bounce off into the bunker and give myself a decent chance of an up-and-down for birdie. Obviously I got very fortunate to get that bounce not only to go on the green, but to have basically three feet straight up the hill. That’s arguably the best bounce I’ve seen in person my whole golf career and it would be hard to beat in the future,” he said.
Jon Rahm nearly banks it in on the par-5 17th and makes eagle:pic.twitter.com/lbYnq3IgNj
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) February 18, 2023
“Had the grandstands not been there, I would have had a very difficult up and down,” Rahm added. “Not that it’s impossible, but it would have been very difficult. There’s almost a little hint of embarrassment because come on, that is very, very lucky, but I feel like as a golfers we get plenty of bad breaks in our lifetime, to get one of those we should cherish it because I won’t see something like this in a long time.”
Rahm also made eagle at the first but then sprinkled three bogeys on his card on the front nine before rallying to shoot 3-under 68 and a share of second. But it was the lucky break at 17 that he will long remember.
“For those wondering, no, did I not call bank,” he said. “I don’t think anybody calls bank in that situation.”
Keith Mitchell hits from the second hole tee during the second round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Keith Mitchell is back at the Genesis Invitational for the first time since 2019. That year he missed the cut in his only appearance. This trip is off to a pretty good start as he’s shot 9-under 133 to head into the weekend trailing Homa by a stroke and in a tie for second with Rahm.
Given his strong play in which he followed up Thursday’s 64 with a 2-under 69, Mitchell was asked why he had skipped the tournament the last three years.
“I love this place,” he said. “People ask what’s your favorite golf course on Tour and Riv’s always at the top of the list. Scheduling’s been tough. After winning Honda (in 2019), I always scheduled around that tournament. Unfortunately, I had to skip this one because of that. So glad to be back, though. I knew this golf course was incredible and all the guys loved it. To be back here and play well is awesome.”
Mitchell, who is seeking his first win on Tour since his lone title at the Honda Classic nearly four years, has been rolling his rock. He’s needed just 49 putts through 36 holes, his first time with less than 50 putts through 36 holes at any Tour event. And he’s done that wearing his trademark visor, which he’s bringing back into vogue.
“I’ve always had a visor prior,” he said. “I went to a hat for a little bit I guess my first couple years out here, but it’s nice to be back in a visor. My dad always wore a visor, so I kind of stole it from him.”
Colin Morikawa reacts after making birdie on his approach shot on the third hole green during the second round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Collin Morikawa used a couple of hole-outs from off the green to spark a round of 3-under 68. The SoCal native is T-5 at 8-under 134 heading into the third round, just a year after finishing T-2. He’s seeking his first win since the 2021 British Open.
Morikawa is in contention again in part because his short game has been on point this week. He ranks first in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, gaining more than three strokes on the field in the second round alone.
“It’s really nice, but you know what, it’s a little frustrating just not hitting more greens,” said Morikawa, who has hit 24 of 36 greens through 36 holes. “You know, coming into the week, the ball-striking still felt fine even after last week. I knew it was going to be a small little fix, just haven’t found it. Want to make it a little more stress free and just a little more enjoyable.”
But talking about the two hole outs in a three-hole span from off the green did bring a smile to his face.
“One was a chip, one was a putt,” he said. “Yeah, the one on 3 was a lot better than the one on 5. On 5 was the putt.”
Tiger Woods plays his shot on the twelfth hole fairway during the second round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Thanks to a bogey-bogey finish on Friday morning, Tiger Woods has been sweating out the cutline and while his chances look good, he’ll have to wait for 14 players to complete their second rounds when play is scheduled to resume at 7:10 a.m. Saturday.
Woods is currently T-60 with 10 other players. Top 65 and ties will advance to play the final 36 holes.
Xander Schauffele looked to be heading home for the weekend but he holed out from 173 yards for eagle at the par-5 17th and made par at the last to shoot 74 and should be safe, too, projected inside the cutline at 1-over 143.
Third-round tee times will be in threesomes off Nos. 1 and 10 tees from approximately 8:40 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
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