SAN DIEGO — Patrick Rodgers is leading the Genesis Invitational after three rounds at Torrey Pines.

And, after shooting 4-under 68 on Saturday for a one-stroke lead at 8 under overall in the $20 million signature event, Rodgers knows what the headline will be: “Journeyman eyes first PGA Tour win.”

“It’s the thing that whenever my name is mentioned, that’s the first thing that everybody says professionally,” said Rodgers, who has played in 287 events during 10-plus years on tour. “So it’s something that I have to deal with.

“I’ve struggled with it for a long time, but I feel like I’m viewing my career from a different vantage point now. I’m excited about the opportunity to cross that finish line (Sunday).”

Rodgers, 32, is a Stanford-educated Indiana native whose closest brushes with victory came in playoff losses at the 2018 RSM Classic and 2023 Barracuda Championship. He has finished runner-up two other times as well.

He enters Sunday’s final round paired with Denny McCarthy, the first-round leader whose 71 on Saturday put him in position for his first tour title. McCarthy’s wait has been short by comparison. This is only his 194th tour start.

Two shots off the lead is Ludvig Aberg, whose 70 was highlighted by a hole-in-one at Torrey’s picturesque par-3 third hole.

Second-round leader Davis Thompson fell four shots behind after a 76. That left Thompson tied for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood (69), Patrick Cantlay (68) and Tony Finau (67), who had the low round of the day.

Finau was aided in the effort by three birdies in his first four holes, birdie putts of 28 and 48 feet that fell and three chip-ins.

“Chip shots, most of the time you’re aiming for the hole so it’s nice when they go in,” said Finau, a six-time tour winner looking for his first victory in nearly two years.

Nearly disappearing from the leaderboard were the two biggest names on it — Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

Both players find themselves five strokes behind Rodgers entering the final round after struggling with various aspects of their games.

Scheffler began play Saturday one shot off the lead, but shot a 4-over 76. His worst moment came on the par-4 14th hole, when he suffered a double bogey after being penalized for hitting his tee shot into the canyon.

McIlroy shot 2-over 74 during an agonizing day with the putter. He missed makeable birdie putts on three of the first four holes. When he missed a 6-foot birdie attempt at the 13th hole, McIlroy grimaced while the gallery groaned.

Scheffler and McIlroy are paired together in the final round, five groups ahead of the leaders.

Rodgers had a night to sleep on the lead, but, perhaps, not dwell on it. This is the fifth time he has held or shared the lead after three rounds.

“Instead of playing with a lot of expectation, I need to play to achieve,” Rodgers said. “That’s what I’ve always set out to do. … I felt like there was a lot expected of myself internally and it was something where when immediate success, immediate wins, didn’t come straight away, it was kind of fighting who I saw myself to be.

“So instead of playing with a monkey on your back that gets bigger and bigger over time when it doesn’t happen, I’m trying to play from a perspective that feels fresh and new and exciting and full of opportunity.”

Rodgers was one hole away from completing a round as beautiful as the sunny, mid-60s day when he approached the 18th tee box.

At that point, he had five birdies in a bogey-free round.

The par-5 18th hole represented one last birdie opportunity, even when Rodgers played it safe by laying up instead of going for the water-guarded green in two shots.

But Rodgers’ 91-yard wedge shot was short, catching the bank in front of the green. Even the thick rough couldn’t keep the ball from rolling back into the water.

“I executed OK,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, it looked silly when it ends up in the water, but I’m proud of the way I got it up and in.”

The closing bogey may have spoiled his scorecard, but he didn’t let it ruin his day. Perspective. He is, after all, leading the tournament through three rounds.

This is Rodgers’ 12th tour of Torrey Pines. He has played here 10 times in the Farmers Insurance Open and also in the 2021 U.S. Open.

The results have been a mixed bag. He has three top-10 finishes in the Farmers, along with five missed cuts. He tied for 31st in the Open won by Jon Rahm.

Rodgers seems comfortable in his skin.

Will he be comfortable on the course In the closing round?

Shot of the day

Aberg provided the biggest shot of the third round with he aced the 140-yard, par-3 third hole, using a pitching wedge for his first hole-in-one on the PGA Tour.

“It was a really cool moment,” Aberg said. “It was one of them that I actually hit the shot I wanted to as well, which is nice when it goes in. … You hear stories about how guys don’t hit the nice shot, they kind of chunk it and it rolls up there, you thin it and it goes up there. But this was actually a nice shot kind of the way we wanted to, so it was nice.”

Tournament sponsor Genesis is donating $10,000 for each hole-in-one this week to California Rises, the charity created to help wildfire victims in the state.

Richy Werenski had the last hole-in-one on No. 3, acing it in the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open.

Locals watch

San Diegan Michael Kim was just off the leaderboard following a two-birdie, one-bogey round of 71 that left him at 2 under (T13) for the tournament. San Diego State alum J.J. Spaun fought back from a double-bogey on the second hole to finish with a 73 (T33) that makes him 2 over through three rounds.

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