Patrick Cantlay makes final-hole triple bogey to lose Shriners Children’s Open

LAS VEGAS – Sometimes in Vegas you roll snake eyes.

Former FedExCup champion and world No. 4 Patrick Cantlay was left to rue a costly pulled drive on the 72nd hole of the Shriners Children’s Open that would ultimately lead to a triple bogey, handing young Korean sensation Tom Kim victory at TPC Summerlin.

Tied with Kim at 24-under on the final tee box, Cantlay’s errant shot leaked left into a desert waste area and wedged itself right up against the base of a small bush, making it near impossible to play.

With Kim finding the fairway, Cantlay figured he might as well take a lash at the ball and try to smash it back into the fairway, as any resulting penalty drop would still be in the waste area, making it a long shot to secure a par. Unfortunately, he was unable to make meaningful contact with his attempt and had to take an unplayable anyway.

As if to prove his original thought process, the eight-time TOUR winner’s fourth shot, which he had to hole from 163 yards, came out heavy and fell into the water hazard short of the green. The 30-year-old did manage to secure a tie for second place by making a 35-foot putt for a triple-bogey 7.

“I made a bad swing, and it went where it went,” Cantlay explained afterward. “After it was kind of in the bush there, I figured the only chance I had to stay in the tournament was to try to get it back in the fairway. Obviously, I couldn’t get it back in the fairway.

“I thought if I could get it back in the fairway, I'd have a chance, and I figured it was worth the risk because I didn't think I'd have too much of a chance of getting it up-and-down from the brush there.”

Cantlay, who shot a course record-tying 60 in the third round, had produced an epic battle with Kim throughout Sunday’s final round. The 2017 event champion had fought back from two shots behind to square things on two separate occasions on the back nine before his fateful last tee shot.

Two down at the turn thanks to a couple of bogeys on the second and sixth holes, Cantlay reclaimed a share of the lead with birdies on 11 and 12. But the 20-year-old International Presidents Cup star Kim added his own back-to-back efforts on 13 and 14 to again set up a gap. Under the pump, Cantlay produced birdies on 15 and 16 to tie it again.

“I played well all week for the most part,” Cantlay added. “One bad swing at the end. Obviously would have liked to have closed the deal out today, but sometimes that's golf. The last hole makes the whole week kind of sour.”

Cantlay now has a win, three seconds and a T8 from his five trips to TPC Summerlin, but with the TOUR schedule set to return to a calendar-year setup after this season, his next appearance in the entertainment wonderland is unknown. While his finish sends him to eighth place in the FedExCup standings, the Californian will likely shut things down until the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Maui in January.