– Davis Thompson (-8) is the leader of the Genesis Invitational after the second round. A brilliant card of 66 strokes has catapulted him into the star match on Saturday at a South course of Torrey Pines less fierce than Thursday, but by no means easy: the rain has given a respite, it has been less cold, and even the wind has blown less over this beautiful corner of San Diego, but the rough remains a formidable enemy. In the end, be careful, there are still not twenty players who have beaten the course in the aggregate of the two rounds.
– This young man born in Atlanta (he is 25 years old), the hometown of Bobby Jones, deserves all the credit in the world in his third season on the PGA Tour. He continues his path, step by step, having won last year (John Deere) and is a really consistent player who has strengthened his position in the top 50 worldwide or nearby. But surely he understands that the spotlight has already blatantly turned towards the World Numbers 1 and 3, Scottie Scheffler (-7) and Rory McIlroy (-5)…
– Rory won at Pebble Beach in his first appearance of the year on the PGA Tour and, after listening to him in the winner’s press conference, it was not necessary to read too much between the lines to realize that he is willing to give a serious response to the great dominator of world golf over the last two years. He pointed it out with great respect and even with humility, also noting that he had been paying a lot of attention to the Texan lately, precisely to incorporate some of the virtues that adorn his game and competitive capacity. Everyone is unique, but the Northern Irishman had taken note, above all, of three aspects: staying patient, improving strategy on the course, and refining the short game to perfection. In the first round, he stayed patient and within the tournament’s radar with a hard-fought round at par. Today he saw the opportunity to take a bite out of Torrey Pines and did so. Rory warned at Pebble: “perhaps from now on, I might be a slightly more boring player”… The truth is that Rory never is: today he hit the longest drive of the day (325 meters) and, despite hitting only six fairways, he made up to seven birdies (round of 67 strokes with two bogeys).
– Scottie also worked magic from the wild rough. He hit one more fairway than Rory, but went to the hotel without a single bogey, an impossible mission on this course. So impossible that only he executed it successfully today: he was the only player with a spotless card, free of bogeys (round of 67). The Texan was not very happy yet with his swing, and in fact, his numbers from tee to green were not precisely imperial, but today he was brilliant around the green. He seems more than willing to prove that those last nine holes on Sunday in Phoenix were nothing more than a mere accident.
Eagle from the bunker 🤩
Scottie Scheffler holes it from the sand to tie the lead.
📺 Golf Channel pic.twitter.com/Tc00M57dMu
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 14, 2025
– For now, these two giants will not meet in the same match. Denny McCarthy (-6) has gallantly defended his position and candidacy, and some others like Ludvig Aberg (-4) have also positioned themselves well for the weekend. Tomorrow, Saturday, in any case, a tasty appetizer has been arranged, with Scheffler in the last match alongside Thompson and Rory in the penultimate one alongside McCarthy. Perhaps on Sunday, the desired pairing will happen if the golf gods are magnanimous and heed the people’s demand. Or, rather, if Scottie and Rory keep pushing as they did today. Let’s trust them more than the gods.
– The cut (blessed cut, though it hurts) has left us with some surprises. For example, the small setback of a good part of the European contingent present at this Signature Event. Players like Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland, Sepp Straka, Robert MacIntyre, or Rasmus Hojgaard have been left out and, therefore, without the juicy possibility of earning Ryder points in a tournament where a lot are distributed. Thomas Detry (+3) and Matthieu Pavon (+4), however, did manage to get in with strong finishes to their rounds. Jordan Spieth, Max Homa, Sungjae Im, or Cameron Young, among others, have also been left out.
