Genesis R2: Scheffler keeps cut streak alive (just!) as McIlroy stalks leaders Bridgeman and Penge

If you ever needed an example of why cuts matter in professional golf, you saw it on Friday as the world's best golfer brought out all the stops just to make the weekend at Riviera. 

Scottie Scheffler had his back against the wall after returning Friday morning for a 3-over 74, but he bounced back in his afternoon second round with a gutsy 68 to get back to level par and make the cut on the number. 

Scheffler made a clutch up and down for birdie from a difficult spot in the greenside bunker on the par-5 17th, and he then he made an even more clutch par save on the par-4 18th. 

The World No.1 curled his ball into the right side of the cup from eight feet, see below. 

He most certainly did not have his best stuff once again on day two, but it was a whole lot better than his Thursday efforts where he played his first 10 holes in 5-over par to fall tied last in the tournament. 

But Scheffler battled back with four birdies on the last 10 holes of his second round to battle his way into Saturday's third round. 

The 2026 Genesis Invitational — hosted by Tiger Woods in support of his TGR Foundation — is one of the PGA Tour’s $20m Signature Events on the schedule.

It's also one of only three Signature Events that have a halfway cut for the top 50 and ties and those within 10 shots of the lead, alongside the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament. 

Scheffler's impressive cut streak now extends to 68 consecutive tournaments, the longest active streak on the PGA Tour. 

To put that into perspective, the next best active run belongs to Harris English, who also made the cut on 1-under par, to move to 21. 

The all-time PGA Tour record remains the gold standard: Woods’ 142 consecutive cuts made between 1998 and 2005, spanning from the 1998 Buick Invitational to the 2005 Wachovia Championship.

That is widely regarded as one of the most untouchable records in the sport, alongside Woods' 683 combined weeks as World No.1 and staggering 281 consecutive weeks in the top spot between 2005 and 2010. 

Scheffler is eating into those OWGR records though, at 179 weeks total and 144 weeks consecutively as of this week.

The last time Scheffler missed a halfway cut came at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August 2022. 

Scheffler knew exactly where he stood on the cut line heading down 18, hence why he reacted with a fist pump as his Pro V1 saw darkness. 

"Yeah, I was very aware," said Scheffler. "I mean, I pretty much knew I had to get to at least even par with the way the conditions were, and so yeah, just trying to do what I could do." 

In addition to his cut streak, Scheffler has racked up 18 consecutive top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour — the best run since Billy Casper recorded 17 between 1964 and 1965.

The four-time major champion will need to go some to extend that particular streak though as he's seven shots off the top 10. 

In terms of winning the tournament itself, that has likely gone now. 

Scheffler finds himself in T43 and a mammoth 12 shots back entering the weekend.  

That's because England's big-hitting Marco Penge and in-form American Jacob Bridgeman fired brilliant rounds of 64 to surge to 12-under par. 

Penge, Bridgeman in 36-hole lead

Penge, 27, and Bridgeman, 26, are both going in search of a first PGA Tour title. 

PGA Tour rookie Penge won three times on the DP World Tour in 2025 and he ran Rory McIlroy extremely close to the Race to Dubai in November. 

Despite missing the cut in his first two PGA Tour starts of 2026, followed by an out of sorts T64 at Pebble Beach, Penge well and truly announced his name on the scene on Friday at famed Riviera. 

"My approach play, putting and off the tee was really good, and it all came together at the same time today," said Penge, who made five birdies on his last seven holes to hit the top of the leaderboard. 

"I'm enjoying playing this great course with so much history. I enjoy the challenge of it, the greens are so fast. Even with all the rain we've had, they are so good. You almost have to have course management with your putts. That's probably the part I'm enjoying the most, having to visualise it all."

Penge considers the slow start to his rookie season has been a result of adapting to PGA Tour life, but he feels like he's getting there now. 

The Englishman added: "This is only my fourth week on the PGA Tour. It's obviously different to Europe. I think different attributes of the game you need to be better at in Europe and then be better at over here. I'm trying to figure that all out. I still have lots to improve on and get better at, there are parts of my game that frustrate me, but I'm learning from the top players out here already. 

"My iron play is just so inconsistent. My performance over the last seven holes today was so good, then some of the shots I hit on the front nine just didn't match up with that. Being a high ball speed player and a flair player, maybe it will always be a bit like that, but I would like to tighten a few screws and bring it all together. But that's more my process at trying to become better." 

A first PGA Tour title for Penge would be extra sweet with his wife Sophie expecting their second child next week. 

Bridgeman, who finished his round an hour later than Penge, also shot a 64. The in-form American closed out his second round with three straight birdies. 

While he might not have registered a first win on the PGA Tour just yet, he's certainly been banging on the door in early 2026. 

Bridgeman arrived at Riviera off the back of four straight top-20 finishes, including a T4 at the Sony Open and T8 at last week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. 

A red-hot putter has once again been the key to his success over the first 36 holes. 

"I rolled the rock wonderfully today," said Bridgeman, who leads the field in strokes-gained putting (7.444). 

In terms of winning his first PGA Tour title, Bridgeman said: "I've put myself in the mix quite a bit, the more I feel comfortable in this position the better. I just need to keep telling myself I can do it. Physically, will keep doing what I'm doing out here and just see how it goes." 

McIlroy stalking the leaders

It will be no easy task for either Penge or Bridgeman to enter the PGA Tour winner's circle on Sunday though, especially with grand slam champion McIlroy breathing down their necks. 

The World No.2 posted a superb second-round 65 to move serenely into contention and one shot off the pace on 11-under par. 

McIlroy, who is going in search of a landmark 30th PGA Tour title and a first ever win at Riviera, has incredibly not made a score of five on any hole so far this week. 

Adam Scott, a two-time winner of the Genesis Invitational in 2005 and 2020, vaulted up the board late Friday with a stunning 63 to move into a tie for fourth on 9-under par with two-time major champion Xander Schauffele (65). 

Max Greyserman (66) and in-form Min-Woo Lee (65) are in a tie for sixth on 8-under par.

Tommy Fleetwood (66), Matt Fitzpatrick (66), Wyndham Clark (68) and Kurt Kitayama (64) round out the top 10 on 7-under par. 

Sam Burns (1-over par), Russell Henley (2-over par), Keegan Bradley (3-over par), Justin Rose (3-over par), FedEx Cup leader Chris Gotterup (3-over par), JJ Spaun (4-over par) and Jason Day (5-over par) were some of the standout names to miss the weekend.