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  • Dbacks notes and recap

    • Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly: Live BP cancelled due to back issue

      Kelly will no longer throw live BP Saturday because of mid-back tightness, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

      Kelly is battling back tightness and won’t throw his previously scheduled live BP session. The veteran right-hander will undergo further testing in the next 24 hours, at which point a status update will likely be provided. Kelly has already been named the Diamondbacks‘ Opening Day starter.

    • Diamondbacks’ Jordan Lawlar: Will start opener in CF

      Lawlar will start in center field in Arizona’s Cactus League opener Saturday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

      This will be Lawlar’s first start in center field in a Diamondbacks‘ uniform. He was given reps in center during winter ball and has been working with outfielders during spring drills. As part of the team’s adjustment to being without injured outfielders Corbin Carroll (hand) and Lourdes Gurriel (knee) for rest of spring training, Lawlar is expected to see time in the outfield in camp and into the regular season.

    • Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen: Throws live BP session

      Gallen threw a live batting-practice session Friday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

      Gallen, who was signed last week, threw his first session since entering camp. He threw about 20 pitches, and manager Torey Lovullo was pleased with what he saw. “The fastball command looked good,” the manager said. “It looked like he was throwing a nice cutter, his breaking ball I think was trending in a very positive direction.” It appears that Gallen isn’t too far behind the other starters despite missing the first handful of days in camp. The pitcher said he felt good and was given positive feedback from the batters he faced.

    • Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo: Three PAs in spring opener

      Perdomo batted second and went 1-for-3 in Friday’s Cactus League opener against the Rockies.

      Perdomo should be a regular presence in spring lineups over the next two weeks, before he joins the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. He’s expected to bat leadoff against right-handers and second against left-handers for Arizona during the regular season.

    • Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte: Hitless in Cactus League opener

      Marte batted leadoff and went 0-for-3 in Friday’s spring game against Colorado.

      Marte should get significant plate appearances over the next two weeks before he leaves camp to participate in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic. Leadoff is a familiar spot for Marte, who served atop the batting order 40 times in 2025. When not leading off, Marte is expected to bat second.

  • Rockies 11 Dbacks 6

    Box Score
    Expert Picks
    Plays
    PLAYERS OF THE GAME
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

    1-1

    		 0 5 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 11 13 3

    1-1

    		 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 2 6 7 1
    • Salt River Fields at Talking StickScottsdale, AZ
    HITTERS AB R H RBI HR BB SO LOB AVG OBP SLG OPS FPTS
    B. Doyle CF 3 1 3 3 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.667 2.667 9.0
    D. Avans CF 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 .000 .400 .000 .400 0.0
    E. Tovar SS 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 .500 .667 .500 1.167 3.0
    a- C. Carrigg PH-SS 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0.0
    H. Goodman C 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 .000 .667 .000 .667 2.0
    b- K. McCann PH-C 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 -1.5
    W. Castro 2B 2 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 .500 .667 .500 1.167 2.5
    V. Machin 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 -0.5
    B. Crim 1B 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 .000 .250 .000 .250 1.5
    Z. Kokoska 1B 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000 2.000 3.000 3.0
    T. Johnston LF 3 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 .000 .200 .000 .200 1.5
    S. Thompson LF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 -0.5
    C. Condon RF 3 2 2 0 0 1 1 3 .667 .800 .667 1.467 4.5
    G. Hill Jr. PR-RF 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.000 2.000 2.0
    A. Amador DH 4 2 1 1 1 0 2 4 .250 .250 1.000 1.250 6.0
    c- B. Betancourt PH-DH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0.0
    R. Ritter 3B 2 2 2 2 0 1 0 0 .500 .600 .750 1.350 8.0
    C. Stevens 3B 1 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 .333 .500 .333 .833 4.0
    Total 39 11 13 10 1 8 13 24 – – – – –
    • a-grounded out for Tovar in the 4th
    • b-struck out for Goodman in the 5th
    • c-grounded out for Amador in the 8th
    HITTERS AB R H RBI HR BB SO LOB AVG OBP SLG OPS FPTS
    I. Vargas SS 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0.5
    J. Fernandez SS 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.0
    T. Tawa 2B 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 .500 .667 .500 1.167 2.0
    T. Troy 2B 2 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 .750 .750 1.250 2.000 5.0
    P. Smith 1B 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 .200 .200 .200 .400 -1.0
    B. McLaughlin 1B 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 .333 .333 .333 .667 2.5
    L. Baker DH 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 -0.5
    a- C. Roberts PH-DH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .500 .000 .500 0.5
    J. McCann C 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0.0
    G. Logan C 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0.5
    J. Lawlar CF 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 .500 .667 2.000 2.667 6.5
    J. Luis 3B 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.0
    L. Groover 3B 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 .333 .333 .333 .667 1.5
    J. Josepha CF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 -0.5
    D. Jones RF 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0.0
    A. Vukovich LF 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 .333 .500 .333 .833 2.0
    O. Mercado LF 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0.0
    K. Robinson RF 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 -0.5
    Total 36 6 7 5 1 3 11 19 – – – – –
    • a-hit by pitch for Baker in the 8th
    BATTING
    • 2B – B. Doyle 2 (2), Z. Kokoska, R. Ritter
    • HR – A. Amador
    • RBI – B. Doyle 3 (3), W. Castro, B. Crim, A. Amador, R. Ritter 2 (2), C. Stevens 2 (2)
    • 2-Out RBI – R. Ritter 2 (2), C. Stevens 2 (2)
    • Runners left in scoring position, 2-Out – D. Avans 2 (2), C. Carrigg, W. Castro, B. Crim, C. Condon 2 (2)
    BATTING
    • 2B – T. Troy (2)
    • HR – J. Lawlar
    • RBI – I. Vargas, T. Troy, B. McLaughlin, J. Lawlar, J. Luis
    • 2-Out RBI – T. Troy, B. McLaughlin
    • Runners left in scoring position, 2-Out – C. Roberts, J. Josepha
    FIELDING
    • E – C. Carrigg 2 (2), V. Machin
    FIELDING
    • E – L. Groover
    PITCHERS IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA WHIP FPTS
    T. Gordon (W, 1-0) 1.0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0.00 1.00 10.5
    V. Bellozo 2.0 1 1 1 1 2 1 4.50 1.00 4.0
    J. Hill 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 0.00 3.5
    G. Hughes 2.0 1 1 0 0 2 0 0.00 0.50 6.0
    C. Palmquist 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 1.00 2.5
    Total 9.0 7 6 3 3 11 1 – – –
    PITCHERS IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA WHIP FPTS
    M. Bratt (L, 0-1) 1.1 3 3 2 1 1 0 13.50 3.00 -7.5
    Z. Russell 0.0 2 2 2 2 0 0 0.00 0.00 -7.0
    A. Morillo 1.0 3 2 2 1 1 1 18.00 4.00 -2.5
    Y. Lin 1.2 2 2 2 2 2 0 10.80 2.40 0.0
    H. Durke 1.0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0.00 2.00 2.0
    S. Giesting 1.0 3 2 2 0 2 0 18.00 3.00 -1.0
    N. Savino 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 0.00 3.5
    Total 9.0 13 11 10 8 13 1 – – –
    PITCHING
    • Pitches-Strikes – T. Gordon 18-11, V. Bellozo 40-25, J. Hill 9-9, G. Hughes 29-17, C. Palmquist 19-11, T. Shook 27-20
    • Ground Balls-Fly Balls – T. Gordon 1-0, V. Bellozo 0-4, G. Hughes 4-1, T. Shook 4-0
    • Batters Faced – T. Gordon 4, V. Bellozo 8, J. Hill 3, G. Hughes 8, C. Palmquist 4, T. Shook 7
    PITCHING
    • Pitches-Strikes – M. Bratt 35-21, Z. Russell 27-13, A. Morillo 18-10, Y. Lin 34-20, H. Durke 26-14, S. Giesting 20-16, N. Savino 12-7
    • Ground Balls-Fly Balls – M. Bratt 3-3, A. Morillo 2-0, Y. Lin 1-2, S. Giesting 2-2, N. Savino 2-0
    • Batters Faced – M. Bratt 9, Z. Russell 5, A. Morillo 6, Y. Lin 9, H. Durke 5, S. Giesting 6, N. Savino 3

