Patrick Rodgers hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation on Saturday and made a single bogey at the 18th after finding the water to close with a 68 and take a one-shot lead at 8-under at the Genesis Invitational.

“I played awesome today, it was great,” said Rodgers. “It’s rare to have a pretty clean day out at Torrey Pines just especially the length of the golf course, the rough and then playing the back nine into the breeze. That finishing stretch is no joke. So yeah, definitely proud of the round that I put together.

“So I had 91 yards just there in the first cut,” he added when asked about the final hole. “Usually that’s a perfect little three-quarter lob wedge for me with no wind and no circumstances.

“At first we were talking about sand wedge, trying to fly it maybe eight or nine behind it. Even with the moisture, the first cut can come out a little spinny this week, so my concern was I was going to fly it right in the middle of the slope and it was going to chew back off the front.

“I felt like I executed a decent shot, but what happened was it came out just a little slower with the moisture so my gap wedge, little like 95, 100 yard shot just came out really slow. Felt like I executed OK. Obviously it looked silly when it ends up in the water, but I’m proud of the way I got it up and in.”

Rodgers holds the 54-hole lead/co-lead in individual stroke play events for the fifth time on Tour. He also held the 54-hole lead at the 2023 Barracuda Championship (Stableford scoring) He is 0-for-5 to date converting to victory.

The American has yet to win on Tour in 286 starts but has recorded four runner-up results, most recently at the 2023 Barracuda Championship where he lost the playoff to Akshay Bhatia.

Rodgers earned a spot in the two Signature Events following The Sentry via the Aon Next 10 after finishing No. 53 in the 2024 FedExCup Fall (T22/AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am).

First-round leader Denny McCarthy of the USA carded a 71 after making four birdies and three bogeys, he lies in second place at 7-under.

Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg collected his first hole-in-one on the PGA Tour with a 140-yard pitching wedge at the par-3 3rd hole. He also made four birdies and four bogeys and closed with a 70 to move into third place at 6-under. With each ace this week, Genesis makes a $10,000 donation to California Rises.

England’s Tommy Fleetwood shot a 69 to move into a share of fourth place at 4-under alongside Americans Tony Finau (67), Patrick Cantlay (68) and Davis Thompson who held the overnight lead but made just one birdie and five bogeys for a 76.

The three player-hosted Signature Events (The Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Memorial Tournament) are the only Signature Events that feature a 36-hole cut (the low 50 and ties and any additional players within 10 strokes of the 36-hole lead); 68 players (including leader Denny McCarthy) enter the second round within 10 strokes of the lead.

Related: Mike Antolini interview

Tournament Director. The Genesis Invitational faced logistical challenges this year due to Californian wildfires and is focusing on relief efforts.