Moving Day started with a solar eclipse, and perhaps the phenomenon was enough to propel major leaderboard movement in the desert.
The third round is complete at the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas at TPC Summerlin, and unlike the first two rounds, scores were low Saturday. Numerous players made big moves on the leaderboard, including a Monday qualifier who had the clubhouse lead by the time his round was complete.
However, not everybody went low, as some of those high on the leaderboard after the second round struggled to find footing Saturday. Nevertheless, the leaderboard is filled with great storylines for Sunday.
Here’s what you need to know from the third round of the Shiners Children’s Open.
Tom Kim is trying to defend his title
Last year, Tom Kim had a stellar debut in Las Vegas, going bogey-free to earn his second PGA Tour victory.
He didn’t have a shabby start after 36 holes in his title defense, either. He shot 68 in consecutive rounds and was 6 under heading to Saturday. However, the defending champion found his groove in the third round. And he’s in pole position with 18 holes to play.
Kim, even with a pair of bogeys, shot 9-under 62 to move to 15 under for the tournament and well in position to defend his title. Last year in the third round, he also shot 62.
“Gave myself a lot of looks,” Kim said. “Obviously you’ve got to finish them off, and that’s exactly what I did. I putted great.”
Kim is tied on top with Adam Hadwin and Lanto Griffin, one of the 36-hole leaders.
Come Sunday, Kim is excited for the opportunity to defend his title.
“It kind of hurts a little bit that I wasn’t able to defend at Wyndham because I felt like obviously it was after the British Open, I was playing really well, felt really good about my game, but because of my ankle I couldn’t really do anything,” Kim said. “Just makes me kind of miss the people over there and miss competing over there. It’s my first time basically defending a title on the PGA Tour, and it’s actually pretty cool. Hopefully many more to come.”
Canadians near the top
It was a good afternoon for the Canadian Adams.
Adam Svensson and Adam Hadwin were paired together on moving day, and they showed out at TPC Summerlin. Hadwin shot 8-under 63 and is tied for the lead while Svensson is two shots back after a 65.
“Great to play with Adam today,” Hadwin said. “Both played well, and looking forward to a chance to win tomorrow.”
They’re not the only Canadians near the top, either. Taylor Pendrith is at 14 under and one shot back, and Nick Taylor is just outside the top 10 at 11 under.
“What a fantastic start to the fall for the Canadian contingent,” Hadwin said. “The three, Adam, Nick and I, are comfortably in and kind of looking I think more so to January, but to see Taylor playing well — it’s been an unbelievable year for Canadian golf in general, so hopefully one of us can put our name on the trophy tomorrow.”
Added Svensson: “It’s crazy to have that many Canadians in the top 10. It was fun playing with Adam today. He’s a great guy, and we had a lot of fun.”
Monday qualifier in the picture
When the week began, Isaiah Salinda wasn’t in the field at the Shriners Children’s Open.
After he finished his third round Saturday at TPC Summerlin, he was tied for the clubhouse lead.
Salinda, a Monday qualifier who is ranked 652nd in the world and has made only $80,000 in his PGA Tour career, shot an 8-under 63 to move to 13 under for the tournament. He had nine birdies and a lone blemish, an untimely bogey coming on the closing par-4 18th hole. However, it’s an incredible turnaround for a player whose previous career low round was a 67 in the 2020 American Express.
“We all kind of play for the same reasons, to have a chance,” Salinda said. “We’ll see how that holds up. A lot of groups still to come in, but yeah, it’s just a good round that I hope to build on tomorrow.”
For as good as Salinda’s round was, it wasn’t the best in his group.
Callum Tarren, playing alongside Salinda, shot one better, a 9-under 62 that included a double bogey on the par-3 17th hole.
“We just fed off each other, really,” Tarren said. “He birdied 1, and I birdied 2, 3, 4, 5, and then he threw a couple of birdies in, and I think I turned in 6-under, which is pretty impressive, and kept it going the back nine. Got fortunate a couple of times with a couple of poor tee shots, but yeah, we just fed off each other.
“It was super fun. I said to him on 18, this has been a good day for us both. It’s just crazy. But the momentum was on our side today, and to produce 9 and 8 under is pretty good going.”
Joel Dahmen cards pair of eagles
Early Saturday morning, Joel Dahmen posted on social media asking whether anyone wanted to come play his back nine. He didn’t want to miss the start of Washington’s college football game against Oregon.
It’s probably a good thing he stayed for all 18.
Dahmen shot 7 under on Moving Day, including a pair of eagles on the back nine where he shot 6-under 30.
“Terrible three-putt par on 9, didn’t have anything going today,” Dahmen said. “Made par on 10. I told (my caddie) Geno (Bonallie), ‘I’m done; I’m impatient and I’m grumpy,’ and then good things happened. Made a good birdie on 11 and hooped an 8-iron on 12 and made an eagle on 15, and all of a sudden I was pretty happy I played the back nine.”
Dahmen has made three eagles in the past two rounds and moved to 12 under for the tournament. But as always, Dahmen was ever critical of his game even in position for a win come Sunday.
“I’m hitting it really well. My putter is a joke right now,” he said. “It’s tough to shoot 7 under with bad putting, but I managed to do that. I’m hitting it great. I’m in the fairway a lot. My irons are pretty dialed in. If I can make some putts, it would be a great Sunday.”
Considering the Huskies’ big win, safe to say Dahmen is having a grand Saturday.
Champ struggles
Cameron Champ said he needed to take it easy on himself after Friday’s second when he held a share of the 36-hole lead. His mental prowess was tested Saturday.
Champ, who looked as if he was primed to break out of a months-long struggle in Las Vegas, made a triple bogey on his third hole of the day. When numerous players were moving up the leaderboard, Champ went backward, carding a 3-over 74 to move him to 9 under for the tournament, six back of the lead.
He added two more bogeys on the front nine, going out in 39. But his scorecard on the back was crazy.
Bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie-bogey-bogey. A roller coaster of emotions, but a strong effort finishing at 1 under, even if the finish wasn’t as strong as the middle.
However, what looked like a promising start to the week in Vegas needs a big Sunday for Champ to earn some much-needed FedEx Cup points to keep his card in 2024.
