The second stage of the 2024 Genesis Invitational came to a close at the Riviera Country Club, with a clear frontrunner emerging. Patrick Cantlay, a 31-year-old Californian, took advantage of his competitors’ decline in performance and surged ahead with an impressive score of -13: 64 65 is the current tally on his scorecard.
Cantlay kicked off the second stage with an eagle, followed by four birdies, clearly displaying his current exceptional form. Falling behind by five shots are Luke List and Australian Jason Day, who are also joined by Canadian Mackenzie Hughes at -8.
For the 33-year-old from Hamilton, a -6 for the day matches Cantlay’s performance. His fellow countryman Corey Conners also achieves the same score, securing fifth place at -7. The sixth spot at -6 is exclusively occupied by Americans Will Zalatoris, Xander Schauffele, and Tom Hoge.
Ninth place at -5 belongs to Tony Finau and Japanese player Hideki Matsuyama. Also tied for eleventh at -4 is someone who managed to score -6 for the day: Max Homa. The round is also marked by the withdrawal of the highly anticipated figure, Tiger Woods. Woods withdrew directly on the course due to flu-like symptoms experienced by the 15-time Major champion.
Regarding the battle for the top spot, Scottie Scheffler is in eleventh place at -4, while Rory McIlroy is currently in 31st place (but climbing) at -2.
Cantlay, a native of Long Beach, California, was born to Steve and Colleen (Naylan) Cantlay. He has a sister named Caroline and two brothers named Nick and Jack Cantlay. He attended Servite High School, where he secured the title of California State High School Championship as a senior.
During his first year at UCLA, Cantlay had an exceptional performance, winning four tournaments and receiving the Haskins Award for the most outstanding college golfer in 2011. He was also honored with the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Division I Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year award.
Cantlay also received the Phil Mickelson Award as the GCAA National Freshman of the Year, in addition to being recognized as the Pac-10 Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Furthermore, he earned the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the top-ranked amateur globally by the end of the 2011 season, earning him an invitation to the 2012 Open Championship.
Cantlay secured a place in the 2011 U.S. Open through sectional qualifying, where he stood out as one of three amateurs to make the cut. He showcased his talent with impressive rounds, including a back-nine 30, finishing in a tie for 21st place and claiming the title of low amateur.
Shortly after, he set a record in PGA Tour history for an amateur, shooting a course record 60 at the Travelers Championship. Cantlay continued his success by finishing as the low amateur at subsequent events, including the AT&T National and the RBC Canadian Open.
In August 2011, Cantlay reached the finals of both the Western Amateur and the U.S. Amateur, earning him a coveted spot in the 2012 Masters Tournament, where he finished as the low amateur. His remarkable performances led to him becoming the world number 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking on March 23, 2011, holding the record for the most consecutive weeks at number one with 54 weeks. He also represented the United States at the 2011 Walker Cup, where he achieved a 2–1–1 record.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org