  • 2026 Winter Olympics results: Team USA dominates Slovakia in hockey; adds two more medals to tally

    The Americans are set for the epic showdown with the Canadians on Sunday for the gold medal

    By 
     & 

    Day 14 of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will provide Team USA with opportunities to inch closer to gold medals in men’s hockey and women’s curling with a semifinal contest in both sports.

    The marquee events of Friday happened in the hockey arena, where Canada needed a furious comeback from a 2-0 deficit to beat Finland in the first semifinal thanks to a last-minute goal. The Canadians got off to a slow start in their first game without captain Sidney Crosby, but eventually settled in and clawed their way back in front with a pair of third period goals to avoid more overtime drama.

    Team USA’s game against Slovakia was far less suspenseful, as the Americans went up early and poured it on from there on their way to a 6-2 victory, led by a pair of goals from Jack Hughes.

    With that win and Canada escaping against Finland, the Team USA men’s squad will take on the rivals from the north in the gold medal game on Sunday, looking to replicate what the United States women’s hockey team did against Canada in an overtime thriller to win gold on Thursday.

    In Friday’s medal events, Team USA picked up another gold medal in the men’s Freestyle Skiing halfpipe final, where Alex Ferreira finally captured gold to complete his set after winning silver and bronze in 2018 and 2022. Ferreira threw down a 93.75 in his third and final run of the night to jump ahead of Estonia’s Henry Sildaru for the gold medal.

    Corinne Stoddard added a bronze medal to Team USA’s overall tally in the women’s 1500m short track Speed Skating final. It was Stoddard’s first career Olympic medal and, combined with Ferreira’s gold, gives Team USA 29 medals in this year’s Olympics. That is good for second in 2026, behind only Norway, and already four more total medals than they took home in 2022 — with their 10 golds eclipsing the 2022 count of nine.

    2026 Winter Olympics medal count: Keep track of Team USA’s quest for gold in Italy
    Austin Nivison
    2026 Winter Olympics medal count: Keep track of Team USA's quest for gold in Italy

    On Friday, the United States will look to add to that medal count. The women’s curling team will face Canada for the bronze medal after losing their semifinal on Friday to Switzerland. Speed Skating star Jordan Stolz will go for his fourth medal of the games (and third gold) in the men’s mass start. There are two Team USA sleds in contention for medals in the two-woman bobsleigh competition after the first two heats, with Heat 3 and Heat 4 to come on Friday as well.

    Updates
    (85)

     Pinned

    🥇 Alex Ferreira wins gold in the men’s freeski halfpipe competition with sensational final run

    The men’s freeski halfpipe final was a wild competition that eventually ended with American Alex Ferreira taking home the gold with a 93.75 score for his third and final run, as he jumped ahead of Estonia’s Henry Sildaru thanks to an impressive, clean trip down the pipe.

    Ferreira’s gold breaks a tie between the U.S. and Italy for the second most golds in this year’s Olympics, as Team USA now has 10 and only trails Norway’s 17. The Americans nearly added another medal in the halfpipe event, but Nick Goepper suffered a hard crash on his final run and wasn’t able to improve his 89.00 score and got jumped by Canada’s Brendan McKay for third with a 91.00 in his last run of the night.

    Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Podium: 

    🥇 Alex Ferreira (USA)
    🥈 Henry Sildaru (EST)
    🥉 Brendan McKay (CAN)

     Pinned

    Canada survives Finland to reach gold medal game

    FINAL: Canada 3, Finland 2

    For the second game in a row, Canada needed some late-game heroics to advance in the Olympic tournament. This time, the Canadians dug themselves a 2-0 hole against Finland in the semifinal before flipping a switch. For the second half of the game, Canada peppered Finland goalie Juuse Saros with shots until it tied the game in the third period on a shot from defenseman Shea Theodore.

    The game appeared to be destined for overtime until — with 35 seconds left on the lock — Nathan MacKinnon snuck a power play goal through Saros to win the game. Canada will now play the winner of USA vs. Slovakia in the gold medal game.

     Pinned

    🥌 USA falls to Switzerland in semifinal, will play Canada for Olympic bronze

    Team USA’s women’s curling team fell 6-4 to Switzerland in Friday’s Olympic semifinal, ending their chance at gold. The Americans had a final opportunity in the ninth end when Tabitha Peterson attempted a complex three-point shot, but it yielded only a single point, leaving Switzerland in control.

    Earlier, Alina Paetz delivered a clutch point in the eighth end to extend the Swiss lead. Switzerland will play for gold Saturday, while Team USA will face Canada — who lost 6-3 to Sweden — for the bronze medal.

    @Olympics via Twitter
    Feb. 20, 2026, 4:40 pm EST

    @Olympics via Twitter
    Feb. 20, 2026, 4:24 pm EST

    @NBCOlympics via Twitter
    Feb. 20, 2026, 4:14 pm EST

    @Olympics via Twitter
    Feb. 20, 2026, 4:09 pm EST

    @Olympics via Twitter
    Feb. 20, 2026, 4:03 pm EST

    @NBCOlympics via Twitter
    Feb. 20, 2026, 3:55 pm EST

    @NBCOlympics via Twitter
    Feb. 20, 2026, 3:53 pm EST

  • Bridgeman opened a six-shot lead on Rory McIlroy and the field after an incredible performance on Saturday

    By

    The question entering the third round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational was how co-leaders Jacob Bridgeman and Marco Penge would handle the final pairing nerves on Moving Day as each chased his first PGA Tour victory. While Penge struggled, Bridgeman thrived, playing sensational golf to run away from the star-studded field and open a six-shot lead going into Sunday’s final round.

    Bridgeman, who shot the low round of the day with a 64, got to work early with three birdies in his first four holes, punctuated by a 7 wood to inside 3 feet on the 262-yard par-3 4th hole.

    From there, Bridgeman cooled off a touch with four pars and a bogey on the 8th to make the turn with a one-shot lead over Rory McIlroy. Where many would feel the nerves seeing McIlroy tight in their rear view mirror, Bridgeman settled in and caught fire to open his back nine, going 4 under in the first three holes on the second side to open up a stunning five-shot lead.

    Once again, it was his trusty 7 wood that delivered the best shot of that run, coming inches from an albatross on the par-5 11th to set up an eagle.

    While Bridgeman was tearing up Riviera Country Club, McIlroy and Xander Schauffele struggled to mount a charge in the star-studded penultimate group. Both players were left shaking their heads after multiple squandered opportunities to keep Bridgeman within reach, and both are left with serious work to do on Sunday if they hope to apply pressure to the 26-year-old.

    Bridgeman’s comfort in the moment on Saturday was notable, as he’ll face even more pressure playing in the final pairing on Sunday with McIlroy. Getting off to a strong start again would help, as he noted any lingering nerves went away after those early birdies.

    “I felt great all day,” Bridgeman said. “Had a really nice start, which, if there was any nerves, which there wasn’t really, that kinda eased it and gave me a little gap to begin with. And then I just started running with it.”

    Bridgeman is coming off four straight top 20 finishes to start his season, including a T8 finish last week at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which has strengthened his resolve and self-confidence that he can not only hang with the world’s best, but do what’s needed to pick up his first win.

    Leader

    1. Jacob Bridgeman (-19): Bridgeman entered Saturday lapping the field in strokes gained putting, and while his ability to roll the rock was on display at times in the third round (like on the 14th), it was his ball-striking that stole the show. Bridgeman gained 4.6 shots on the field with his approach play on Saturday alone, as he made confident, aggressive swings all day to take advantage of soft conditions at Riviera.

    He had just one moment of indecisiveness all day — finding the barranca left of the 8th fairway off the tee leading to his lone bogey — and was otherwise fully committed to his swing on every shot. The result was one of the best rounds of the day, and considering the moment and situation, what has to be the best round of Bridgeman’s career.

    Now, he enters Sunday with a healthy advantage that should help him get settled in as he’ll face even bigger pressure of trying to close out his first win and collect the $4 million check that comes with it.

    Contenders

    2. Rory McIlroy (-13)
    3. Aldrich Potgieter (-12)
    4. Aaron Rai (-11)
    5. Xander Schauffele, Kurt Kitayama (-10)

    Barring a spectacular ejection from Bridgeman on Sunday, McIlroy and Potgieter seem to be the only players with a real shot, and each of them will need to produce something spectacular to steal a win. There have been huge Sunday comebacks at Riviera before — Hideki Matsuyama fired a final-round 62 to win from six shots back in 2024 — so it’s not out of the realm of possibility, but it will require a Herculean effort to pull it off.

