McIlroy, Scott and Kuchar in 3-way tie
LOS ANGELES: Rory McIlroy, looking to cement his return to No.1 in the world, fired a three-under-par 68 on Saturday to join Matt Kuchar and Adam Scott in a three-way tie for the third-round lead at the Genesis Invitational.
Kuchar was atop the leaderboard for a third straight day after a one-underpar 70 at Riviera Country Club.
Playing partner McIlroy carded a three-under 68 while Australia’s Scott grabbed his share of the lead with a birdie at 18 to cap a four-under 67.
They were all tied on 10-under 203 — one shot ahead of Russell Henley and Harold Varner on a jam-packed leaderboard.
Tiger Woods, who came into the week gunning for a record-setting 83rd US PGA Tour title, was nowhere near the top, however, after a five-over 76 that left him languishing 15 off the pace.
Kuchar started the day with a twoshot lead and maintained his cushion with three birdies through 11 holes.
But three bogeys in four holes from the 13th through the 16th opened the door for McIlroy, who tied the lead with his fourth birdie of the day at 13 and despite a bogey at 14 was one shot ahead until Kuchar got up and down for birdie from a greenside bunker on the 17th.
Scott, first in the clubhouse on 10 under, was looking forward to challenging for a victory on the same Riviera course where he hoisted a trophy in 2005 but couldn’t claim an official win because the rain-sodden event was shortened to 36 holes.
McIlroy opened with a birdie at the par-five first, but didn’t pick up another shot until back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth.
“I hit it well all day, but I felt like every time I hit a decent shot I left myself on the wrong side of the hole,” he said. “And the putts that I had were very defensive, downhill, big breakers, trying to play enough break, trying to die them in.
“Especially on this golf course, they’re very tricky, very difficult to make,” McIlroy said.
LEADING THIRD ROUND SCORES
(USA unless noted, par-71)
203 — Adam Scott (AUS) 72-64-67, Matt Kuchar 64-6970, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 68-67-68
204 — Russell Henley 67-69-68, Harold Varner 67-68-69
205 — Joel Dahmen 68-71-66, Dustin Johnson 72-66-67
206 — Max Homa 72-69-65, Talor Gooch 70-72-64, Kang Sung (KOR) 69-67-70
207 — Luke List 71-68-68, Scott Brown 71-68-68, Bryson DeChambeau 68-70-69, Jon Rahm (ESP) 70-68-69, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 71-72-64, Wyndham Clark 67-68-72
208 — Collin Morikawa 73-67-68, Sebastian Munoz (COL) 69-69-70, Paul Casey (ENG) 69-69-70, James Hahn 68-70-70, Chez Reavie 69-68-71