Davis Thompson leads by 1 over Scottie Scheffler with Rory McIlroy lurking at Torrey Pines

Davis Thompson capped a wild back nine at Torrey Pines with a clutch birdie on Friday, seizing the lead at the Genesis Invitational. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, despite an erratic day off the tee, stayed right on his heels.

With a $20 million purse on the line, the weekend is shaping up to be thrilling, featuring two of golf’s biggest stars—Scheffler, who played bogey-free despite hitting only five fairways, and Rory McIlroy, showcasing the form that led him to victory at Pebble Beach.

Thompson’s round was anything but steady, as he made only two pars on the back nine. He finished strong with a precise wedge shot to within a foot for birdie, carding a 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead over Scheffler.

“We’re only halfway through—still a lot of golf left,” Thompson said. “I’m just trying to stay in my own lane.”

Scheffler, still finding his rhythm after a delayed start to the year due to a freak hand injury, showed resilience despite his struggles off the tee. On the 12th hole, he hit a recovery shot back to the 11th green, saving an improbable par. At the par-3 11th, his tee shot bounced twice on the cart path before settling near a water station, allowing him free relief. On the fourth hole, he played from an awkward stance near a bunker, once again salvaging par.

His most spectacular moment came on the par-5 sixth, where he holed out from the bunker for eagle. Three additional birdies helped him shoot a 67, securing a spot in Saturday’s final group.

“I love seeing that,” Scheffler said of his ability to score despite his struggles. “Those short, touchy shots are always the last to come back after a layoff. It’s nice to get those feels back.”

Thompson, who earned his first PGA Tour win last year at the John Deere Classic, will tee off alongside Scheffler in the final group.

Denny McCarthy, who birdied the 18th to shoot 70, will play with McIlroy, who surged up the leaderboard with a red-hot start—going 5 under through his first 10 holes. However, a few errant tee shots on tough recovery holes slowed his momentum. Though he rallied with a pair of birdies, he was left frustrated by his performance on the par 5s, where he managed just one birdie.

“I hit a lot of really good shots, scrambled well,” McIlroy said. “I just didn’t take advantage of the par 5s. I made up for it in other places, but I know I’ll need to play them better this weekend.”

With a 36-hole cut at the top 50 and ties, several notable names failed to make it through, including Sepp Straka, the FedEx Cup leader, and Jordan Spieth, fresh off a top-four finish at the Phoenix Open.