    McIlroy is certainly Bridgeman’s biggest threat, but he is going to have to tighten things up after missing several opportunities on Saturday. He made a sloppy bogey on the drivable par-4 10th and failed to birdie the par-5 17th after finding the green in two, but he had many other outside chances at birdies slip by that he desperately needed with the way Bridgeman was playing in the group behind him. McIlroy said after the round he found it hard to “trust my reads” on the greens as they kept getting faster as the day wore on — and, as poa greens do, got bumpier.

    “The greens got really fast there at the end of the day,” McIlroy said. “Then, it was just you couldn’t leave it dead. You’re grinding over 3-footers, and all of a sudden, you get one that you think you can have a bit of a run at and you hit it a little bit too hard. I just found the greens really, really difficult today. That was most of the frustration. Actually felt like I played pretty well. I wish I was a few shots closer to Jacob, but looks like I’ll be in the final group. At least I’ll be able to keep an eye on him and maybe get off to a fast start and put a little bit of pressure on him.”

    Potgieter’s 65 was the round of the day until Bridgeman bested him, and the young South African looks extremely comfortable with his game and the course. He has the firepower to go low, and that will be needed if he’s going to post the kind of score required to make Bridgeman think.

    Schauffele figured to be part of the Sunday conversation, but he had a dreadful day on the greens, losing more than 2.1 strokes to the field with his putter. That kept him from ever putting a real dent in his deficit to Bridgeman, and he now finds himself nine shots off the pace going into Sunday.

    Even a special round from any of these players will still require Bridgeman to stall out on Sunday. That’s not out of the question for a player trying to win for the first time, but given what we’ve seen from him all week, it’ll take a tremendous fall-off for someone other than Bridgeman to be getting a trophy from Tiger Woods on Sunday evening.

    2026 Genesis Invitational odds

    Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

    • Jacob Bridgeman (1-6)
    • Rory McIlroy (6-1)
    • Aldrich Potgieter (30-1)

    This feels done and dusted unless nerves completely take over Bridgeman on Sunday. The greens are soft enough that you can be aggressive out there and go low, but the margins at Riviera are still tight, and it’ll take a near-perfect round to put together the kind of scoring needed to chase him down.

    Updates
    (19)

    Jacob Bridgeman takes a 6-shot lead to the 15th tee

    While everyone anticipated the final pairing would get run down by the star-studded penultimate pair, Jacob Bridgeman has started to run away from the field at Riviera.

    A birdie-eagle-birdie-par-birdie start to his back nine pushed him to 19 under for the tournament and six shots clear of Rory McIlroy and Aldrich Potgieter as he gets set to turn back towards the clubhouse for the closing stretch at Riv.

    It has been an absolute stripe show from Bridgeman to get himself five clear of the field, as he hasn’t had to rely too much on his great putting on Saturday after throwing dart after dart at flagsticks. However, it’s nice to have the hottest putter in the field to lean on when you need to, as he did with a lengthy birdie roll that tracked dead center on the 14th.

    He is taking full advantage of the soft greens with his approach play in the third round, and his second shot on the par-5 11th even drew rave reviews from Tiger Woods in the CBS booth.

    Jacob Bridgeman nearly holes out for albatross on No. 11

    For the second time today we’ve had a near-albatross at Riviera, this time from the leader who hit his approach on the par-5 11th within inches of the cup with a 7-wood from 259 yards out that took a peek at the hole before sliding just behind the cup.

    That led to a tap-in eagle to move Bridgeman to 17 under for the tournament (5 under for his round) and four shots clear of Rory McIlroy — who birdied the 11th to get back to 13 under. It has been a wildly impressive third round performance from Bridgeman, who seems to be very comfortable in his position after getting a few chances to feel that late afternoon pressure on the weekend to start this season.

    After four straight top 20s, he’s looking to best those finishes with his first career PGA Tour victory. If he gets there, his trusty 7-wood will have played a huge role, as he’s stuffed two from distance today — one on the 262-yard par-3 4th and one on the 11th — that produced a birdie and an eagle.

    @PGATOUR via Twitter
    Feb. 21, 2026, 5:07 pm EST

    Jacob Bridgeman’s lead extends back to three after a two-shot swing with Rory McIlroy on No. 10

    Bridgeman bounced back from his bogey on No. 8 with a birdie on the short par-4 10th thanks to a terrific birdie putt from 12 feet away to get back to 15 under. That extended his lead back to three shots thanks to a sloppy bogey from Rory McIlroy in the group in front.

    McIlroy flared a 3-wood 30 yards short of the green and then hit a poor wedge to just 24 feet. From there he three-putt to walk off a hole most players are birdieing today with an extremely disappointing bogey five to fall back to 12 under and into a tie for second.

    He’s joined by Aldrich Potgieter and Xander Schauffele at that number — with Schauffele also making a fairly routine birdie on the 10th — and now has work to do the rest of the way on the back nine to try and reel in Bridgeman, who doesn’t seem like he’s going to blink much in this third round.

    Max Greyserman comes inches away from a hole-in-one on the par-4 10th

    The par-4 10th hole is playing just 284 yards on Saturday — only 22 yards longer than the par-3 4th — and the much more accessible front hole location on the extremely tilted green is allowing players to try and attack with a 3-wood off the tee.

    Max Greyserman set the mark to beat on the 10th with a 3-wood to 2’7″ from the cup that flirted with dropping for a hole-in-one as it landed just short of the flag stick, checked once and then rolled just past the cup on the left side.

    Greyserman settled for “just” an eagle on the par 4 after coming achingly close to an extremely rare albatross. That got him back to red figures for the day after a tough front nine and back inside the top 10 at 9 under for the tournament.

