Cantlay outshines Tiger in Riviera homecoming

Patrick Cantlay returned to what amounts to his home course on the PGA Tour and shot a 5-under 66 to share the lead at the Genesis Open in Los Angeles.

It sounds like a plot that belongs to Tiger Woods, who also grew up 40 miles away and returned to Riviera for the first time in 12 years. Woods lost a ball in a eucalyptus tree, recovered from a rugged start and shot 72.

Cantlay shared the lead with Tony Finau, who had four birdies in his opening five holes.

Cantlay grew up in Long Beach and played at UCLA, where he was the No. 1 amateur in the world. Because of back problems that kept him out of golf for three years, this was his first time playing Riviera in five years.

Woods, who made his PGA Tour debut at Riviera when he was 16, is playing Riviera for the ninth time as a pro, the most of any PGA Tour course without ever winning. His expecta- tions are tempered now at age 42 and returning from his fourth back surgery, but hemade five birdies despite hitting only seven greens in regulation, and he recovered from being 2 over after three holes.

“I’m not that far off to really putting some good numbers out there,” Woods said. “I’ve got to clean up my card — too many bogeys out there. If I can just clean that up, I can start making my way up the board.”

Defending champion Dustin Johnson shot a 74.

Sam Saunders, who last year started with a 64, was among three players at 67. Bubba Watson was in the group at 68.

LPGA

AUSTRALIAN OPEN » Jin Young Ko made six birdies on the back nine in her LPGA Tour debut to take a two- stroke lead in the opening round of theWomen’s Australian Open.

Ko, playing in one of the final afternoon groups at Kooyanga, carded a 7-under-par 65 to move past second-place Jiyai Shin.