LAS VEGAS — Taylor Pendrith took two weeks off after the Presidents Cup and didn’t miss a beat. He matched his career low on the PGA Tour with a 10-under 61, giving him a three-shot lead in the Shriners Children’s Open on Thursday.
Pendrith missed just one fairway and one green at the TPC Summerlin, both on the same hole. The Canadian hit his tee shot on the 18th hole – his ninth – and had to throw out sideways, hit a wedge to 2 meters and save his par.
The rest was a steady diet of big drives, lots of wedges and good putting. His only disappointment was the par-5 ninth, his final hole. He only had 200 yards left in the green and knew an eagle would give him a 59.
Joel Dahmen receives maximum penalty for having too many clubs in his bag at Shriners Children’s Open
Joel Dahmen was given a four-stroke penalty at the Shriners Children’s Open on Thursday.
“I tried to be aggressive and get a good shot, but I didn’t catch everything and just came up short in the bunker,” Pendrith said.
He shot to 12 feet and missed the putt, along with a chance to tie the course record at Summerlin, last set by Rod Pampling in 2017.
Pendrith also shot a 61 in the Bermuda Championship three years ago.
Bud Cauley and Matti Schmid were among the 10 players with an age of 7 under 64. The first round was suspended due to darkness, the second week in a row the opening round could not be completed despite there being no weather delays. Seven players did not reach the finish.
Pendrith had the advantage of being able to play in the morning, before the wind started to increase. The forecast is that the strongest winds will blow on Friday, more than 30 km per hour.
Tom Kim, the two-time defending champion, had to make five birdies over the last 11 holes to score 69. That leaves him eight shots behind in his bid to become the first player since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic (2009). -11) to win the same PGA Tour event three times in a row.
Matt McCarty, a Korn Ferry Tour graduate who won the inaugural Black Desert Championship in Utah last week, failed to birdie any of the three par 5s and shot 71.
Schmid came off a 62 in the final round in Utah to finish fifth, moving him from the bubble at No. 120 to No. 105 in the FedEx Fall. A big part of this part of the PGA Tour is that players must finish in the top 125 to secure a full card for 2025.
Pendrith knows that feeling.
He was ranked No. 123 in the FedExCup last year when he came to Las Vegas, and he finished in a tie for third place, effectively sewing up his ticket for the following season. He went on to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Dallas for his first PGA Tour title and reached the Tour Championship.
“I know it’s an important time of year for a lot of boys and I’ve certainly been there,” Pendrith said. “It’s stressful. But for me it’s a different feeling, obviously already locked up for next year. It’s a different feeling, I think, out there playing. But I really enjoy this place.”
Pendrith was also picked for the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal, where he posted a 2-3 record and went 2-1 in team play alongside Adam Scott. The plan was to take a short break, but that changed when Hurricane Milton passed through Florida.
“I think I’ve played maybe three times since the Presidents Cup, and then I was going to practice and everything was closed,” Pendrith said. His coach joined him in Las Vegas early this week for some quality work.
“I feel rested and excited to play,” Pendrith said. “I wouldn’t have expected a 10 under, I would say. I thought I might be a little rustier than that. Obviously excited, I just have to keep getting back into the swing of things and the next few days.
