Las Vegan Kevin Na shares lead with 3 others at Shriners Open
Las Vegas resident Kevin Na doesn’t usually golf at TPC Summerlin, playing out of Southern Highlands Golf Club instead.
But he felt right at home Friday afternoon at TPC Summerlin in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
With the lowest round of the tournament to show for it.
Na capped a picturesque 9-under-par 62 by playing the final six holes at 6 under and is in a four-way tie for first place after the second round. He stands at 12-under 130 with Patrick Cantlay, Brian Stuard and Lucas Glover.
Fan favorite and five-time major champion Phil Mickelson is tied for 21st at 8 under.
The cut line of 5 under eliminated almost half the field, including world No. 1 Brooks Koepka (1 under) and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (4 under).
Na is paired with Glover and will tee off at 12:50 p.m. Saturday. Cantlay and Stuard will start at 1.
“The scores are going to be low,” Na predicted of Saturday’s third round. “The greens are getting firmer, and that’s the only protection they’ve got. The winds are supposed to be light again. I know the course can play difficult if it’s windy, but it’s not going to be windy, so I think I’ve just got to keep making birdies.”
Na captured his first professional victory at the Shriners Open in 2011 and has since won two other tournaments while ascending to the No. 40 world ranking. He praised TPC Summerlin on Wednesday while noting it suits his style of play.
“You don’t have to bomb it out here,” Na said. “Anybody can win out here. You definitely have to make some putts.”
He was right.
Na opened his second round by sinking a 58-foot birdie putt and finished the front nine at 4 under to surge near the top of the leaderboard. He bogeyed the 10th hole, but eagled the 13th and 16th to set up birdies on 17 and 18.
The gallery cheered as he walked off the 18th green.
“My putter got really hot,” said Na, who has shot 62 or better eight times on the tour. “It started with the first hole, made a 60-footer bomb, and my putter just felt good all day. I hit a lot of good shots, too, but the putter was working.”
Cantlay, the 2017 Shriners champion, shot 7-under 64 after opening with a 66. Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, carded a 63, and Stuard played bogey-free en route to his second 65.
“It’s definitely tough on the weekend when you’re playing in the last few groups. I’m just going to go out and try to be as patient as possible,” said Stuard, who hasn’t won an individual event on the tour. “I’ve been here a few times now, so it should be easier than it was before.”
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.
Shriners Open
What: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
When: Saturday 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel). Sunday 2-5 p.m (Golf Channel).
Where: TPC Summerlin (par 71, 7255 yards).
First tee times: Saturday, 6:40 a.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m.
Purse: $7 million (Winner's share: $1,260,000).
Defending champion: Bryson DeChambeau.
Saturday forecast: Sunny, high 85, low 58, with winds east at 4 mph.
At a glance
Collin Morikawa took some time off before playing the Safeway Open last week.
"A lot of eating. A lot of food. That's really about it," Morikawa said Friday when asked about preparing for the 2019-20 PGA Tour season. "It was a long break, but I was ready to play."
Was he ever.
Morikawa finished tied for 10th at the Safeway Open last week and is in the mix this week at 9-under-par 133 after two rounds at TPC Summerlin. The 22-year-old moved to the Las Vegas Valley during the summer and said he's already comfortable in his new hometown.
"It's awesome," said Morikawa, a California native who played at the University of California. "Been a fun two days so far. Have a lot of people rooting me on. Yeah, we've got two more days."
Rolling it home
Patrick Cantlay got his second round rolling Friday morning.
By rolling in a 45-foot eagle putt.
Cantlay began his round on the 10th hole, drove the green with a three-wood on the par-4 15th and buried a long putt to ignite his round of 64. He played the front nine at 6 under and finished 1 under on the back nine.
"Anytime you hit it on the green is a good shot there, and putt went in perfect," Cantlay said. "Left the flag stick in and went right in."
Sam Gordon Las Vegas Review-Journal
