At Riviera Country Club, a day marked by extreme conditions—from intense rainfall and a three-hour weather halt to powerful wind gusts near 30 miles per hour—saw a seasoned golf veteran ascend to the top of the scoreboard. Rory McIlroy delivered an almost perfect performance during the initial round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational, recording his best-ever opening 18-hole score at Riviera with a 5-under 66, placing him just one stroke behind leader Aaron Rai.
The first round concluded prematurely due to insufficient daylight, meaning prominent players such as the world’s top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Jordan Spieth must complete most of their final nine holes when play resumes on Friday at 7 a.m. PT.
Scheffler is expected to manage this interruption calmly, despite being 5 over par after ten holes, trailing the leader by eleven strokes, and ranking among the last players when play ceased. This marks the third consecutive week where the sport’s leading player has struggled early in a tournament.
McIlroy, conversely, was among the initial competitors on the course and was therefore able to finish his inaugural round. He now aims to achieve what neither tournament host Tiger Woods nor the legendary Jack Nicklaus managed during their illustrious careers: securing a victory at the historic Riviera venue. Beyond the championship trophy and a substantial signature event prize, the five-time major winner is also seeking to reach his 30th PGA Tour win.
“I’ve definitely cultivated a greater comfort playing in these kinds of conditions over the past few years as I’ve enhanced my control over ball flight, and specifically controlling it by using more club and hitting the ball lower,” McIlroy stated. “I’ve genuinely grown to appreciate this style of golf.
“If you had asked me a decade ago, I would have said I disliked these conditions, but it’s been a shift in my perspective and perhaps a continuous effort to build upon my existing skills. Consequently, when conditions like this arise, I am far more prepared. I wouldn’t claim to enjoy them, but I can certainly manage them more effectively.”
Should McIlroy maintain the caliber of play he demonstrated in his first eighteen holes throughout the subsequent 54, a tournament victory is within his grasp. He successfully navigated and conquered the challenging conditions, playing golf in its most authentic form—adjusting his drives based on wind direction, creating straightforward approaches, and capitalizing on scoring opportunities.
Attacking the initial stretches of both the front and back nine, McIlroy began his round with significant momentum, carding birdies on three of his first four holes to propel himself to the top of the standings. His birdie on the recently extended par-3 fourth hole occurred immediately following the rain delay, with his first stroke resulting in a 30-foot birdie conversion.
After the rain ceased, wind became a significant factor, and McIlroy responded with remarkable skill. Displaying his full repertoire of abilities, the 36-year-old led his group, which also saw Tommy Fleetwood—the Englishman having posted scores under 70 in twenty consecutive PGA Tour rounds—deliver another round in the 60s, and last week’s champion Collin Morikawa craft a neat 68.
“Just aiming to maintain the same mentality, essentially,” Morikawa commented. “You don’t want to become too relaxed, but you also want to discover that focused state to go out and play golf. It was a lengthy day, with frequent shifts between rain and no rain, strong wind and calm conditions. I simply managed to get the ball into the hole, which was largely the primary objective.”
Leader
1. Aaron Rai (-6): Known for his meticulous, straightforward approach, Rai played strategically on Thursday, and his excellent putting on the greens yielded impressive results. The Englishman started with an eagle, added six more birdies, and sank putts from nearly 80 feet on the 9th, 7 feet on the 11th, 21 feet on the 13th, 12 feet on the 15th, and finally 7 feet on the 16th. He will have an opportunity to widen his lead on Friday morning, beginning his day on the par-5 17th.
Contenders
T2. Rory McIlroy, Jacob Bridgeman (-5)
4. Ryan Fox (-4)
T5. Pierceson Coody, Akshay Bhatia, Collin Morikawa, Aldrich Potgieter, Max Greyserman, Si Woo Kim, Marco Penge (-3)
T12. Jhonattan Vegas, Taylor Pendrith, Maverick McNealy, Viktor Hovland, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood, Ryo Hisatsune, Harry Hall (-2)
Just two weeks into his PGA Tour season, Hovland is already trying to resolve issues with his driver, but he might have found some solutions on Thursday. Missing only two fairways, the Norwegian appeared notably more comfortable wielding his big stick and performed exceptionally from tee to green. He will need to refine his performance on and around the greens, as all three of his bogeys resulted from careless play in those areas, but if his full swing remains consistent, he should be pleased with his standing.
“You might have seen the band drill I was experimenting with recently. It’s still intended to achieve the same goal, but I feel it actually made it simpler for me to identify a concrete feeling I could carry onto the golf course,” Hovland explained. “It’s about trying to achieve a slightly wider movement in the downswing, not attempting to pull my arms too close to my body. That’s what the ‘floaties’ were for, aiming to create some space during the downswing. But it was challenging to sense that when I removed the floaties.
“However, the band, because it compels your body to exert force against the resistance, then when you remove it, it’s like, ‘Wow, that’s how it’s supposed to feel.’ We’re not entirely there yet, even though this was a very good round of golf, but that represented a significant step forward.”
Scheffler’s Thursday struggles continue
The world’s top player had an unpromising start on the first hole; Scheffler reached the green on the straightforward par 5 only to require three putts, leaving the green with just a par. This initial misstep set the tone for his entire day, as Scheffler consistently made things difficult for himself.
With two bogeys within his first six holes, his position on the leaderboard worsened significantly after he recorded a perplexing double bogey on the 8th, which included another three-putt. He finished the front nine 4 over par, then made a clumsy bogey on the challenging, short par-4 10th and merely parred another potential scoring opportunity on the par-5 11th, concluding his day’s play.
Mirroring the past three weeks, Scheffler faces a substantial uphill battle, and unlike the previous week, he will be critically eyeing the cutline, as only the top 50 players and those tied (along with anyone within ten strokes of the leader) will secure weekend tee times.
2026 Genesis Invitational updated odds, picks
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
- Rory McIlroy: +350
- Aaron Rai: 10-1
- Si Woo Kim: 13-1
- Jacob Bridgeman: 15-1
- Collin Morikawa: 15-1
- Tommy Fleetwood: 18-1
- Hideki Matsuyama: 19-1
Scheffler is listed at 26-1, if that prospect interests you, but alternatively, we will consider another player still on the course with holes left in his first round: Matt Fitzpatrick at 36-1. The Englishman is currently 1 under par through 15 holes and will have a few chances to improve his score on Friday morning. He made very little happen on the greens on Thursday, so if his luck changes, he could gain significant ground.
