Michael Kim On The Doorstep of a Top-10 Finish at The Genesis

Cal alum Michael Kim continued his steady play at The Genesis Invitational and will enter Sunday’s final round with a legitimate shot at a top-10 finish.

Kim shot a 1-under 71 in the third round at Torrey Pines in La Jolla and shares 13th place at minus-2 through 54 holes. The 31-year-old Cal grad trails leader Patrick Rodgers by six strokes in the $20 million event.

But a week after finishing in a tie for second place at the Phoenix Open, Kim is just one stroke back of a five-way tie for eighth place that includes Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the world’s first- and third-ranked players.

Rodgers shot a 68 to move to minus-8 and ahead of second-round leader Denny McCarthy, who is in second place at 7 under. Ludvig Aberg is third at minus-6.

Kim had birdies on Nos. 2 and 6 then carded pars the rest of the afternoon, aside from a single bogey on the par-3 11th hole.

He climbed as high as a tie for eighth place after his birdie on No. 6 but a string of pars prevented him to getting any closer to the top.

Kim’s three-day total of minus-2 leaves him in a tie for 13th with Hideki Matsuyama and Nick Taylor.

Fellow Cal grad Collin Morikawa had another erratic day on the course, with five birdies, including his final one on No. 18. The world’s fourth-ranked player also had two bogeys and double-bogeys on Nos. 5 and 15, leaving him a plus-1 for the day and tied for 33rd place at plus-2.

On Friday, Morikawa had three birdies, three bogeys, a double-bogey and an eagle.

Two other former Cal golfers, Max Homa and Byeong Hun-An, failed to make the cut on Friday.