Opposites sit atop Genesis leaderboard
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Here’s what you should appreciate most as you sit down to watch Sunday’s final round of the Genesis Open: the brilliant contrast between the player leading the golf tournament, Bubba Watson, and his closest pursuer, Patrick Cantlay
Watson, who by his own admission is a case study for attention deficit disorder, will take a oneshot lead into the final round at Riviera over Cantlay, who’s so dialed into his own mind that not even a world-renowned psychologist could crack the code and disrupt the process.
Watson, who shot a 6-under-par 65 in Saturday’s third round to get to 10-under for the week, is trying to become the third player to win a PGA Tour event three times at Riviera, where he won 2014 and 2016.
Cantlay, a nearby Long.Beach native who played college golf just down the street at UCLA and used to play college matches at Riviera, shot 69 to get to 9-under thanks to a 54-foot birdie putt on the 18th that propelled him into the final group with Watson and Aussie Cameron Smith, who shot 65 to get to 8-under.
Graeme McDowell, who shared the 36-hole lead with Cantlay, Tony Finau and Kevin Na are all also two shots back at 8-under.
Overall, there are 12 players, including defending champion Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, within four shots of the lead and 15 players within five shots.
But it’s the contrasting personalities and approaches of Watson and Cantlay that are most fascinating.
On Friday night, for example, Watson took part in the NBA AllStar weekend’s celebrity came at the Staples Center, where he tried to take a shot to the hole and was rejected by former NBA star Tracy McGrady.
Before the game, Watson’s wife, Angie, who played college and pro basketball, instructed him to shoot only from the outside and not take anything to the basket.
“I don’t focus very well and I don’t listen very well,’’ Watson joked.
By contrast, the seemingly unflappable Cantlay might focus better than anyone in the game.
As goofy as Watson can be is as serious as Cantlay is.
Asked what he knows about Watson, Cantlay said he’s only spoken to him once — at the 2012 Masters when Watson won the first of his two Green Jackets and Cantlay was the low amateur.
“I don’t really know Bubba that well,’’ Cantlay said. “I’ve never played golf with him before, so I’m just going to do my own thing and stick to my game plan and stay present. I try not to pay attention to anybody else. Everybody kind of does their own deal and I’m just doing mine.’’