Patrick Cantlay falls simply shy of 59, settles for share of Shriners Kids’s Open lead with Tom Kim

LAS VEGAS — Patrick Cantlay got here inside one putt of a 59 on Saturday, as a substitute matching his low rating on the PGA Tour for a share of the lead with 20-year-old Tom Kim going into the ultimate spherical of the Shriners Kids’s Open.

If the third spherical was any indication, something goes on the TPC Summerlin excessive above the Las Vegas Strip.

Cantlay had 5 birdies in his opening six holes, after which poured it on once more down the stretch with 5 birdies in a six-hole stretch that put him on the cusp of his first sub-60 spherical.

He had a birdie putt from simply inside 25 toes that broke sharply to the suitable, and Cantlay performed it somewhat too excessive of the cup.

It was his first 60 on tour as a professional — his different 60 was on the 2011 Vacationers Championship as a 19-year-old newbie after Cantlay completed his freshman 12 months at UCLA.

Cantlay has by no means shot 59 even at his residence course of Virginia Nation Membership in Lengthy Seaside, California, and he smiled when requested in regards to the stress of his closing putt.

“I’d have favored to have made it, yeah,” he mentioned.

After which his ideas turned to a closing spherical, which formed up as a dandy. Kim is a budding star, having received the Wyndham Championship and delivering massive moments in his debut on the Presidents Cup.

He birdied 5 of his final six holes, sticking a wedge to 2 toes on the 18th, for a 62 that put him in a tie with Cantlay at 19-under 194.

They had been three photographs away from a Mito Pereira (67) and Matthew NeSmith (63), with defending champion Sungjae Im (63) one other shot behind.

For Cantlay, a very good efficiency in Las Vegas is acquainted.

He picked up his first PGA Tour victory in a playoff on the TPC Summerlin in 2017. He twice was a runner-up in Las Vegas. His worst outcome was a tie for eighth in 2020 when he had a share of the 54-hole lead.

“I feel I drive the ball within the fairway quite a bit right here, and I am not afraid of hitting driver on most each gap, so I’ve quite a lot of wedge into greens, and I’ve quite a lot of seemed,” Cantlay mentioned. “If I make a bunch of putter, I can shoot low scores.”

He is been doing that each one week, solely on Saturday he stored hitting it somewhat nearer and made many of the mid-range putts he had been lacking. Cantlay putted for birdie on each gap, and that birdie likelihood for 59 on the 18th was his second-longest putt of the spherical.

However then, Cantlay additionally is aware of what to anticipate at Las Vegas, and his work is just not performed.

“No lead is secure round right here,” he mentioned.

Pereira began the day with the lead, shot 67 and wound up three photographs behind. Kim performed bogey-free and wanted a giant run on the finish to maintain tempo.

“We’ve not run away with it,” Kim mentioned. “I’ve to play nicely tomorrow. I am positive quite a lot of guys are pondering that.”

There have been 9 scores of 64 or higher on an ideal day for scoring. The course common for Saturday was 67.9. Maybe one other instance of the low scoring was Cantlay. His group of NeSmith and S.H. Kim performed so nicely that Cantlay by no means had hit first from a tee field on the again 9.

NeSmith had a 63 and S.H. Kim had a 64.

Cantlay already has received twice this 12 months — one was with Xander Schauffele within the crew occasion in New Orleans — and a victory Sunday would transfer him to No. 2 on the earth.