Call for Genesis: Matthew Fitzpatrick starts strong while Sam Burns leads on the Riviera Golf news

Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth have all 68 cards in the first round of Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club, but Rory McIlroy can only score double 73 and Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas go even worse

Matthew Fitzpatrick got off to a great start with Genesis Invitational seeking a share of second place behind early paceseter Sam Burns.

The 26-year-old Englishman did well in fast and solid conditions at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles and led most of the day after setting an early goal at the clubhouse for five under 66s.

After canceling a birdie on the 11th – his second hole – with prey on the 13th, Fitzpatrick sank a 43-meter path to the birdie on the 14th, followed by another birdie on the 16th.

The climax of his round then followed first at par-five, where he dug a 25-foot foot for the eagle, and a birdie in seventh took him to the top of the ladder.

“Overall it was a good day,” Fitzpatrick said. “I felt like I was probably playing better than my ti-to-green stats would suggest. My momentum actually felt pretty good. There’s a few loose ones inside, try to fix it this afternoon, but overall it’s a great start , I can’t ask for better. “

The American Burns needed a blitz with late birds to remove Fitzpatrick, while the 24-year-old scored in the last three holes to sign for seven under 64, giving him a two-goal advantage.

Burns also plowed the first, his open hole, draining the 19-foot path, then added the birds in fifth, seventh, ninth, and 13th, mixed with the ghosts in sixth and 12th.

“I think we were pretty consistent throughout the round,” World No. 149 Burns said. “We knew we were going to have a tough move there to somehow start the last nine. I think just patience here. This golf course sometimes doesn’t offer you a lot of opportunities, so I think with just that thinking going in we just took what we could get.”

Swede Alex Noren looked ready to join Fitzpatrick at five under, until he knocked out a ninth for 67, leaving American Max Homau to come out of the pack with a bird late on ninth for 66 and a share of second place.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson failed to take advantage of a pair of fives, but is still well placed at three below after 68, largely thanks to taking just five shots over his last six holes.

Italian Francesco Molinari, who recently became a member of the Riviera, Brooks Koepka, who played 18th, and revived Jordan Spieth also recorded 68th.

World No. 2 Jon Rahm opened with a steady effort of 70, and Xander Schauffele rounded out at level 71.

Rory McIlroy had an encouraging start with a birdie at the start, but could only add another win on the eighth, after an excavator on the third and fifth.

Bauk 10, where he drove to the left of the green, set the tone for the disappointing nines, and the second man 15, left him twice as many as 73.

There was also fear of injury for McIlroy when he played his second shot from a rough game in the ninth, but he reduced it after his round.

“It just got stuck,” he said. “Just another shock, it’s totally fine. About 20 seconds after that it just hurt a little bit.

“[The course] is screwed. The wind was touching, the greenery a little firmer. I think it was one of those days when it’s kind of just as easy to hit two or three below as two or three. “

McIlroy’s playing partner Bryson DeChambeau also struggled, his drive on the ninth, who found a bunker on the 10th waterway, and a double bogey on the 12th after another mismatched drive that summed up his round until the birds of the 16th and 17th almost bit him. raised.

He still managed only 75, but at least two goals were better than world number three Justin Thomas, in whose 77 there were three double excavators, including a quadruple six on the eighth.