Brett Stegmaier tops Shriners Hospitals for Children Open leaderboard
Sunday 25 October 2015 10:24, UK
PGA Tour rookie Brett Stegmaier held the lead when play was suspended in fading light on day two of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas.
Tony Finau produced the shot of the day when he bagged an albatross but Stegmaier upstaged his better-known rivals to vault into the lead.
The 32-year-old from Connecticut, in only his fifth start on tour, was among 14 players unable to finish before darkness.
But he picked up six shots in the 15 holes he did complete to reach 11 under par and climb to the top of a crowded leaderboard.
Stegmaeir is a shot clear of fellow Americans Chad Campbell (67), Morgan Hoffman (66) and Tyler Aldridge (68).
Aldridge, who is also seeking a maiden PGA Tour title having played most of his competitive golf on satellite tours in the United States and Canada, nearly holed out with his second shot at the par-four 18th, tapping in from six inches for his third birdie in the final four holes.
A six-strong group of players at nine under includes Brendon De Jonge of Zimbabwe and American Ryder Cup player Jimmy Walker.
American world No 5 Rickie Fowler, the highest-ranked player in the field, opened with a one-over 72 on Thursday but bounced back with a 65 that featured an 80-foot putt for eagle at the 13th, to move within six shots of the lead.
"It's nice to have a tee time tomorrow," Fowler said, after ensuring he would make the cut.
"I didn't hit the centre of the (club) face a whole lot yesterday. Today I made a couple of good swings, got things going, made a few putts."
His big-hitting compatriot Finau had the shot of the day when he holed out with his second shot from 235 yards at the par-five 13th.
And Finau was not far away from a second albatross two holes later when he drove the green at the par-four 15th, where his ball landed a few feet left of the pin.
He birdied the hole, but double-bogeyed the next and, with one hole left, will miss the cut unless he birdies the 18th on Saturday morning.
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