- The Genesis Invitational’s cut rule puts star players’ weekend rounds at risk
- Scottie Scheffler’s slow start on Thursday could get back at him if he doesn’t make the cut
- The Genesis Invitational is one of the only three PGA Tour events with a cutline
While most signature events are getting heat for their exemptions, the Genesis Invitational is infuriating fans for a different reason: its cut rule. With the limited field entering the final two days, the cut could also remove names like Scottie Scheffler.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Creating signature events with no-cut so that people ‘could see the stars play all four rounds’… Then adding a cut for some unknown reason, and having the best player in the world possibly not play the weekend would be hilarious,” Monday Q Info tweeted their frustrations on X.
The Riviera Golf Course event features only 72 players to begin with. However, with the rules in place, the field is supposed to be cut down even further after 36 holes. Here is how cuts will be determined in Tiger Woods‘ event:
According to the PGA Tour website, the top 50 and ties on the leaderboard will have a confirmed place in the last two rounds. Anyone who is within ten strokes of first place will also join the field for the weekend.
But here’s what’s getting to everyone: At 2:30 P.M. (EST), 68 made the cut, leaving only ten players at the cutline, one of whom is the World No. 1, Scheffler.
Creating signature events with no-cut so that people “could see the stars play all four rounds”…
Then adding a cut for some unknown reason, and having the best player in the world possibly not play the weekend would be hilarious.
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) February 20, 2026
Scheffler has been struggling at Riviera Country Club since the beginning, when his round 1 was suspended due to inclement weather.
Update: Surging late in the second round with 3 under par, Scheffler has made the cut.
The rest of the golf community was also quite surprised to learn about the cutline rule, reacting strongly to Scheffler & Co. possibly missing the cut.
Fans show frustration at the Genesis Invitational’s weird rule
It’s not every day that you watch a cutline in a Signature event. In fact, the Genesis Invitational is one of the only three signature events on the PGA Tour to have a cut line, as most of these events were created to show the fans some star power. While being a top player would mean that you will probably be at the top of the list, everyone has their day.
For one, Scottie Scheffler hasn’t been having the best Thursdays in the last two events, either. So, his slow starts put him at risk of not making it to the weekend rounds at Riviera Country Club. And the cut line isn’t a new rule for Genesis.
Still, one of the fans was shocked by it as they tweeted, “Is this real? Two players are going to miss the cut?!”
They only saw Keegan Bradley and Garrick Higgo below the cut line when they opened the leaderboard. That did seem ridiculous and unfair, as most of the field would still be carrying on in the tournament. However, since the first-place pro was at 6-under par, their 5-over and more pushed them below the cutline.
Fried Egg Golf‘s Joseph LaMagna wrote, “Ten-shot rule in a 70-player field is truly ridiculous. We’ve lost the plot!”
The cutline rule isn’t as simple at Genesis either, with many complexities like the ten-shot rule. It allows a player within ten strokes of the leader also make the cut, giving them an unusual advantage. So, many believe that the rule shouldn’t be considered for such a short field. Considering how the leaderboard is at the moment, it does seem pointless.
However, even when the rule was applied last year, only four more players made the cutline past the top-50 in the 2025 Genesis Invitational. And, of course, you can always expect some comparison to the rival league whenever a PGA Tour event is in hot water.
That’s why one commented, “Making LIV look serious actually took some serious thinking about.”
LIV Golf events usually have a definite 57-player field. However, the Genesis Invitational’s top-50 and ties plus 10-shot rule makes it seem like the hosts are unsure what they want to see in the weekend rounds.
Lastly, someone said, “NO DOUBT! The players on the PGA should be embarrassed but this is really what they want limited competition. Similar to LIV. The rich don’t like competition.”
There has been a debate that the PGA Tour has been cutting down the competition and making the rich richer recently. Such rules in Signature events only add more fuel to those conversations.
Share this with a friend:
