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PACIFIC PALISADES (CNS) - Former UCLA standout Patrick Cantlay holds a five-stroke lead over three golfers entering Saturday's third round of the $20 million Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club.
Cantlay entered Friday's play with a one-stroke lead, then shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 to go to 13-under 129 for the tournament.
Australian Jason Day, Canadian Mackenzie Hughes and American Luke List are tied for second at 8-under 134, five strokes off the lead.
Cantlay eagled the par-5 first hole and birdied the eight, 11th, 15th and 17th holes.
"Putting great and leaving the golf ball in the right spot, which is really key around here," the 31-year-old Cantlay said. "It's a golf course I'm really comfortable on and it's in the best shape I've ever seen it."
Cantlay leads the field in strokes gained putting (6.826) and strokes gained approaching the green (4.471), according to ShotLink statistics.
Cantlay's 129 ties his third-lowest 36-hole total in his 167 PGA Tour starts, behind his 127 at the 2011 Travelers Championship and 128 at the 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and matching the 129 at the 2021 BMW Championship, which he went on to win.
Cantlay is seeking his ninth PGA Tour Championship and first since the 2022 BMW Championship.
Jordan Spieth was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard, signing for a 3 on the par-3 fourth hole when he made a 4.
"Today, I signed for an incorrect scorecard and stepped out of the scoring area, after thinking I went through all procedures to make sure it was correct," Spieth posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
"Rules are rules, and I take full responsibility. I love this tournament and golf course as much as any on @PGATOUR so it hurts to not have a run at the weekend. Really appreciated the support in LA."
Spieth shot a two-over 73 Friday, including a double-bogey on the par- 4 18th hole, and would have been among the 11 players tied for 20th, 10 strokes off the lead, at 3-under 139.
Spieth shot a 5-under 66 Thursday to tie fellow Americans Tom Hoge and Will Zalatoris for fifth at 5-under 66, two strokes off the lead.
Zalatoris made a hole-in-one on the par-3, 184-yard 14th hole, earning himself and his caddy, Joel Stock, a Genesis motor vehicle.
"We were just trying to hit it kind of right in the middle of that gap between the two bunkers," Zalatoris said after his second hole-in-one in his 69 PGA Tour starts. He also had a hole-in-one in the first round of the 2020 U.S. Open.
"I just pulled it about 10 feet and it landed perfectly on the fringe and killed it."
Zalatoris shot a 1-under 70 Friday and is among three golfers tied for sixth at 6-under 136, seven strokes off the lead.
Tiger Woods withdrew because of illness after hitting his tee shot on the seventh hole.
Woods played the first six holes at the Pacific Palisades course Friday at 1-over, birdieing the first hole and bogeying the fourth and fifth, and was at 2-over for the tournament.
Woods entered Friday's play among 11 golfers tied for 49th at 1-over 72, eight strokes off the lead, and was in danger of missing the cut at the limited field event. The field of 70 was reduced to 51 players -- the low 50 plus ties -- following the conclusion of Friday's second round.
The cut line was at 1-over 143, the first time a cut line has been over par at a PGA Tour event since last year's British Open. It was the second consecutive year the cut line at The Genesis Invitational was at 1-over.
The field for the final two rounds would also have included any other players within 10 shots of the lead in addition to the low 50 plus ties but none were.
Gary Woodland, among Woods' two playing partners Thursday and Friday, shot a 1-over-72 to go to par-142 for two rounds to be in a six-way tie for 42nd, and make a cut for the first tine in his four starts since undergoing lengthy surgery to remove a brain tumor on Sept. 18.
"I got some juices and some energy flowing that I haven't had in a long time," the 2019 U.S. Open champion, who is playing on a sponsor's exemption, said. "To make a birdie on 17 was a big deal for me, so I'm excited about that. My game's trending in the right direction, so for me to play two more rounds is a big deal for me."
Golfers missing the cut included Wyndham Clark, who won the 2023 U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club, Justin Thomas, Woods' other playing partner, and Nick Dunlap, who became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since 1991 when he won The American Express Jan. 21.
Clark was among six golfers at 2-over 144 while Thomas and Dunlap were among four golfers at 3-over 145.
The tournament is set to conclude Sunday. The winner will receive $4 million.