Rory McIlroy survives rain, brutal wind at Riviera to jump up the leaderboard early at the Genesis Invitational

February 20, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Rory McIlroy posted a 5-under 66 to open the signature event at Riviera Country Club on Thursday. (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)Orlando Ramirez via Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — The first three holes of the day on Thursday looked absolutely miserable for Rory McIlroy.

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But roughly eight hours after he first teed off, McIlroy didn’t hesitate.

“The rain,” McIlroy said instantly when asked which part of the round he preferred. The second stretch, though completely dry, was surprisingly much more difficult.

But whether it was the uncharacteristic rain that battered players in the morning and sent the event into a three-hour delay, or the 20-plus miles-per-hour wind gusts that whipped through Riviera Country Club, McIlroy appeared to handle both with very little issue.

He posted a 5-under 66 to open the Genesis Invitational, which gave him a share of the lead as he hit the clubhouse. Aaron Rai eventually passed him with a birdie late on Thursday night right before play was suspended for the day due to darkness.

"I've started to just really enjoy this style of golf," McIlroy said. "If you had asked me 10 years ago, I didn't enjoy these conditions, but it's been a shift in a mindset and maybe just a continuation of trying to build upon the skill set that I have. Then when it does get to conditions like this, I'm a lot more prepared.

"I wouldn't say I enjoy them, but I can certainly handle them better."

McIlroy birdied twice in his first three holes before the rain delay hit, and then he birdied his first one out of the break, too, seemingly unbothered by the hours-long gap in his round. He easily saved his par plenty of times when things could have fallen apart on him, too, like when he had to chip from on the putting surface at the sixth, and he spun it back close enough for an easy par.

Don't try this at your home course 😂

Rory chips it from on the green on the 6th @TheGenesisInv.

📺 @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/E82DgT9heG
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 19, 2026

McIlroy nearly went bogey-free on the day, too, save for a slip at the par-3 16th when he pulled his tee shot well left and short of the green. That was perhaps the one time all day when he looked truly frustrated, and he slammed the top of his iron onto the small, white toy Genesis car serving as the tee marker twice on his way off the box.

But McIlroy birdied the short par-5 17th right after to make up for it to get back into a share of the lead before walking off the course for good.

Rai, who has won a single time on Tour in his career, got to 6-under for the day and made back-to-back birdies before play ended. He'll have two holes to complete on Friday before starting the second round. Jacob Bridgeman, in his first round at the Genesis Invitational, joined McIlroy at 5-under.

Scheffler, uncharacteristically, struggled. The top-ranked golfer in the world made two bogeys and a double to make the turn at 4-over, and he bogeyed the 10th before his round was called. That put him in a tie for last on the leaderboard.

The rough conditions on Thursday, though, appear to be a one-day issue. The rain will be gone the rest of the weekend, and the wind will die down significantly, if not altogether.

“This course is going to play very different I think the next three days … just score-ability with the wind being down,” said Collin Morikawa, who carded a 3-under playing alongside McIlroy. “So we’ll see some low scores over the next 54 holes.”

While that should open the door for the rest of the field — including Scheffler, who always seems to find a way to make a charge in time for the final round no matter what happens to him on Thursday — McIlroy has the early advantage in his second Tour stop of the season.

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Last 10 NBA Dunk Contest winners

February 20, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

The Slam Dunk Contest has always been All-Star Weekend’s Wild Card, the event most likely to flip from forgettable to unforgettable in a single leap. Over the last decade, though, the trophy has belonged less to established stars and more to hungry role players and specialists carving out a lane above the rim. The last 10 winners underline that shift: from Donovan Mitchell in 2018, the only All-Star in the group, to a run of high-flyers trying to dunk their way into the wider NBA conversation.

What stands out in this 10-year window is how often the contest has become a stage for guys fighting for rotation minutes rather than franchise faces. That hasn’t hurt the entertainment value; if anything, it has raised the desperation level, with winners willing to empty the clip for one night of viral fame. And now, with Miami’s Keshad Johnson joining the list in 2026, the baton has fully passed to a new generation of leapers treating the Dunk Contest as their own primetime showcase.

