| -ten Homa (USA); -9 Mitchell (USA), Rahm (Spa), Hodges (USA); -8 Morikawa (USA); -7 Cantlay (USA); -6 McIlroy (NI), Kuchar (USA); -5 Willett (English), Woodland (USA), Zalatoris (USA) |
| Others selected: -4 Scheffler (USA), Lowry (USA), Fleetwood (USA); +1 Wood (US) |
Rory McIlroy is four strokes off the lead halfway through the Genesis Invitational, while Tiger Woods is poised to make the cut.
McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who is trying to regain world number one status in California, shot a two-under 69 to sit at six under.
American Max Homa leads on 10 under with play suspended due to darkness, with 14 players still to go.
Woods’ second round 74 put him one over, inside the projected cut line.
The 15-time major winner, who returns to competition after a seven-month absence, apologized after his turn for any offense caused when he was seen discreetly handing a tampon to playing partner Justin Thomas on Thursday.
The 47-year-old American had shot a two-under first round at Riviera Country Club but blamed his putt for dropping in the standings on Friday.
The tournament host said: “I didn’t putt well today. I probably should have shot five or six better than that, easily. I just didn’t get the putts in the early and middle of the tour when I had these opportunities.”
A first California Tournament triumph for McIlroy – which is one of the ‘high’ events on the PGA Tour with an increased prize fund of $20m (£16.6m) – would bring back the four-time major winner at the top of the ranking. of the position of the current incumbent Scottie Scheffler.
A top three could be enough depending on the finishing positions of Scheffler and third-placed Spaniard Jon Rahm.
Rahm is currently tied for second with nine under, while Scheffler is four under.
England’s Danny Willett, 2016 Masters champion, is five under in ninth place, one stroke ahead of compatriot Tommy Fleetwood and Ireland’s Shane Lowry.
Among those expected to miss the cut line by an over are US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, England’s Justin Rose and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, who are all two overs.
