LAS VEGAS — J.T. Poston showcased an impressive performance by recording three birdies and an eagle on the final six holes Saturday morning, resulting in a 6-under 65 score. This strong finish allowed him to tie for the 36-hole lead with Matti Schmid at the Shriners Children’s Open, which faced wind delays earlier in the week.
Schmid entered the FedEx Cup Fall season aiming to secure a full PGA Tour card for the upcoming year, and displayed a solid effort with a bogey-free 65 in challenging conditions at TPC Summerlin. However, the windy weather significantly affected the other half of the players, creating an uneven playing field.
Early Friday, wind gusts that reached nearly 50 mph triggered a four-hour delay to commence the second round, putting the tournament schedule behind for the remainder of the week. It was doubtful that all 66 players who made the cut would complete their rounds on Saturday.
Poston participated in this event for the first time since the BMW Championship in August. After taking several months off to embrace fatherhood, he showed little sign of rust, especially in the latter part of his round. He effectively capitalized on the scoring opportunities presented by the gentler winds during his endgame.
On the reachable par-4 15th hole, Poston two-putted from approximately 35 feet. He then sunk a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th, followed by an impressive 35-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th. His overall score stood at 13-under 129 after the round, with Schmid also reaching this score thanks to four birdies on the back nine.
Rico Hoey, starting the day just one shot behind first-round leader Taylor Pendrith, achieved a 66, putting him a stroke behind the leaders. Norman Xiong also posted a 65 to equal Hoey’s score, while Ryan McCormick finished with a 66, placing him two shots off the lead.
Pendrith and the remaining competitors who needed to finish the second round benefited from a more favorable draw and did not face the 40 mph gusts that challenged others. Nonetheless, Pendrith’s performance fell short as he had to settle for a 71, putting him three shots off the lead.
The cut for the tournament was established at 3-under 139, impacting notable players, including Tom Kim, who was aiming to become the first player since Steve Stricker (2009-11) to win the same PGA Tour event three consecutive times. Other notable contestants who failed to make the cut include the three winners from the FedEx Cup Fall: Patton Kizzire, Kevin Yu, and Matt McCarty.
