LAS VEGAS – Former US Open champion Gary Woodland finished 54 holes of the Shriners Children’s Open wind-delayed knowing he would have a good chance to win since undergoing brain surgery more than a year ago. The best of all was ending on Saturday.
Woodland had three birdies in his last six holes and extended his bogey-free streak to 28 holes in firing a 6-under 65 that gave him a share of the clubhouse lead with Las Vegas resident Kurt Kitayama, who also had a 65.
They trailed JT Poston and Doug Ghim by one shot when the game was halted by darkness. 36 of the 66 players who came out on top on Saturday did not finish.
Poston had an eagle to close with a second-round 65, and his only hole-in-one in the third round was an eagle on the par-5 ninth. Put it on 15-under 13 holes. And at 15 under was Ghim, who had four straight birdies and faced a 5-foot par putt on the 17th hole when it was too dark to continue.
Woodland underwent surgery in September 2023 to remove a lesion on his brain, which was in a tract that caused fear and anxiety. It’s been a long road to progress with his health, dialing in the right medications and trying to improve his game.
He also turned to Randy Smith, the PGA Hall of Fame swing coach in Dallas. Now Woodland feels the pieces are coming back together.
“I feel a lot better with one,” Woodland said. “That’s a big help. But I’ve seen the signs. I’ve been back with Randy Smith for a few months now. I’m starting to drive better, iron play, control the golf ball like I haven’t held it in a long time, which is good. Then the putts start going in, start putting good scores up.
“I’m happy and excited to be here — and I’m really excited to finish tonight so I can sleep tomorrow.”
Round three was set to restart at 8am, with Woodland starting at 11am.
The next thing to decide is where you stand.
Harris English and Alejandro Tosti of Argentina were also at 14-under with four holes to play, including a par-4 reach and an easy par-5 par-3. Six other players were at 13-under and still had holes to play.
The wind has calmed down significantly since Friday, when gusts neared 50 mph and led to four-hour delays that resulted in cancellations and cancellations for the last two days due to darkness. The TPC Summerlin course that was all about hanging is now back to being a test of who can make the most birdies.
“The conditions are going to be a lot easier. I think you’ve seen that from other points,” said Poston. “Guys are making birdies. So I think trying to stay aggressive but also be patient if the putts don’t fall quickly because there are a lot of holes left.”
The second round didn’t end until 12 o’clock on Saturday and the cut was 3-under 139. Among the misses was Tom Kim, the two-time defending champion who was trying to become the first player since Steve Stricker at John Deere. The Classic (2009-11) to win the same PGA Tour event three years in a row.
Also missing out were the three FedEx Cup Fall winners — Patton Kizzire, Kevin Yu and Matt McCarty.
Source link
