The Riviera Country Club was a monster on Saturday in the third round of the Genesis Invitational, and most of the tournament leaders had a benign version of what could have been. The game was suspended early in the afternoon after the wind started to throw golf balls across the lawn, but even when the gales calmed down and players were brought back after a four-hour delay, the course average rose to more than 73.
Part of what makes Riviera such a good track is that it brings a lot of variation to each hole. While normal PGA Tour courses rarely deviate from a birdie-bogey variation, the double appears to be at play on most holes on the Riviera (all but two holes have seen doubles so far this week).
Sam Burns navigated this danger as well as anyone (more on that below). He was part of the contingent that did not end because of Saturday’s darkness, but his position on Sunday is similar to his position on Saturday. He is on the field and trying to close the first PGA Tour victory of his career on a golf course that is playing similar to a major championship.
Let’s take a look at his round, where he is and who he will be chasing on Sunday.
1. Sam Burns (-10 to 13): When the third round ends Sunday morning on the Riviera, Burns will probably have achieved something it didn’t happen 50 years ago leading immediately after each of the first three rounds here. The bad news for him is that he has some of the best players of his (or any) generation on his trail, with just over a round to go until the end of the event and he didn’t close Saturday’s round very well. He was a live favorite most of the day, according to the William Hill Sportsbook, but he is putting together a very hot taco. It would not be surprising to see him pass out on Sunday, although it is a terrible place for him to win victory # 1. Besides, if his short game is like that on Sunday, everything is settled.
2. Matthew Fitzpatrick (-8 to 17): The Englishman led the field with strokes won from tee to green on Saturday, and his short game is always sublime. I always go back to his weekend at Memorial when he shot 68 on Sunday, when no one else on the field broke 70. Remember that if he tries to escape in the final round.
T3. Dustin Johnson (-7 to 13): It would be beneficial for Burns if DJ did not join the final group when everyone finished the third round on Sunday morning. DJ leads the field in strokes won from tee to green, and it looks like he’s only been wandering the field for three days, but is now in a prime position to win this tournament for the second time in five years.
T3. Max Homa (-7 to 13): He hit a 3 on the 10th on Saturday, which made me laugh out loud. As significant as it was for him to win the Wells Fargo championship a few years ago, I can’t imagine how important it would be for him to win in Los Angeles. The subhistory here is that Homa has quietly turned into a legitimate candidate at major events almost on an incredibly consistent basis.
6. Patrick Cantlay (-6 to 16): It is not surprising that Cantlay is playing well. He’s been doing well, has a history here and is an elite striker. Only a handful of players did better from the tee to the green this week, and he is the most likely to hit 64 just ahead of the leaders and steal one.
T12. Jordan Spieth (-4 to 15): Spieth passed out a little late on Saturday and is in danger of ending his run of 11 consecutive rounds, in which he won strokes on the field with his iron game. It will take a very special Sunday (especially with his club) to chase Burns and hold DJ and Cantlay, but a third consecutive result in the top five is definitely on the table.