– Indeed, many of us were longing for a summit duel between Scheffler and McIlroy, with the triumph at the Genesis Invitational at stake. But both faltered on the third day and are left with little room for manoeuvre, starting five shots behind the leader on Sunday’s round…
Starting together, by the way. They will do so almost an hour before the leading match (they will tee off on the 1st tee of the South course at Torrey Pines at 19:20, Spanish peninsular time, and Patrick Rodgers and Denny McCarthy will do so at 20:15). This is much more than a great incentive for the final round of a wonderful tournament, epic in its toughness, formidable in its demands, where all the players’ skills and resources are tested at every step and to exhaustion. In which, on the other hand, the best, every day, are also able to find the reward of a low score.
– Scheffler, this Saturday, seemed anything but Scheffler: too many mistakes on a course that does not tolerate them and, moreover, failing too many times on the wrong side. Seeing is believing. Rory, simply, was let down by the putter. Yesterday he was the worst player on the course with that club in hand, according to the SG:Putting statistics (54th out of 54 players).
– The scores and the context. The best result of the week was the 66 signed by Ludvig Aberg and Davis Thompson on Friday. Would this score be enough for Rory and Scottie to aspire to victory? It would certainly force all the contenders, including the leader, to play under par in the final round, a situation that this week, on this course, cannot be taken for granted. It would be unusual for the World Number One and Number 3, or at least one of them, not to spice things up. In other words: it would be strange if they are not ahead today, tightening the screws and definitively forcing Rodgers to confront his ghosts.
– Rodgers is only 32 years old, but the wait is becoming eternal. He was that World Number One amateur who equalled Tiger’s eleven victories at Stanford University, so the expectations, sky-high, soon turned into nightmare spectres, and one thing led to another: the fact is he still hasn’t managed to win on the PGA Tour. He assures that today will be different. To put it simply: he finally feels ready and willing to grab those ghosts by the waist and dance to the tune set by the Scheffler, McIlroy, McCarthy, Aberg, Finau, Fleetwood or Cantlay who are entangling ahead.
– And since we’ve set the ghosts dancing, it would also be interesting to know what music is playing in Denny McCarthy‘s head, Rodgers’ partner in the leading match, because he too has yet to win on the PGA Tour in nearly two hundred appearances.
– There is another illustrious name looming on this epic Sunday horizon: Justin Thomas. Yesterday he signed a 69, has been improving all week, and after all, today he starts from the same point as Rory and Scottie, that -3 total. If we still grant the Texan and the Northern Irishman their share of the spotlight, let’s do the same for the Kentuckian.
– All the respect, honour, and glory to the Tiger, Palmer (deceased, but through his legacy), and Nicklaus, who demand and design truly challenging playing conditions in their tournaments. It is never a bad sign for competitive spectacle that pars are good and birdies can be celebrated like goals. Perhaps, if victorious in such a setting and circumstances, Rodgers will find the long wait worthwhile.
