Conquering Riviera: McIlroy, Scheffler setting sights on elusive Genesis title

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Rory McIlroy will try to keep the birdie bandwagon rolling and eliminate the “big numbers” that doomed his Pebble Beach bid as he vies for a first Genesis Invitational title at Riviera this week.

Neither world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler nor second-ranked McIlroy has managed to win at the historic Riviera Country Club course in Pacific Palisades that is celebrating its centenary this year.

Northern Ireland star McIlroy will be making his second US tour start of the season after a tie for 14th at Pebble Beach, where three double bogeys and a triple bogey featured on his scorecards.

“I think I’m just sort of working through that first little bit of the year where you’re trying to shake a little bit of rust off and you’re trying to find your footing a little bit and where your game is,” McIlroy said Wednesday.

“Felt like I learned quite a bit about my game last week, played well for a lot of it.”

“Obviously, made some big numbers which kept me from being right in contention on Sunday, but I feel like there’s enough good in there to be encouraged going into this week.”

“Obviously (Riviera) presents a different challenge in itself, but I think the fact that I’m hitting a lot of good shots and hitting it close and converting a lot of putts, that has to give me confidence for not just this week but going forward.”

Scheffler has come up empty in half a dozen starts at Riviera.

The world No. 1 has one title under his belt this year, at La Quinta in January, but slow starts at Phoenix and Pebble Beach proved too much to overcome.

Scheffler, however, won’t be burdened by what-ifs.

“The great thing about golf is oftentimes we just get to show up the next week and start all over and compete again,” said Scheffler, who appreciates the old-school challenge of The Riv.

“I think it’s an interesting golf course because there’s not really many hazards. There’s not really too much out of bounds that comes into play,” he said.

“When you look at this golf course and you look at it on paper, it seems kind of easy. Then you start playing it and you’re like, hit a ball in the rough on two and you’re like, ‘Man this hole is kind of hard.’”

“Then you don’t hit the fairway on three and you’re like, ‘Oh, shoot, I don’t know how I am going to hit the ball on the green here.’”