McIlroy, Bridgeman Hold Clubhouse Lead as Round One Continues Friday 

A five-time major champion and a 26-year-old making his debut at The Riviera Country Club share the clubhouse lead midway through the first round of The Genesis Invitational. Rory McIlroy and Jacob Bridgeman shot matching five-under-par 66s Thursday on a day that featured a wide range of conditions at Riviera. 

Aaron Rai, who has two holes remaining in his first round, is currently one shot ahead of McIlroy and Bridgeman but has not yet completed an official round. Rai is 6-under-par through 16 holes. 

The opening round of the 100th playing of the tournament began early Thursday morning before a nearly three-hour rain delay paused competition. Play resumed as the sun broke through, and the day turned into a preview of the beautiful golf weather expected for the final three days of the tournament. 

McIlroy got off to a fast start on the front nine, posting birdies on the first, third, fourth and eighth holes. He added two more birdies on the back nine, with his only bogey of the day coming at the 16th. For McIlroy, 2026 marks his 10th start in The Genesis Invitational. He has finished in the top 10 three times, most recently in 2022. 

In contrast to McIlroy’s 10 appearances, Bridgeman is making his tournament debut. The 26-year-old set the tone early, making an eagle on his opening hole. He added birdies on the eighth, 10th, 11th, 16th and 17th holes, with his only blemish coming at the 220-yard par-3 fourth. 

The hot start for Bridgeman could be a sign of what’s to come. In all four of his starts this season on TOUR, he has finished inside the top 20. Last season, he recorded five top-10 finishes. 

Ryan Fox sits in fourth place at 4-under par, with seven players at 3-under, including L.A. native Collin Morikawa. Defending FedExCup Champion Tommy Fleetwood, 2025 tournament runner-up Maverick McNealy and 2024 Genesis Invitational winner Hideki Matsuyama are four shots off the lead. Viktor Hovland also sits four shots off the lead at a course where he feels quite comfortable.  

“It definitely suits my game in terms of hitting a lot of mid to long irons into these greens, whether it’s soft like it is now or whether it’s firm, I feel like it does give me an edge,” Hovland said of The Riviera Country Club. “Other than that, I really like the look of it in terms of course design. It’s a small property, but you have to fit 18 really good holes in there. You have to use the trees and angles and small greens. I think it’s just a great recipe for a great golf course.” 

The first round was suspended due to darkness at 5:41 p.m. and will resume Friday morning. Gates open to the public at 7 a.m., and limited tickets remain available.