European Ryder Cup sensation Ludvig Aberg’s gorgeous hole-in-one was the spotlight of the third spherical of the Genesis Invitational, however it was Scottie Scheffler’s exceptional meltdown that was the speak of Torrey Pines.
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The world primary was in a share of the lead after birding the fifth gap, however ended the penultimate spherical 5 photographs again of chief Patrick Rodgers.
Scheffler signed off on a four-over par spherical of 76 to sit down three-under for the match in what was the worst around the reigning Masters and Olympic champion has performed in three years.
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He didn’t put one other birdie on his card after the fifth gap as he three-putted for bogey on the par 5 sixth, together with lacking a 4 foot, eight inch par putt, and he made the pricey mistake of dropping a shot at a par 5 as soon as once more to shut out the entrance 9.
That bogey was courtesy of a chip that he managed to recover from a bunker however not onto the inexperienced because it plonked within the thick greenside tough.
A double bogey on the par 4 14th was the low level of Scheffler’s day nevertheless, as he blasted his tee shot left and was compelled to take a penalty.
He was extremely near being made to take one other drop on the 230-yard par 3 sixteenth with an extended and left tee shot that simply pulled up earlier than the penalty space, and he went on to make one other bogey.
In the meantime, Rodgers shot the equal second-best spherical of the day with a four-under par 68 to sit down eight-under general, one shot away from fellow American Denny McCarthy.
The 32-year-old made 5 birdies was on monitor for a blemish free spherical after dropping a monster 42 foot, six inch birdie putt on the seventeenth.
However, he dunked his third shot on the par 5 18th into the pond in entrance of the inexperienced and made bogey in consequence.
The additional shot buffer would have been useful because the 32-year-old chases his maiden PGA Tour victory.
Rodgers has made 286 begins on the first US Tour and has been runner-up an agonising 4 occasions, as nicely three third place finishes.
If he can break his drought, it will be a satisfying of the expertise he confirmed greater than a decade in the past to succeed in the heights of being the world primary beginner.
Looming two photographs again is Aberg who lit up Torrey Pines’ south course together with his ace on the scenic 140-yard par 3 third gap.
The 25-year-old flew his wedge shot previous the pin and spun the ball again to perfection, and pumped his fists in celebration when he realised it had gone within the cup.
Taking part in accomplice Rodgers and their caddies had been then swept up within the celebrations with high-fives shared as Aberg lapped up making his first ace on the PGA Tour.
Placing a one on the cardboard additionally surged him up the leaderboard as Aberg sits in third with a rollercoaster spherical included 4 birdies and 4 bogeys in addition to his glorious eagle.
Nevertheless it was Tony Finau who produced the low spherical of the day.
The world No. 30 shot a five-under par 67 and it largely got here off the again of three spectacular chip-ins, all on the entrance 9.
Finau was merely on a roll with the notorious Torrey Pines tough proving no impediment as he holed little greenside chip-ins for birdies on the third, fourth and eighth holes.
To cap issues off on the again 9, Finau holed a monster 48 foot birdie putt on the par 3 sixteenth. Remarkably, he wanted solely 22 putts for the day and he sits four-under for the match, in a share of fourth place.
It was a day to overlook for Rory McIlroy as he shot two-over to fall to 5 photographs behind Rodgers.
McIlroy struggled on the greens, dropping nearly 4 strokes for the day to poor putts, his worst effort in additional than a decade.
Australians Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee and Jason Day all had disappointing a day too.
Scott completed three-over par, he’s on the identical mark for the match, with a loopy spherical that included seven bogeys and 4 birdies.
Lee and Day are each within the clubhouse at six-over general with the pair taking pictures two-over par rounds of 74 apiece within the third spherical.