LAS VEGAS – On Friday morning at the Shriners Children’s Open, all bets were off as fierce winds tore through TPC Summerlin, turning the course into a gamble as risky as the Vegas strip. Gusts topping 50 mph delayed play by four hours, making the conditions treacherous.
Once play resumed at the fourth event of the FedExCup Fall, those who completed their second round were relieved just to finish under par.
“I felt like I shot 62 today, and I only shot 2-under,” said Greyson Sigg, part of the day’s first tee time. “It was blowing from start to finish. It was a mental test, and I think I handled it pretty well.”
On Friday, TPC Summerlin played 3.5 shots tougher than in the opening round. While 23 players shot 65 or better on Thursday, only Pierceson Coody matched that on Friday. The late-early tee groups bore the brunt of the desert gales. Flagsticks bent, players constantly reset over shots, and hats flew off as competitors wrestled with gusts and unseasonably cold conditions. It was a day to survive rather than shine.
Doug Ghim, a Las Vegas resident, was one of the few to thrive in the conditions. He carded a 1-under 70, moving to 8-under overall, tied for second when play was suspended at 6 p.m. local time.
“It was a test of patience,” said Ghim. “When it gets that windy, you know that shooting under par means you’re not losing ground.”
Ghim, familiar with TPC Summerlin as his home course, navigated six birdies and five bogeys in conditions that felt more like Scotland than the Nevada desert.
“It shifted the focus from trying to make as many birdies,” Ghim said. “It felt a lot more like Scotland than Vegas.”
Other Vegas locals saw mixed results. Kurt Kitayama posted a bogey-free 68 to stay in contention, while UNLV grad Harry Hall, who didn’t finish his round, was 7-under overall. Hall thrived in similar conditions at the Irish Open earlier in the season and felt confident heading into the weekend.
Not everyone fared so well. Joseph Bramlett, who also resides in Las Vegas, five-putted from 10 feet for a triple bogey on the first hole, his 10th of the day. Bramlett shot a 64 on Thursday but faltered with a 74 on Friday, hovering around the cutline at 3-under. Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Tom Kim failed to recover from a triple bogey on the 17th, finishing at 1-under and outside the projected cut.
With half the field yet to complete their second round, including leader Taylor Pendrith at 10-under, the cutline remained uncertain as the sun set behind the Nevada mountains. Those who weathered Friday’s chaos will head into the weekend feeling like they made all the right moves in challenging conditions.
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