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2019 Genesis Open Thursday and Friday Highlights

Despite a rain soaked first two days of golf, the 2019 Genesis Open yielded plenty of highlights across Riviera Country Club. One of the early marquee events of the calendar year is already playing catch-up heading into the weekend. Darkness and over an inch of rain delayed play for just six hours during Thursday’s opening round.

After play reset Thursday evening some competitors turned around for a marathon Friday which included 30 holes of play for the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and co-leader Justin Thomas. Sharing the lead at 10-under currently with Thomas at the close of business Friday is Australia’s Adam Scott.

Attempting to turn the corner on a lackluster 2018 season, Jordan Spieth held a majority of the first-round lead until J.B. Holmes made some magic of his own to best Spieth by one stroke with an 8-under round of 63. Like many others, Spieth will have to wait start his second-round mid-morning Saturday in what is expected to be back to back days of 20-plus hole golf in order to close out the Genesis Open by Sunday evening.

With so many storylines coming in and out of the Paradise Palisades already this week here are a few of the highlights from Thursday and Friday at the PGA Tour’s 2019 Genesis Open.

The par save that never happen

Due to inclement weather and worsening conditions, opening round play was halted early Thursday morning. The tournament committee ruled that when played resumed Thursday afternoon the scores from the morning would be completely wiped clean and reset. Unfortunately for Phil Mickelson it meant a hole out par save following a trip in and out of three bunkers wouldn’t count in the official stat book.

All out hole outs

After running the 31-hole gauntlet Friday, Bryson DeChambeau added some excitement to an up and down day with three hole outs from around the green. DeChambeau’s finesse off the green included a par, birdie and even a 52-yard eagle at the 594-yard par-5 17th.

Jordan Spieth set the pace early Friday including magic around the green at number 12.

Currently tied for 55th at 1-under, Scott Stallings started his first round with a highlight of his own with an eagle chip-in at the par-5 opening first hole.

Birdies and Eagles soar at Riviera

On his way to a tie a top the leaderboard at 10-under, Justin Thomas was dialed in over a lengthy Friday of play including a long birdie putt at the par-3 14th.

During a roller coaster 30 holes of play Friday Tiger Woods made a brief run up the leaderboard fueled by four straight birdies.

Not to be outdone by four straight birdies, Woods stumbled down the stretch of his first round before opening his second round with the 43-foot roar of an eagle putt.

Rory McIlroy stuck his approach at the par-4 8th before draining his follow up putt for a long and much needed birdie.

FedEx Cup leader Matt Kuchar went back to back with birdies at the 7th and 8th during his opening round.

Jon Rahm bends in a birdie to get to 3-under at the par-4 5th hole Friday.

With the pin left in Thursday, Sung Kang drained a 33-foot putt for birdie at the par-4 3rd hole.

A hole in one for Holmes

Following a bogey on number five, J.B. Holmes spun his tee shot at the par-3 6th straight into the bottom of the cup to tie the lead with an emphatic hole in one. Holmes would wrestle the outright lead away from Jordan Spieth following a birdie on the next hole.

The real heroes are highlighted Thursday

After the sky darkened and the rain poured down Thursday the grounds crew at Riviera Country Club banned together and turned the course around to ready the field for play by mid-afternoon.

 

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Embed from Getty Images

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