    Jacob Bridgeman drops back to 14 under, Rory McIlroy now 1 back

    After a fast start, Bridgeman gave one back after a wayward drive on the 8th set up his first bogey of the day, and his lead is now just one over Rory McIlroy. Bridgeman is still -2 thru 8 on his third round, moving him to 14 under and the solo lead, while his playing partner and 36-hole co-leader Marco Penge has moved backwards to 11 under after a rocky first eight holes.

    McIlroy (-13) and Xander Schauffele (-11) have been playing some terrific golf in the penultimate group but just haven’t quite seen as many putts drop as they’d like to apply some real heat to Bridgeman. Still, they both made the turn at 2 under for their day and have been looking extremely solid with their ball-striking to start the third round.

    Aldrich Potgieter charging into the top 5

    The hottest man on the golf course right now is Aldrich Potgieter. The big-hitting South African is 5 under thru 10 holes thanks to an eagle on No. 1 and four birdies in his last five holes.

    Potgieter is looking to toss his hat in the ring on a crowded leaderboard behind Jacob Bridgeman, and he certainly has the firepower to create opportunities when he’s hitting it straight. The question Potgieter and the rest of the field are waiting to get answered is whether Bridgeman will come back to them at all, or if he’s going to just keep extending his advantage.

    If he does back up — or stall out — he’ll face challenges from a number of players, most notably Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele, but Potgieter also can be a threat with his length and ability to go low.

    Jacob Bridgeman off to a hot start, extends lead to three with a three early birdies

    The solo leader at the Genesis is now Jacob Bridgeman after making three birdies in his first four holes to move to 15 under. He’s now three clear of playing partner Marco Penge — who went birdie-bogey-par-par — and Rory McIlroy, who has one birdie and three pars for a solid start to his third round.

    Bridgeman’s ball-striking has been crisp to open his round, and his best shot came on the 262-yard par-3 4th where he sent a 7-wood to two feet from the pin as he seems very comfortable in his position in the final pairing on Saturday.

    Bridgeman is looking primed for his fifth-straight top 20 finish to start the 2026 season, and this time he’s hoping to convert his first career PGA Tour victory. He’s dominated the field on the greens this week, and if his ball-striking holds up as it has to start Saturday, he’ll be a factor all the way til the end.

    @PGATOUR via Twitter
    Feb. 21, 2026, 3:38 pm EST

    @PGATOUR via Twitter
    Feb. 21, 2026, 2:57 pm EST

    Rory McIlroy opens with a birdie on No. 1 to grab a share of the lead

    The par-5 1st has played as the easiest hole at Riviera Country Club, and making a birdie is a necessity to keep pace with the field. Rory McIlroy accomplished that with a routine four after reaching the green in two and now owns a share of the lead at 12 under, which will send a quick message back to Jacob Bridgeman and Marco Penge as they waited to hit their approach shots into the first in the pairing behind.

    Xander Schauffele also matched McIlroy with a birdie to get to 10 under, and the marquee pairing of the afternoon is off and running at Riv. Bridgeman and Penge each

