PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — The Genesis Invitational started with all of the top-10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking headlining a stacked lineup.
After 36 holes, nine of them have moved on to the weekend, with only the No. 6-ranked player heading home early from the venerable Riviera Country Club, the final stop on the PGA Tour’s 2022 West Coast Swing.
Three others in the top ten—Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantlay and Hideki Matsuyama—made the cut on the number, which came in at even par. Rahm buried a six-footer for par on 18 to make but he did see his streak of 34 consecutive rounds of par or better come to an end after shooting a 73.
Here’s a closer look at some of the big names slamming their trunks on their courtesy cars before the sun sets on Sunset Boulevard.
Dustin Johnson, ranked sixth in the world, opened with a 73 and couldn’t rebound on day 2, posting a 71 to finish 2 over after 36 holes. He had two bogeys and a double bogey each day. He did finish with four birdies on his last nine holes but it wasn’t enough.
Michael Brennan, who on Monday became the second Wake Forest golfer to win the Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase and thereby earn a spot in the field, shot 71-73 to miss the cut by two strokes. Brennan shot a 66 in the Showcase on the first day he ever played Riviera Country Club.
The 2018 winner of the then-Genesis Open will have to wait at least another year for an opportunity to win again at Riviera Country Club. Bubba Watson birdied Riviera’s three par-5s on Thursday but parred them all on Friday. His scores of 70-74 mean he missed the cut by two shots. Watson tied for 14th at the WM Phoenix Open in his only other official start of the 2021-22 season.
Fresh off a tie for third at the WM Phoenix Open, Brooks Koepka just didn’t quite have it this week at the Riv, posting scores of 71-74 to finish 3 over. His scorecard Friday was littered with five bogeys and just two birdies.
A year ago, Sam Burns tied the 36-hole mark and led by five after two rounds. After a windy third round, he still led by two but fell short of victory as Max Homa won a playoff. This time out, Burns shot even par Thursday but posted a 75 on Friday to miss the cut.
Patrick Reed assured that two members of the Cantlay-Koepka-Reed threesome would miss the weekend at Riviera. Reed shot 77 on Thursday, digging himself too deep a hole to get out of. He had five bogeys and a triple during his first 18 holes. On Friday, he posted a 71 to finish 6 over, missing the cut by six shots.