In the opening round of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, Rory McIlroy pulled off a spectacular chip shot from the sixth green despite local rules prohibiting it for members. The wet conditions also led to unusual green behavior, frustrating players like Collin Morikawa and Adam Scott. McIlroy shot a five-under 66 to share the lead.
The Genesis Invitational kicked off on Thursday at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, where rain-soaked greens created challenging and unpredictable conditions for PGA Tour players. Rory McIlroy, playing in the opening round, faced a tricky situation on the par-3 sixth hole, where a bunker stymied his ball. Riviera's membership is not permitted to hit wedge shots off the sixth green during regular play, but professionals are exempt from this rule.
McIlroy selected a high-lofted club and clipped his ball off the putting surface with precision. The shot carried about 30 yards over the bunker, landed roughly 20 feet above the hole, and rolled down a slope to tap-in distance. A commentator remarked, “That’s magic right there.”
McIlroy credited his preparation, noting he practices chipping off greens at the Bear’s Club in South Florida. “It really helps me control my low point and find the low point,” he said. “If you can chip off of a really tight lie or a green like that, you can basically chip off any lie.” He added, “The superintendent probably doesn’t like it too much, but it helps.”
The soft greens, resulting from recent heavy rain, drew complaints from top players. Collin Morikawa, who opened with a three-under 68, described them as unprecedented: “I’ve never seen greens like this.” He noted they allowed shots to stop from rough lies but played fast in spots, as seen when McIlroy's approach on the 18th spun back 30 feet despite a full-blooded 9-iron from 186 yards.
McIlroy echoed this, saying the greens were “soft but they’re fast,” requiring adjustments like “little chippy 7-irons and 8-irons.” The steep pitch of many greens compounded the difficulty.
Adam Scott experienced the sogginess firsthand on the par-3 16th, where his tee shot embedded seven inches in front of the cup, denying a hole-in-one but resulting in a tap-in birdie.
McIlroy's round featured six birdies and one bogey for his 66, sharing the lead. In the second round, he reached seven under, two shots behind Xander Schauffele. Wet and windy weather highlighted his shotmaking, including low-spin irons and drives.
