Las Vegas: The stage is set for another mouth-watering showdown between Korean phenom Tom Kim and World No.4 Patrick Cantlay as they take their Presidents Cup rivalry into the Shriners Children’s Open finale.
Tom Kim fired a magnificent 9-under 62 at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas on a low-scoring Saturday to tie Cantlay, who missed a birdie putt on his last for a magical 59, as they ended the third round on 19-under 194 in the PGA TOUR event.
Matthew NeSmith (63) and overnight leader Mito Pereira (67) are three back in tied third place on 197, while defending champion Sungjae Im and rookie S.H. Kim carded rounds of 63 and 64 respectively and will enter the final day four behind.
Another masterful display by the 20-year-old Tom put him in a position to bag a second PGA TOUR title in four starts but Cantlay, the winner of the Shriners Ch’ldren’s Open in 2017, stands in his way.
It will be another litmus test for the young Korean, who had faced Cantlay twice in the recent Presidents Cup, losing a Foursomes match to Cantlay and Xander Schauffele before producing a memorable 1-up win with Si Woo Kim in the Fourball against the American pair.
After not making a single birdie on the back nine in the third round, Tom caught fire on his homeward stretch on Saturday with six birdies, including a tap-in birdie on the last to tie Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup champion. Tom is also bogey-free through 54 holes.
Cantlay was like a machine as he rolled in 11 birdies en route to a sizzling 60, which tied his career low and also the course record at TPC Summerlin, as he stepped up his chase for an eighth PGA TOUR victory. The stoic American, who successfully defended his BMW Championship crown two months ago, missed out on a 59 after missing his birdie attempt from 24 feet at the last.
Twelve months ago, Im came from three shots back to win the Shriners Childrenis Open and he will need a similar comeback if he is to bag a third career win in the US following a superb 63 on Saturday. He was joined by compatriot S.H. Kim on 15-under, with the latter shooting a fine 64 for a shot at a maiden PGA TOUR win.
Si Woo Kim, the top points earner for the International Team at Quail Hollow with three wins, shot a 67 to lie five shots off the pace, ensuring a strong Korean presence on the leaderboard in Vegas.
–IANS
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