McCarthy's big finish gives him the lead in the cold rain and brutal test of Torrey Pines

 

[February 14, 2025]  By DOUG FERGUSON

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Denny McCarthy ended a miserable day in a most brilliant manner Thursday at the Genesis Invitational, closing birdie-eagle for a 4-under 68 on a Torrey Pines course that more than lived up to its reputation as a beast.

McCarthy had a one-shot lead over Seamus Power and Patrick Rodgers. Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player who is starting to find his groove after a late start, missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and was in the group at 70.

The best preparation for McCarthy and a few others was the pro-am. It was cold and wet for that, too, and he knew what to expect.

“I came out with the attitude that I was just going to have fun and try to embrace it as much as I could,” McCarthy said, who is still trying to win for the first time on the PGA Tour.

McCarthy was coming off a bogey on the par-3 16th when he holed a 25-foot birdie putt, and then switched to a 3-wood for his second shot on the par-5 closing hole to a back right pin. The ball rolled up to 7 feet for his eagle putt.

The Genesis Invitational relocated this year from Riviera to the fearsome South course at Torrey Pines because of the LA wildfires that leveled so much of Pacific Palisades.

It was a good choice because it was tournament-ready from having hosted the Farmers Insurance Open three weeks ago. And it has a connection to Tiger Woods, the tournament host, whose eight Torrey Pines victories as a pro include a U.S. Open.

Torrey has hosted two U.S. Opens and played as though it could host another one in a moment's notice. Even on soft greens from a steady rain, just three players broke 70 and only 10 others managed to break par.

Rory McIlroy, coming off a victory at Pebble Beach two weeks ago, had two birdies and two bogeys in his steady round of even-par 72. Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry and Justin Thomas were in the the large group at 73.

Scheffler had four birdies in seven holes and played 2 over the rest of the way. He failed to birdie the par 5s on the way in, with no apologies on two of them. He hit 5-iron for his third shot on the ninth from 180 yards — 40 yards shorter than normal.

And on the 13th hole, two of his best shots still left him 130 yards away.

“Driver, 3-wood, 9-iron,” he said. “And I smoked all three of them, too. I did — I striped 'em all.”

He wore out a lot of 4-irons and 5-irons, even a 5-wood he put in play this week, mainly to help gouge shots out of the rough.

“They definitely get more attention on this course than they do a lot of others, in terms of distance" Scheffler said. “Typically when you step up to a par 5, you feel like you’re going to have a good chance to make birdie. But two of the par 5s if you make par you feel like you did a pretty good job.”

Scottie Scheffler reacts to missing his eagle putt on the 18th green of the South Course at Torrey Pines during the first round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Those two with a hurting wind — Nos. 9 and 13 — played over par, a rarity on the PGA Tour. The most difficult hold was the 461-yard fifth into the cold wind. It didn't give up a birdie to the 72-man field in this signature event.

“We're hitting 4-iron,” Morikawa said. “That's a hole where it still plays tough, but normally you're hitting 8-iron.”

Woods withdrew at the start of the week as he still is coping with the death of his mother last week. The tour used a solid white flag for the pin at No. 7 as a subtle tribute — white and the No. 7 are important in Buddhism, which Kultida Woods followed.

The tournament is donating $8 million in value to relief and recovery efforts in LA, mainly through donating 100 tournament cars. Riviera pitched in Thursday when the club announced a $1 million donation.

Harris English won at Torrey Pines three weeks ago at 8-under par, the highest score to par in the six PGA Tour events this year and the highest at a PGA Tour event since the Memorial last year. One of those rounds was on the North course. All four are on the South this week.

English opened with a 75. Rasmus Hojgaard (82) and Adam Hadwin (83) failed to break 80.

“It’s blowing only like 10 to 15 (mph), but 10 to 15 here is basically 25 to 30 at other places,” Michael Kim said after a 71.

The forecast is for gradual clearing, probably not enough to take away the moisture that makes the course play longer and the rough thicker. Scheffler has a 5-wood in his bag this week to help with shots out of the rough. Jordan Spieth put a 7-wood in play for the first time since he was at Torrey Pines for the 2021 U.S. Open.

“There's no letup,” Power said. “And I think it's going to be the same for the next two days.”

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