Patrick Rodgers hopes to shed the heavy weight of Tiger-like expectation

Sports Football

Posted by NewAdmin on 2025-02-17 04:41:13 |

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Patrick Rodgers has found a"Hollywood ending" off the course. The PGA Tour veteran is married toactress Jade Olivia Gordon, who played Astoria Greengrass in the eighth HarryPotter film. Gordon, a longtime insider in the movie industry, hails fromBritain, and the couple has two children, Rafi and Rosie. Over an 11-yearcareer, Rodgers has earned $16 million, providing a comfortable lifestyle forhis family. However, there’s one lingering dark cloud in his story: despite hispromising start as an amateur phenom—tying his childhood idol, Tiger Woods, forStanford's victory record and drawing comparisons to the superstar—Rodgers hasyet to win a PGA Tour event in 286 starts.

And despite all the positive aspectsof his life, the lack of a tour victory continues to sting.

“It’s clearly something I’ve battledin my career,” Rodgers said on Saturday at Torrey Pines. “It’s the first thingthat comes up whenever my name is mentioned professionally, so it’s something Ihave to deal with.”

Rodgers acknowledged that this weighthas been difficult for him to carry, but he now feels he’s seeing his careerfrom a new perspective. “I think I've struggled with it for a long time, but Ifeel like I'm viewing my career from a different vantage point now and I'mexcited about the opportunity to cross that finish line tomorrow,” he added.

Rodgers is in prime position to changethe narrative with a strong performance. His impressive four-under-par 68 onthe South Course, despite a bogey on the par-5 18th after his wedge approachfound the water, has given him a solo lead heading into the final round of theGenesis Invitational at eight under par. This marks just the third time in hiscareer that the 32-year-old has taken the lead into the final round.

Rodgers has had close calls before,with four career second-place finishes. One of his most painful near-wins camein the 2017 John Deere Classic, where he was edged out by Bryson DeChambeau,who claimed his first PGA Tour win with a final-round 65 to beat Rodgers by oneshot.

Now, Rodgers holds a one-shot leadover Denny McCarthy, another veteran golfer who, like Rodgers, has accumulatedsignificant earnings ($17.8 million) but is still seeking his first win in 193starts.

Go!