Akshay Bhatia shot a Friday-best 6-under 66 and ascended to solo second on the Bay Hill Club leaderboard. He sits five strokes off leader Daniel Berger. Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy and Sahith Theegala all enjoyed strong second round performances at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
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Rory McIlroy is eschewing the Cognizant Classic in favor of a return to Augusta as he readies for his Masters title defense. Here’s a list of players who have committed to the first leg of the Tour’s “East Coast swing.”
After several months overhauling his training and diet, the 21-year-old, hard-hitting South African is down about 35 pounds from where he ended last season.
Scheffler’s opening 74 has him inside the cut line at Riviera, but eight shots off the lead, though he did birdie two holes after Friday’s first-round restart.
Highlights from the opening round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational, where weather caused a lengthy suspension, but Rory McIlroy found his way to the top of the leaderboard -- and Scottie Scheffler to the bottom of it.
Scottie Scheffler sits in a tie for last place with Keegan Bradley at the 2026 Genesis Invitational. Scheffler was 5-over par through 10 holes when play was suspended due to darkness at Riviera Country Club on Thursday. It’s the third straight week the world’s top-ranked player struggled in his opening round.
Hovland shot 2-under 69 Thursday at Riviera as he made nice progress with his driver, so much so that trees planted to stop him from playing No. 15 down No. 17 might not be enough.
With first-round play carrying over a day because of inclement weather, Todd Lewis says the PGA Tour is “very confident” Round 2 of the Genesis Invitational will be completed Friday.
Rory McIlroy and Jacob Bridgeman are tied in the clubhouse after shooting 5-under 66s but Aaron Rai has a stroke advantage with two more holes to play Friday morning at Riviera Country Club.
Rory McIlroy talked to Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis after his 5-under 66 in the first round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational. McIlroy said he’s hoping the wind will dry out the course and allow Riviera to play like Riviera can.
The par-3 sixth at Riviera Country Club has a bunker in the middle of the green. Rory McIlroy found himself on the wrong side of it Thursday, but played an expert chip shot -- on the green -- to save par.