World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot a 5-under 66 in the third round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational, cutting his deficit despite slow starts. He extended his cut streak with a back-nine charge in Round 2 and continues his top-10 run. Scheffler sits at 5-under, three shots from the top 10.
The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles began with challenging conditions on Thursday, February 20, 2026. Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1, struggled in Round 1, posting a 3-over 74 after going 5-over through 10 holes amid wind gusts exceeding 30 mph. His playing partner, Si Woo Kim, managed 3-under when play halted. Scheffler's issues included shots lost to the right and an uncharacteristic chip into a bunker on the drivable par-4 10th, followed by a lipped-out par putt.
This marked the third straight event with a poor Thursday for Scheffler, who has been 2-under in first rounds this season but 55-under in the other rounds, averaging 65.5. Despite the deficit, history suggests recovery; he finished top five at the prior two events.
In Round 2 on Friday, Scheffler carded a 68, needing a slippery putt on the 18th to make the cut and extend his streak of making every cut since August 2022. A back-nine charge proved crucial to avoid an early exit.
Scheffler's form peaked in Round 3 on Saturday, February 21, with a 5-under 66, featuring three straight birdies on the back nine and just one bogey. Starting 12 strokes off the lead, he reduced bogeys each round and expressed confidence post-round. "Some days it’s going to go well and other days it’s not going to go well," Scheffler said. "You look at three tournaments in a row, I haven’t started off that good. When you look at it like from a macro view, it’s such a small sample size. I played now 11 rounds the last few weeks and I had eight pretty solid ones and three I’d like to have back."
He described a "weird relationship" with Riviera, noting, "At times it still felt weird. The golf course is gettable in the morning, the greens are fresher. So I was able to hole a few putts, which is key... Overall 5 under is pretty solid."
At 5-under overall, Scheffler trails runaway leader Jacob Bridgeman by 14 strokes but is three shots from the top 10, aiming to extend his 18 consecutive top-10 finishes. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy shot 5-under in Round 1, embracing windy conditions with adjusted swings for six birdies and one bogey. Viktor Hovland led in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green at +3.5, shooting 2-under. Collin Morikawa noted the greens were unusually soft yet fast due to rain.