  • The Genesis Invitational Scores

     Watch Live
    Tournaments
    POS CTRY NAME TO PAR R1 R2 R3 R4 TOTAL
    1
    USA
    Jacob Bridgeman
    		 -19 66 64 64 2:20 PM 194
    2
    NIR
    Rory McIlroy
    		 -13 66 65 69 2:20 PM 200
    3
    ZAF
    Aldrich Potgieter
    		 -12 68 68 65 2:10 PM 201
    4
    ENG
    Aaron Rai
    		 -11 66 70 66 2:10 PM 202
    T5
    USA
    Kurt Kitayama
    		 -10 71 64 68 2:00 PM 203
    T5
    USA
    Xander Schauffele
    		 -10 68 65 70 2:00 PM 203
    T7
    USA
    Max Greyserman
    		 -9 68 66 70 1:50 PM 204
    T7
    ENG
    Marco Penge
    		 -9 66 64 74 1:50 PM 204
    T9
    USA
    Jake Knapp
    		 -8 73 65 67 1:40 PM 205
    T9
    NZL
    Ryan Fox
    		 -8 67 69 69 1:40 PM 205
    T9
    ENG
    Tommy Fleetwood
    		 -8 69 66 70 1:30 PM 205
    T9
    AUS
    Adam Scott
    		 -8 70 63 72 1:30 PM 205
    T13
    USA
    Cameron Young
    		 -7 72 68 66 1:15 PM 206
    T13
    USA
    Akshay Bhatia
    		 -7 68 71 67 1:15 PM 206
    T15
    USA
    Patrick Cantlay
    		 -6 72 70 65 1:05 PM 207
    T15
    SWE
    Alex Noren
    		 -6 74 66 67 1:05 PM 207
    T15
    USA
    Pierceson Coody
    		 -6 68 71 68 12:55 PM 207
    T15
    USA
    Collin Morikawa
    		 -6 68 69 70 12:55 PM 207
    T15
    USA
    Jordan Spieth
    		 -6 70 67 70 12:45 PM 207
    T15
    USA
    Wyndham Clark
    		 -6 67 68 72 12:45 PM 207
    T15
    ENG
    Matt Fitzpatrick
    		 -6 69 66 72 12:35 PM 207
    T22
    USA
    Scottie Scheffler
    		 -5 74 68 66 12:35 PM 208
    T22
    SCO
    Robert MacIntyre
    		 -5 73 69 66 12:25 PM 208
    T22
    KOR
    Tom Kim
    		 -5 71 70 67 12:25 PM 208
    T22
    USA
    Matt McCarty
    		 -5 70 69 69 12:15 PM 208
    T22
    AUS
    Min Woo Lee
    		 -5 69 65 74 12:15 PM 208
    T27
    USA
    Sam Stevens
    		 -4 74 68 67 12:05 PM 209
    T27
    USA
    Sahith Theegala
    		 -4 71 70 68 12:05 PM 209
    T27
    USA
    Tony Finau
    		 -4 72 69 68 11:55 AM 209
    T27
    SWE
    Ludvig Aberg
    		 -4 72 68 69 11:55 AM 209
    T27
    USA
    Max Homa
    		 -4 70 66 73 11:45 AM 209
    T32
    JPN
    Hideki Matsuyama
    		 -3 69 72 69 11:45 AM 210
    T32
    IRL
    Shane Lowry
    		 -3 73 68 69 11:30 AM 210
    T32
    USA
    Patrick Rodgers
    		 -3 71 69 70 11:30 AM 210
    T32
    KOR
    Si Woo Kim
    		 -3 68 72 70 11:20 AM 210
    T32
    CAN
    Nick Taylor
    		 -3 72 68 70 11:20 AM 210
    T32
    CAN
    Corey Conners
    		 -3 71 69 70 11:10 AM 210
    T38
    USA
    Ryan Gerard
    		 -2 72 70 69 11:10 AM 211
    T38
    USA
    Harris English
    		 -2 73 68 70 11:00 AM 211
    T38
    VEN
    Jhonattan Vegas
    		 -2 69 68 74 11:00 AM 211
    T41
    NOR
    Viktor Hovland
    		 -1 69 73 70 10:50 AM 212
    T41
    USA
    Ben Griffin
    		 -1 73 68 71 10:50 AM 212
    T41
    FIN
    Sami Valimaki
    		 -1 71 70 71 10:40 AM 212
    T41
    USA
    Rickie Fowler
    		 -1 72 68 72 10:40 AM 212
    T41
    CAN
    Taylor Pendrith
    		 -1 69 70 73 10:30 AM 212
    46
    USA
    Denny McCarthy
    		 E 72 70 71 10:30 AM 213
    47
    JPN
    Ryo Hisatsune
    		 +1 70 72 72 10:20 AM 214
    48
    USA
    Andrew Novak
    		 +2 70 71 74 10:20 AM 215
    49
    DEU
    Matthias Schmid
    		 +3 71 71 74 10:10 AM 216
    T50
    USA
    Brian Harman
    		 +5 72 70 76 10:10 AM 218
    T50
    AUT
    Sepp Straka
    		 +5 70 68 80 10:05 AM 218
    CUT
    USA
    Max McGreevy
    		 +1 70 73 – – 143
    CUT
    COL
    Nico Echavarria
    		 +1 74 69 – – 143
    CUT
    USA
    Sam Burns
    		 +1 70 73 – – 143
    CUT
    USA
    Maverick McNealy
    		 +1 69 74 – – 143
    CUT
    USA
    Russell Henley
    		 +2 76 68 – – 144
    CUT
    ENG
    Harry Hall
    		 +2 70 74 – – 144
    CUT
    USA
    Daniel Berger
    		 +2 72 72 – – 144
    CUT
    USA
    Brian Campbell
    		 +2 70 74 – – 144
    CUT
    USA
    J.T. Poston
    		 +2 75 69 – – 144
    CUT
    PHL
    Rico Hoey
    		 +2 73 71 – – 144
    CUT
    TWN
    Kevin Yu
    		 +2 73 71 – – 144
    CUT
    USA
    Lucas Glover
    		 +3 72 73 – – 145
    CUT
    USA
    Chris Gotterup
    		 +3 71 74 – – 145
    CUT
    ENG
    Justin Rose
    		 +3 74 71 – – 145
    CUT
    USA
    Tom Hoge
    		 +3 73 72 – – 145
    CUT
    USA
    Keegan Bradley
    		 +3 76 69 – – 145
    CUT
    USA
    Bud Cauley
    		 +4 72 74 – – 146
    CUT
    USA
    Michael Kim
    		 +4 72 74 – – 146
    CUT
    USA
    J.J. Spaun
    		 +4 74 72 – – 146
    CUT
    AUS
    Jason Day
    		 +5 73 74 – – 147
    CUT
    ZAF
    Garrick Higgo
    		 +10 76 76 – – 152

  • ASU 81 Houston 56 Final

  • ASU Womens 81 Houston 56 Final

    HOUSTON
    COUGARS
    7-20
    56
    FINAL
    81
    ARIZONA STATE
    SUN DEVILS
    22-7

    24
    S. Anumele G
    13 PTS, 3 AST
    14
    H. Carrera F
    23 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST
    Cougars
    STARTERS PTS REB AST FG 3PT FT PF STL BLK TO
    B. Peguero 13 0 1 3/9 2/7 5/6 3 2 0 4
    T. Pitts 13 7 2 3/9 0/1 7/8 3 1 1 2
    K. Hunter 7 3 0 2/8 1/5 2/2 3 1 0 0
    J. Ross 2 2 1 1/5 0/0 0/0 2 1 0 1
    A. Abdur-Rahim 2 3 3 1/6 0/0 0/0 3 3 1 3
    BENCH PTS REB AST FG 3PT FT PF STL BLK TO
    S. Anumele 13 0 3 3/9 1/4 6/7 1 2 0 0
    K. Merchant 6 0 0 1/1 0/0 4/4 0 0 0 1
    J. Jones 0 1 0 0/1 0/0 0/0 0 0 0 0
    K. King 0 0 0 0/2 0/1 0/0 1 0 0 1
    Total 56 18 10 14/50 4/18 24/27 16 10 2 12
    1 2 3 4 T

