Pendrith had a stellar start to the tournament with a 10-under par 61 on Thursday in a relatively calm morning. He now faces a busy Saturday, needing to finish 12 holes of the second round and play additional holes of the third round, depending on the decreasing autumn daylight.
He remained at 10 under par for the tournament, recording four pars, one birdie, and one bogey during his limited playing time. Pendrith holds a slim lead of one stroke over Rico Hoey, who made a remarkable 15-foot eagle putt at his final hole of the day.
Notably, Kurt Kitayama, a local of Las Vegas, delivered an impressive performance, shooting a bogey-free round of 68 amidst wind gusts nearing 40 mph and chilly temperatures causing many players to don sweaters and ski caps.
Kitayama joined a group of players at 8-under 134, which also featured Doug Ghim, J.J. Spaun, and Davis Thompson—each of whom finished their second round. Ghim, in particular, took eight holes before registering his first par, ultimately finishing with a hard-fought score of 70. He remarked on the need for patience, acknowledging that each par gained extra significance under those playing conditions.
The chaotic start to Friday’s schedule was primarily due to strong winds, which prompted a four-hour delay. Gusts reaching 50 mph made the course unplayable and raised safety concerns, leading PGA Tour officials to restrict spectator access at the TPC Summerlin. These attendees were offered the chance to use their tickets on Saturday.
Once play resumed, the conditions remained tough; players struggled to judge the ball’s distances in the wind and struggled with putts. Joseph Bramlett had a particularly rough day, missing a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 1 and ultimately walking away with a triple bogey after five putts. He also had the misfortune of missing a 30-inch birdie putt in his previous round.
Greyson Sigg echoed the challenges of the day, stating, “I felt like I shot 62 today to be honest, and I only shot 2 under.” He noted the morning chill and how the delayed start was advantageous. “It was a mental test out there,” he added.
The outstanding performance for the day came from Pierceson Coody, who made eight birdies en route to a round of 65, moving him to 5-under par for the tournament following his initial 72.
Pendrith observed much of the action from his hotel room, which allowed him to rest before his late afternoon tee time. He acknowledged the wind conditions he faced during play, remarking, “Putting is really tough in the wind, I thought. Overall, really hard day, and I know those guys in the morning had it a little harder.”
Looking ahead, forecasts predicted that while the winds would ease, they would still impact play on Saturday. Also approaching was the critical 36-hole cut, which at that time was anticipated to be around 2-under to 3-under par.