Round 1 Recap: The Genesis Invitational Begins at Torrey Pines

The Genesis Invitational has officially teed off, but this tournament’s new host, Torrey Pines South, wasted no time in showing its teeth. With firm fairways and punishing rough, scores were higher than many expected, leaving the field scrambling to keep pace.

Early Leaders & Bright Spots

A few league picks managed to navigate the challenge well, most notably:

• Scottie Scheffler (70) – The World No. 1 showed why he’s at the top, staying steady in difficult conditions.
• Wyndham Clark (70) – The reigning U.S. Open champ matched Scheffler’s score and looked comfortable out there.
• Rory McIlroy & Russell Henley (72) – Not their sharpest rounds, but still in the mix heading into Friday.

Fighting to Stay in Contention

Most of the field found themselves battling for position, as a wave of 74s left many looking for a move on day two:

• Collin Morikawa, Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Cantlay, Ludvig Aberg, Keegan Bradley, Sungjae Im, and Taylor Pendrith all posted 74s, showing just how demanding the course played.
• Justin Thomas & Shane Lowry (73) – Close to even par but will need to clean things up to climb the leaderboard.

Struggles at Torrey

For some, Round 1 was simply about survival:

• Jordan Spieth (76) – The three-time major winner looked out of sync and will need a strong bounce-back.
• Robert MacIntyre, Tony Finau & Thomas Detry (76) – A tough day that leaves them needing a charge in Round 2.
• Sepp Straka (78) – The biggest struggle of the day, as Straka found himself in trouble early and often.

Looking Ahead

With no cut in this elevated event, every player still has a chance to turn things around and cash in on this major purse. Expect aggressive play in Round 2 as the field tries to close the gap on Scheffler and Clark.

Who will make a move on Friday? Stay tuned as the action continues at Torrey Pines South!