    Cougars 7-20

    		 13 14 19 10 56

    Sun Devils 22-7

    		 27 22 15 17 81
    Desert Financial Arena Tempe, AZ
    Sun Devils
    STARTERS PTS REB AST FG 3PT FT PF STL BLK TO
    H. Carrera 23 8 1 10/12 0/0 3/4 2 2 1 2
    M. Brackens 17 6 4 8/16 1/2 0/0 2 0 0 1
    M. Washenitz 14 8 2 5/9 3/7 1/2 2 4 0 2
    G. Elliott 7 1 3 3/7 0/1 1/2 3 1 0 2
    L. Poa 2 4 3 1/1 0/0 0/0 1 1 0 1
    BENCH PTS REB AST FG 3PT FT PF STL BLK TO
    J. LoVett 12 2 3 4/9 0/0 4/4 1 1 0 0
    D. Davenport 4 6 2 2/3 0/0 0/0 1 0 0 4
    M. Fantini 2 3 0 1/1 0/0 0/0 1 0 0 0
    M. Moore 0 2 1 0/2 0/1 0/0 1 0 0 1
    T. Grice 0 1 0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0 0 0 0
    A. Williams 0 2 4 0/2 0/0 0/0 2 0 0 1
    Total 81 48 23 34/62 4/11 9/12 16 9 1 16

  • Dell’Orso’s 22 points spark No. 4 Arizona past No. 2 Houston, 73-66 for Big 12 lead

    • AP
    • Feb 21, 2026

    Houston Cougars (AP) Anthony Dell’Orso tied a season high with 22 points and No. 4 Arizona Wildcats toppled second-ranked Houston 73-66 on Saturday to move into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference.

    Arizona (25-2, 12-2), which opened the season 23-0, won its second straight game following consecutive losses to then-No. 9 Kansas and then- 16th-ranked Texas Tech, that knocked the team out of the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 poll.

    The Wildcats were down by two before scoring the next 12 points to make it 60-50 with about five minutes remaining. The Cougars missed eight consecutive shots and had three turnovers in that stretch to allow Arizona to build the lead.

    Houston (23-4, 11-3) hadn’t scored in about eight minutes when Emanuel Sharp made two free throws with 4 ½ minutes to go. Kalifa Sakho made two more free throws to cut the lead to 60-54 with less than four minutes remaining.

    It had been more than 10 minutes since the Cougars made a field goal when a 3-pointer by Kingston Flemings got them within 61-57, but Arizona got four straight points by Jaden Bradley to pad the lead with just over a minute left.

    Flemings had 17 points and Sharp added 14 for the Cougars, who lost consecutive games for the first time this season after falling 70-67 at No. 6 Iowa State on Monday night to end a six-game winning streak.

    The Cougars struggled to take care of the ball, committing 12 turnovers that led to 16 points for the Wildcats.

    Arizona led by as many as 10 in the first half and was up by four early in the second half before the Cougars used an 8-2 run to make it 44-42, giving them their first lead of the game with about 14 minutes left.

    Arizona visits Baylor Tuesday night.

    Houston visits No. 8 Kansas Monday night.

    —

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

    Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

    Expert Picks

    View all 3 picks

    Chip Patterson
    Chip Patterson

    Shoot Your Shot

    Over 74.5-106
    Houston • Home Team Total • Team Prop
    Picked Feb 21 @ 11:24 am, 1 unit on FanDuel
    LOSS
    Arizona’s path to victory here is pace, and Houston has dynamic guard play that has proven this season to heat up and score in spurts when they get in rhythm. If the game is close, then it seems to play to a higher scoring game overall. But even if the second half is spent with Houston holding Arizona at a mid-size margin (5-7 points), the continuous pushing from the Wildcats could drive up the possession count and power Houston’s point total to 75 or higher.

    Chip’s Pick

    Eric Cohen
    Eric CohenEC
    +135 (60%)
    Last 5 CBB
    Under 141.5-110
    Over / Under
    Picked Feb 19 @ 9:08 pm, 1.5 unit on BetMGM
    WIN
    I’m jumping on this total early as I anticipate it drops into the upper 130s by Saturday. Houston is surrendering less than 62 points per game this season and has only given up more than 65 points at home one time this year (vs. ASU in a blowout). Arizona is without their second leading scorer Koa Peat and will struggle to generate consistent offense against the elite Cougars defense. While I still believe my Wildcats are a Final Four team, Saturday likely won’t be their day for success. I see something like a 73-62 final score and would feel comfortable playing this line down to 137.5.

    Eric’s Pick

    1 2 T

    4 Arizona 25-2

    		 36 37 73

    2 Houston 23-4

    		 31 35 66
    Fertitta Center Houston, TX
    TOP SCORERS
    3
    		 A. Dell’Orso G 22PTS 3REB 0AST
    4
    		 K. Flemings G 17PTS 8REB 4AST
    Arizona
    STARTERS PTS REB AST PF
    J. Bradley 17 4 4 2
    I. Kharchenkov 16 9 3 1
    T. Awaka 7 6 0 5
    B. Burries 7 4 2 1
    M. Krivas 4 5 1 5
    BENCH PTS REB AST PF
    A. Dell’Orso 22 3 0 3
    E. Nelson 0 1 0 1
    S. Gueye 0 0 0 1
    A. Arnold – – – –
    J. Francois – – – –
    J. Cook – – – –
    S. Djopmo – – – –
    M. Mawut – – – –
    B. James – – – –
    Total 73 32 10 19
    Houston
    STARTERS PTS REB AST PF
    K. Flemings 17 8 4 4
    E. Sharp 14 3 1 4
    C. Cenac Jr. 10 13 1 0
    M. Uzan 9 1 3 2
    J. Tugler 7 4 3 4
    BENCH PTS REB AST PF
    I. Harwell 3 2 0 4
    C. McCarty 3 0 0 0
    K. Sakho 2 3 0 3
    M. Miller 1 0 0 2
    R. Walker Jr. – – – –
    C. Lath 0 0 0 1
    J. McFarland – – – –
    Total 66 34 12 24

  • Agbim, Yessoufou help Baylor end four-game skid with 73-68 victory over Arizona State

    • AP
    • Feb 21, 2026

    WACO, Texas (AP) Obi Agbim and Tounde Yessoufou scored 16 points apiece to propel Baylor Bears to a 73-68 victory over Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, ending the Bears’ four-game skid.

