McIlroy closes in on Kuchar, Woods lags at Riviera

Rory McIlroy still have a lot of work to do to live up to the reputation of world number despite closing the gap on leader Matt Kuchar on Friday. McIlroy battled to within two stroke of Kuchar while Tiger Woods’ hopes of pulling up another thrilling victory were dented at the Genesis Invitational.

McIlroy rose to the top of the standings for the first time since 2015 after a stellar season. Northern Ireland star fired six birdies in a four-under par 67 to share second place on seven-under 135 with Americans Harold Varner and Wyndham Clark, who both signed for 68s.

Kuchar, shot a two-under 69 after starting the day with a three-shot lead, to move to the nine-under par 133.

Woods was nine shots off Kuchar’s lead, tied for 45th, after a two-over 73 that included a double-bogey and three-bogeys.

 “I made some bad mistakes out there,” said Woods, who opened with a birdie at the 10th but soon found himself in trouble.

“I had a wedge in my hand at 15 and made double there, sand wedge on three and made bogey there. Three runaway shots with wedges, something I rarely ever do,” added Woods, who was in the fairway with 144 yards to the hole at 15 but found a greenside bunker on the way to a double-bogey.

 He clawed back two shots with birdies at the 17th and first, but was in another greenside bunker at the third and couldn’t get his seven-footer to save par to drop.

 Two more bogeys in the next three holes further dimmed his chances of breaking Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA Tour victories this week.

 Woods matched the record with a win at the Zozo Championship in Japan in October, and finished tied for ninth in his only other start since at Torrey Pines.

 The record would be extra sweet this week at Riviera — the course where Woods made his tour debut as a teenager, but where he has come up empty in 12 prior starts.

 McIlroy, playing Riviera for just the fourth time, birdied all three par-fives and while he hit just four of 14 fairways he avoided major trouble.

 Australian Adam Scott fired seven birdies in his seven-under 64 to share fifth place on 136 with South Korean Kang Sung and Americans Vaughn Taylor and Russell Henley.

Meanwhile, seven-time major winner Park In-bee stretched her lead at the LPGA Australian Open Saturday to three shots over exciting South Korean teenager Ayean Cho as the veteran targets yet another victory.  Competing in Australia for the first time since 2012, the 31-year-old is gunning for a 20th career win and her first on the LPGA Tour in almost two years.

 She jointly held the overnight lead with Jodi Ewart Shadoff, but the Englishwoman had a horror day at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club, slumping to a four-over-par 77 to be nine off the pace.

Agencies