Harris English finished his 6-under 66 with three straight birdies Friday, charging into a one-shot lead over Andrew Novak at 9-under 207 heading into the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

English capitalized in the third round after Torrey Pines’ brutal wind calmed down and the coastal South course returned to picture-perfect weather, making three birdies in four holes before the turn and adding four in his final six holes. The four-time PGA Tour winner put his 131-yard third shot inside 3 feet on the 18th, holing out for the 54-hole lead.

“Today was way easier condition-wise,” English said. “Yesterday was wild. ... You’ve just got to manage your game, and I’ve done that.”

English went to a four-way playoff at Torrey Pines in 2015, but lost to Jason Day. He had nine top-10 finishes in the past two seasons, but he hasn’t won since 2021, when he survived an epic eight-hole playoff with Kramer Hickok at the Travelers Championship.

Novak also shot 66, but he went bogey-free and held the lead until English nudged in front with his big finish. South African rookie Aldrich Potgieter was at 7-under 209, while Joel Dahmen, Lanto Griffin, Matti Schmid and K.H. Lee were four shots back of English at a tournament that has seen its share of electrifying final-day rallies..

A large group of players had to finish its second rounds Friday morning after ferocious wind forced an 86-minute delay Thursday and affected scores across the board. There was minimal wind Friday, although the breezes are expected to kick up again today.

The Farmers Insurance Open began on Wednesday and ends Saturday to avoid a conflict with the NFL’s conference championship games Sunday.

The PGA Tour announced it is is relocating the Genesis Invitational out of wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles, saying it will be held Feb. 13-16 on the South course at Torrey Pines in San Diego with an emphasis on relief initiatives for victims of the fires.

That gives Torrey Pines two tournaments in a span of four weeks.

The tour said the $20 million signature event hosted by Tiger Woods would return to Riviera Country Club next year.

Riviera was not damaged, but it is located in the Pacific Palisades community that has been devasted by fires that have killed 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures in Greater Los Angeles since Jan. 7.

“While Riviera remains the home of the Genesis Invitational, we look forward to playing on another championship caliber golf course this year and using the tournament to support those affected by the fires in the Los Angeles area,” Woods said.

The announcement came as the South course at Torrey Pines was preparing for the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open. Going to the same course twice in four weeks allows the tour to take advantage of infrastructure already in place.

Marty Gorsich, the CEO of Century Club of San Diego that runs the Farmers Insurance Open, said tournament organizers and volunteers were ready to help even as a new group — Woods’ TGR Live — is responsible for operating the Torrey tournament in February.

“This wasn’t a bid process. It wasn’t about getting something. It was being able to be chosen to help,” Gorsich said. “I think here in San Diego, we compete so much with L.A. on the field and consider them a rival, yet we’re all SoCal together.

“This is an opportunity for San Diego to come together and do something with our brothers and sisters up in L.A. I really, truly feel like that’s a part of it,” he said. “It’s about being able to give them a place to host their event and have their sense of community and keep going (with) what they need and rise above the challenge, and for us to be able to help deliver that for them, it was really exciting for us in that regard.”

Woods has not indicated if he will be playing. The Genesis Invitational is the only non-major he has played since his legs were badly injured in a February 2021 car crash in L.A. Woods is an eight-time winner as a pro at Torrey Pines, including the 2008 U.S. Open. He last played Torrey Pines in 2020 and tied for ninth, his last top 10 on the PGA Tour.

This will be the first time what previously was called the Los Angeles Open is not at Riviera since 1998, when it was held at the TPC Valencia because Riviera was preparing to host the U.S. Senior Open that year. The tournament was first held at Riviera in 1929.

Scottie Scheffler has committed to play the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am next week, his first competition in about six weeks while recovering from a puncture wound to his right hand while preparing Christmas dinner.

Scheffler had said at the start of the week the recovery was progressing well and he was eager to get back but that he wasn’t about to “rush back just to rush back.”

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has the largest field (80 players) of the $20 million signature events because of the amateur component over two days at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. Scheffler tied for sixth last year when it was reduced to 54 holes by raging wind and rain, along with a forecast so bad on Sunday that it led to roads being closed.

LPGA

The LPGA canceled the Fir Hills Se Ri Pak Championship near Los Angeles on Friday because the underwriter of the tournament failed on payments for the 2024 and 2025 tournaments.

Nelly Korda was the defending champion at Palos Verdes Golf Club, which had been scheduled for March 20-23.

The LPGA in a statement said canceling the tournament was unavoidable because the underwriter failed to fulfill “any portion of its payment obligations.” The tour said it would work with title partner Fir Hills and Pak, the Hall of Fame tournament host, to explore other options.

DP World Tour

Englishman Marcus Armitage retained the lead at the Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) Championship but saw his advantage trimmed to two strokes after shooting 3-under 69 in the second round.

The No. 324-ranked Armitage birdied his final two holes at Al Hamra Golf Club to stay on track for a first win since the European Open in 2021.

Armitage, who was four shots clear after a first-round 63, was 12-under par heading into the weekend.

Fellow Englishman Dan Brown (64) and Spain’s Alejandro del Rey (66) were tied for second place.

Johannes Veerman (64) of the United States was a further two strokes back in fourth place.