Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau are two fast-risers on the PGA Tour.
They’ve got game and tournament wins to prove it.
The two young stars-in-the-making showed the rest how to tame Riviera Thursday during the first round of the Genesis Open.
Finau birdied four of his first five holes to start a display that yielded a five-under par 66 that was good for a share of the lead.
Cantlay doesn’t have Finau’s length but has plenty of firepower. Like Finau, he finished his day with six birdies, a single bogey and shot 66.
The two danced circles around the highest-ranked players in the field.
World’s No. 1 Dustin Johnson is in danger of missing the 36-hole cut after an embarrassing 74 left him tied for 108th.
Jordan Spieth was no ball of fire with an even-par 71 while Justin Thomas put himself in the hunt with a 69.
Like Spieth, Rory McIlroy wasn’t very impressive. Playing with Tiger Woods and Thomas, McIlroy could only manage an even par round. Speaking of Woods, he was up-and-down, struggled with his tee shots but still managed to patch together a 72.
Riviera was pretty stingy, yielding only 35 sub-par rounds.