    Agbim made 6 of 8 shots and hit three of his four 3-pointers in the final five minutes to help the Bears (14-13, 4-10 Big 12 Conference) prevail. Yessoufou hit 6 of 14 shots with two 3-pointers. Isaac Williams totaled 14 points and five assists, while Cameron Carr scored 13 with four assists.

    Anthony “Pig” Johnson had 20 points to pace the Sun Devils (14-13, 5-9). He made 6 of 11 shots and 8 of 10 free throws off the bench. Maurice Odum added 13 points, and Massamba Diop and reserve Allen Mukeba each scored 10.

    Odum hit a 3-pointer and Johnson made four free throws in a span of 27 seconds to put the Sun Devils up 35-27 with three minutes left in the first half and the eight-point advantage held at halftime, 40-32.

    Michael Rataj buried a 3-pointer and Williams hit a jumper to cap a 14-4 run to begin the second half as Baylor took a 46-44 lead. It was a one-possession game until Odum hit from distance to put the Sun Devils up 57-53 with 7:50 remaining.

    Agbim’s 3-pointer gave Baylor a 60-59 lead with five minutes left. Carr hit a jumper and Agbim added another 3 to push the lead to five with 2:31 to go. Johnson made four free throws and Odum scored off a Johnson steal to cut it to 68-67, but Agbim answered with another 3 and Baylor held on.

    Baylor: Hosts No. 4 Arizona on Tuesday.

    Arizona State: At TCU on Tuesday.

    —

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketba spurtll: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

    Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

    Expert Picks
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    1 2 T

    Arizona State 14-13

    		 40 28 68

    Baylor 14-13

    		 32 41 73
    Foster Pavillion Waco, Texas
    TOP SCORERS
    2
    		 A. Johnson G 20PTS 2REB 3AST
    5
    		 O. Agbim G 16PTS 5REB 2AST
    Arizona State
    STARTERS PTS REB AST PF
    M. Odum 12 2 3 4
    M. Diop 10 10 0 3
    S. Trouet 7 5 2 2
    A. Grbovic 6 0 1 1
    N. Meeusen 3 8 2 1
    BENCH PTS REB AST PF
    A. Johnson 20 2 3 1
    A. Mukeba 10 3 0 2
    T. Best – – – –
    Total 68 30 11 14
    Baylor
    STARTERS PTS REB AST PF
    T. Yessoufou 16 3 1 1
    O. Agbim 16 5 2 3
    I. Williams IV 14 1 5 4
    C. Carr 13 3 4 2
    C. Powell 8 7 1 3
    BENCH PTS REB AST PF
    M. Rataj 3 1 0 0
    D. Skillings Jr. 3 2 3 2
    J. Nnaji 0 1 0 1
    J. Goodis – – – –
    W. Kuykendall – – – –
    D. Perry – – – –
    Total 73 23 16 16

  • Saadi scores 13 off the bench, Wyoming beats Grand Canyon 70-65

    • AP
    • Feb 22, 2026

    PHOENIX (AP) Simm-Marten Saadi and Leland Walker helped lead Wyoming Cowboys past Grand Canyon Antelopes on Saturday with 13 points apiece in a 70-65 win.

    Saadi shot 5 for 9, including 3 for 7 from beyond the arc, and Walker shot 5 of 14 from the field, including 0 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 3 from the free-throw line. Nasir Meyer shot 4 of 13 from the field, including 0 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 6 from the foul line to finish with 11 points for the Cowboys (15-12, 6-10 Mountain West Conference)

    Makaih Williams finished with 29 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Antelopes (17-10, 10-6). Grand Canyon also got 15 points and five assists from Jaden Henley. Nana Owusu-Anane finished with nine points and 12 rebounds.

    —

    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

    Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

    Expert Picks
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    1 2 T

    Wyoming 15-12

    		 28 42 70

    Grand Canyon 17-10

    		 28 37 65
    Global Credit Union Arena Phoenix, AZ
    TOP SCORERS
    35
    		 S. Saadi F 13PTS 4REB 1AST
    2
    		 M. Williams G 29PTS 7REB 0AST
    Wyoming
    STARTERS PTS REB AST PF
    L. Walker 13 3 4 4
    N. Meyer 11 3 3 2
    K. Bennett 9 8 3 2
    D. Dennis 3 1 0 3
    K. Saxon 0 1 0 4
    BENCH PTS REB AST PF
    S. Saadi 13 4 1 3
    U. Rojas 9 4 2 0
    A. Harakow 7 3 0 0
    A. Magassa 5 8 0 3
    G. Spielman – – – –
    T. Taylor – – – –
    N. Summers – – – –
    Total 70 35 13 21
    Grand Canyon
    STARTERS PTS REB AST PF
    M. Williams 29 7 0 4
    J. Henley 15 5 5 4
    N. Owusu-Anane 9 12 0 3
    E. Demirel 8 2 0 2
    B. Moore Jr. 2 2 2 1
    BENCH PTS REB AST PF
    W. Breidenbach 2 2 0 3
    K. Smith 0 0 0 0
    D. Stromer 0 4 2 1
    D. Evans 0 1 0 1
    J. Sawyer – – – –
    B. Johnson – – – –
    C. Pepe – – – –
    E. Boisdur – – – –
    L. Shaw – – – –
    Total 65 35 9 19