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10. Glenn Robinson III (2017)

Wisconsin Herd player Glenn Robinson III poses for a photo on Tuesday January 16, 2024 in the Oshkosh Arena in Oshkosh, Wis. Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

All-Star selections: 0

Robinson was the first true “role-player winner” in this run, sneaking up on a casual audience in New Orleans. His clean, high-difficulty reverse over multiple people set the tone for a decade where precision and efficiency often beat pure name recognition.

9. Donovan Mitchell (2018)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

All-Star selections: 7

Mitchell is the outlier on this list. A rising star who used the contest as a loud introduction to his All-NBA upside. His Vince Carter tribute and mix of power and flair made him the last marquee name to own the Dunk Contest stage in this stretch.

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8. Hamidou Diallo (2019)

Jan 13, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Hamidou Diallo (6) shoots against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

All-Star selections: 0

Diallo’s Superman dunk over Shaquille O’Neal in Charlotte became an instant meme and a reminder that props can still land when the bounce is real. For a second-round pick fighting for minutes, that 50-point flush was a career-defining snapshot.

7. Derrick Jones Jr. (2020)

Feb 11, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (5) drives to the basket against Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

All-Star selections: 0

Jones turned Chicago into his personal runway, stringing together between-the-legs variations that edged Aaron Gordon in one of the most debated finishes ever. His left-handed glide and absurd hang time were tailor-made for slow-motion replays.

6. Anfernee Simons (2021)

Jan 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) drives to the basket between Portland Trail Blazers guard Rayan Rupert (21) and center Robert Williams III (35) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

All-Star selections: 0

In an odd halftime contest during the pandemic season, Simons leaned on creativity, most memorably the near “kiss the rim” finish, to steal the trophy. It was a quieter stage, but his flair hinted at the scorer and shooter he was becoming in Portland.

5. Obi Toppin (2022)

Obi Toppin dunking against the Atlanta Hawks. | Elsa/Getty Images

All-Star selections: 0

Toppin finally cashed in after a runner-up showing, using his long frame and touch around the rim to separate from a shaky field in Cleveland. His off-the-backboard work and between-the-legs finishes gave Knicks fans at least one All-Star Weekend highlight.

4. Mac McClung (2023)

Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung (0) competes in the slam dunk competition during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

All-Star selections: 0

McClung arrived from the G League and stole the entire night, posting a string of 50s and flawless attempts that reignited interest in the event. In an era of star load management, a two-way guard turned the Dunk Contest into his personal TED Talk on bounce.

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3. Mac McClung (2024)

Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung competes in the slam dunk competition during All-Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

All-Star selections: 0

A year later, McClung proved it wasn’t a fluke, defending his crown with even more intricate setups and polished showmanship. Back-to-back titles elevated him from curiosity to modern contest legend, even as he remained on the fringes of regular NBA rotations.

2. Mac McClung (2025)

Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung celebrates with the trophy after winning the slam dunk competition during All-Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

All-Star selections: 0

By 2025, McClung’s three‑peat made him the defining dunk-contest specialist of his time, the first name fans associated with the event. Every attempt felt like a curated viral clip, built for timelines as much as for the judges’ scorecards.

1. Keshad Johnson (2026)

Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson (16) celebrates with the trophy after winning the slam dunk competition during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

All-Star selections: 0

Johnson kept the role-player tradition alive, elevating in Miami colors to snatch the 2026 crown with a mix of power and clean execution. For a young forward still carving out his NBA niche, the trophy instantly raised his profile and ensured his dunks would live on every All-Star highlight reel going forward.

A decade owned by specialists above the rim

Jan 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) drives to the basket between Portland Trail Blazers guard Rayan Rupert (21) and center Robert Williams III (35) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Ten contests, one All-Star, and a whole lot of hungry leapers, that’s the story this list tells about the modern Dunk Contest. The league’s biggest names may sit it out, but the event survives because players like McClung and Johnson treat it like a career-making stage, not a side quest. As long as that pipeline of fearless high‑flyers keeps coming, All-Star Saturday will always have one event capable of stealing the weekend in a single jump.

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