Entering the final round of the Genesis Invitational, Patrick Cantlay and close friend Xander Schauffele were the two favorites to take home the trophy.
Cantlay, who almost would have been eliminated from the tournament had he not hit a bad bogey on Saturday the 17th, entered Sunday with a two-stroke lead. Schauffele served as a groomsman at Cantlay’s wedding this fall and was one of several people to finish in a tie for second place.
Then Sunday happened.
Incredibly, Cantlay only found a total of four fairways during the final round. Yes, that’s right. He was running wild on the tee all day. His first birdie came on the 11th hole.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images
Schauffele, on the other hand, was 1 over through the first nine innings. Neither player up front got a single birdie.
When the final pairings took their turn, they found themselves in a dogfight with a number of golfers, including Luke List, Will Zalatoris, and eventual champion Hideki Matsuyama.
All five players were tied at 14 under early on the back nine. But that wasn’t the case for the two top-ranked players in the world.
Schauffele had three consecutive bogeys at Nos. 12, 13 and 14, while Cantlay had three bogeys in the first six holes of the back nine.
As both players passed me near the 15th tee, I could see the disappointment and frustration on their faces. They knew the tournament was gone.
All the while, Matsuyama was making waves at Riviera Country Club. Record-breaking 9-under 62. According to golf statistician Justin Ray, this is the lowest final round score in Genesis history.
It was once thought to be a race between two close friends, but now it’s all about the outcome. About an hour after Matsuyama went off the track, they finished their final combination.
Ironically, Cantlay made his best putt of the day on the 18th, where none of that mattered.
Kendall Capps is the senior editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through.For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social media platforms.
