On Friday, Justin Thomas played 30 holes at the Genesis Open in cold, rainy weather. On Saturday, the first dry day of the week at Riviera, he completed just eight holes despite continuous play from sunrise to sunset.
On Sunday, for the third consecutive day, he’ll wake up around 4:30am local time. At 5:45am, he’ll start his warm-up routine (‘That’s weird to say,’ he mused). Then, at 6:45am, he’ll resume play with an approach shot into the par-4 third. He faces the task of finishing 34 holes, and the weather could be challenging. It’ll be in the 40s in the early morning, then a 40% chance of showers before noon.
But it will all be worth it if Thomas, seeking the 10th win of his PGA TOUR career, can seal the deal at Riviera. At 13-under, the former FedExCup champion has a one-shot lead over playing partner Adam Scott, with Patrick Rodgers and JB Holmes another shot back.
‘I think I’ve seen briefly the forecast is pretty difficult,’ Thomas said, ‘so I’m going to need to be patient because I’m playing so many holes. But long day and stay in it emotionally and stay patient [and] see what we can do.’
It’ll be a longer than usual day for all 76 players who have made the cut. No one has completed the third round, which did not start until mid-Saturday afternoon as the seven-hour delay to start the tournament on Thursday continued to play havoc with the playing schedule. In essence, the Genesis Open is just past the halfway point, even though the final day (hopefully) has arrived.
Play will resume at 6:45am, and there will be no repairing after the third round as the TOUR tries to avoid a second consecutive Monday finish.
For some players, such as Thomas, it was a limited-action Saturday – up early to complete the second round, then a long rest before teeing off to start the third round. For others, it was a long, full day – an entire second round, followed by a partial third.
Only two South Africans made the cut, with Dylan Frittelli best placed in a share of 33rd place. He has eight holes to play in his third round and is -3 for the tournament.
Ernie Els is +1 and in T67, but has played just four holes in round three.
