Canadian Pendrith leads at weather-hit Shriners Open

 Taylor Pendrith of Canada. 

Khel Today Bureau

LAS VEGAS, US: Canadian Taylor Pendrith who had a 10-under 61 on the first day only had to play six holes and stayed in the lead before the second round was halted by darkness at the Shriners Children’s Open. He escaped the strong winds that hit during the day and caused a four-hour delay and battered the field.

Pendrith now faces a long third day — 12 holes to complete the second round and however many holes in the third round as the autumn light allows.

He remained at 10-under — four pars, a birdie and a bogey in his short day of work — and led by one shot over Filipino Rico Hoey, who made a 15-foot eagle putt on his seventh and final hole.

Las Vegas resident Kurt Kitayama, who had 66 on first day, was bogey-free for a 68 in the second despite gusts approaching 40 mph and low temperatures that led to players wearing sweaters and ski caps.

Kitayama was part of the group at 8-under 134 that included Doug Ghim, J.J. Spaun and Davis Thompson, all of whom completed the second round. It took Ghim eight holes before he made his first par, and he wound up with a hard-earned 70.

The start of Friday was delayed four hours when gusts approaching 50 mph made it difficult to play and caused enough safety concerns that PGA TOUR officials decided to keep spectators away from the TPC Summerlin.

Putting wasn’t much easier, and no one suffered quite like Joseph Bramlett. He had a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 1, his 10th hole of the second round, and he took five putts for a triple bogey. Bramlett also missed a 30-inch birdie putt on Thursday.

The best round of the day belonged to Pierceson Coody, who managed eight birdies in his round of 65 after opening with a 72. He was at 5-under 137.

The 36-hole cut is yet to come and it was hovering between 3-under par and 2-under par.