Nightmare finish sees McIlroy battling to make cut at Genesis Invitational

Rory McIlroy and Seamus Power toiled at the opening round of the Genesis Invitational where Patrick Cantlay leads the way on seven-under par.

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The Irish golfers both laboured to rounds of 74 and sit 10 shots adrift of Cantlay in California.

Tied for 64th overall out of a field of 70, the pair have work to do on Friday with only the top 50, plus anyone within 10 strokes of the lead staying around for the weekend.

A double bogey and a triple bogey on back-to-back holes saw McIlroy plummet at the tail end of his round.

His second shot at the par-3 16th hole did not get over a tall bunker wall, and his putt for bogey sped past the cup, leading to a three-putt triple bogey.

Birdies at the first and sixth by Power were sandwiched by bogeys for Power, but three successive bogeys, starting at the seventh saw the Waterford native at three-over at the turn.

A birdie at the 11th was cancelled out two holes later as he finished for 74.

Cantlay is the man to catch however, the American finishing with more birdies (eight) than fairways in regulation (seven of 14) but recovered nicely and birdied three of the four par-3 holes.

He sits just ahead of Luke List and Australians Cam Davis and Jason Day, who shot rounds of 65.

Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris and Tom Hoge are two off the pace at 66 as the PGA Tour began its third signature event of the 2024 season.

"Obviously got off to a great start," Cantlay said. "Our group had good momentum, (Spieth). I putted really, really well, made every putt I should have and a couple longer ones."

That included a 26-footer for birdie at the par-4 eighth hole and a 28-footerthat dropped for his final birdie of the day at the par-3 14th.