LAS VEGAS – It’s your fault if you didn’t take him in fantasy – or at a nearby book.
Patrick Cantlay was once again atop the leaderboard at TPC Summerlin on Friday.
He took a share of the second-round lead at the 12 under with a 7-under 64, highlighted by an eagle-2 at the par-4 15th.
“Yeah, I hit a 3-wood on the green – it’s always good to hit that green – and then just rolled in the putt,” he said. “I had a good line. I got a good teach from Bryson [DeChambeau] and got the right pace on it and it fell in.”
It was DeChambeau who edged Cantlay at this event last year. He’s the reason Cantlay isn’t the two-time defending champion this week, hunting for his third Shriners Hospitals for Children Open title.
Cantlay broke through for his first PGA Tour victory here in 2017, winning a three-way playoff in the wind and dark over Whee Kim and Alex Cejka.
In 10 careers rounds at TPC Summerlin, he’s a combined 41 under par, with a 66.9 scoring average. He’s failed to break par just one time, and has signed for 67 or better in his last five rounds in Las Vegas.
Midway through the second round, he led the field in strokes gained: tee to green and was second off the tee and on approach.
“Most of the tee shots out here look really comfortable to me,” he said. “Leaves me lots of wedges, lots of opportunities for scoring.
“I think that's a big part of playing this golf course well – hitting driver a lot. I hit driver a lot out here when other guys might lay up.”