Monahan: PGA TOUR will not make own set of rules

LAS VEGAS - It's hot in Las Vegas but Rickie Fowler is not in the mood for a swim after his chances at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open were sunk by three water balls in four swings on Friday. Fowler led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting during a 4-under 67 on Thursday afternoon, and it looked like his birdie on the drivable par-4 15th, his sixth hole of the second round, could have been the start of a push up the leaderboard. Instead, he imploded on the next two holes at TPC Summerlin to drop five shots and ultimately miss the cut. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Fowler makes putter switch After a great drive down the par-5 16th, the former Las Vegas resident was left with just 218 yards to the hole. His second shot found the pond that guards the front of the green, however. After taking a penalty drop 104 yards from the hole, he dumped his next shot in the water as well. His third attempt found dry land, but he walked away with a triple-bogey 8. The 31-year-old then stood on the par-3 17th tee and promptly pulled his tee shot left into another water hazard to card a double-bogey. It was the second straight day Fowler made 5 on the 17th hole after hitting his tee shot in the water. Fowler's troubles have come during a time he's been trying to implement swing changes. It has seen his accuracy desert him at times. "It definitely has been tough," Fowler said Wednesday before the tournament. "Anyone that goes through changes or even just dealing with struggles, low points, it happens at some point for everyone." The swing changes have been a work in progress for about a year but Fowler still trusts they will cement in soon enough and bring renewed success. "I've never doubted it just because there has been some rounds or some tournaments here and there where seeing the work kind of come through," Fowler said. "Just haven't been able to piece everything together and really put it into a really efficient, consistent form yet. But that is coming. We're just beating down the door." Fowler tried valiantly to make up for his two hole meltdown on Friday, making three birdies in the first seven holes of the front side to give himself a chance at making the weekend. But bogeys on his final two holes, as he tried to press, resulted in a 3-over 74 and an end to his tournament. Fowler won't be the only high profile player finishing up early at Shriners. Jason Day (68-72) will join him and Francesco Molinari (70-68) will need help from the afternoon wave to make his first tournament in seven months extend a further two rounds.

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LAS VEGAS — Tied for the lead going into the weekend, Patrick Cantlay already was four shots behind before he hit his opening tee shot Saturday in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. That didn’t bother him in the least. He knows what to expect at the TPC Summerlin. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Wolff holes 3 eagles, cards 61 | DeChambeau stumbles on Saturday A tee shot so far left on the 10th hole that he had to hit a provisional? That made him a little anxious, but only until he found his original, hit wedge to 4 feet for birdie and began his climb back to where he started. When the third round ended, Cantlay and Martin Laird each had a 6-under 65 without making it look terribly special and were tied for the lead. Both got their first PGA TOUR victory at this tournament. Both have lost in a playoff. Both have played it enough times to realize birdie opportunities are there for everyone. U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau was among the exceptions. He had a pair of double bogeys and back-to-back bogeys, all before he reached the seventh hole. At that point he was 5 over in a five-hole stretch, which he said felt more like 12 over on a course like the TPC Sumerlin. He rallied enough for a 71, though he was seven shots behind and had 30 players in front of him. "Yeah, it was really weird," he said. "I don't know. It's golf, right?" Those 30 players ahead of him starts with Cantlay and Laird at 20-under 193. "I'm sure by the time I get to the golf course the lead will already be more than 20 under, which is what it's going to be around here," Cantlay said. "I think my strategy out here is to stay patient because I know there are so many birdie opportunities instead of pressing or feeling like I'm trailing, and realize that they're out there if I hit good shots." Laird had one exciting moment when he holed a 50-foot eagle putt on No. 9. Otherwise, it was attacking flags when he could and playing for the fat of the green when it was too risky. Some wind late in the day made it a little tougher, but the scoring average still was 67.5. "I have had good rounds every day, so I'm not going to change anything," Laird said. "It’s been working and I’m in a good spot, so just keep going." Matthew Wolff got it started early. After making the cut with one shot to spare, Wolff had three eagles in a five-hole stretch and had to settle for pars on his final two holes for a 61. Making three eagles at Summerlin is not unusual with a few short par 4s and all the par 5s easily reachable. Wolff, however, holed out on No. 11 from 116 yards. He drove the green on the 301-yard 15th hole to 15 feet and holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th. He never really considered 59 because he was only 2 under on the front. He played the back in 8-under 28. "If you only shoot 2 under on the front you feel like you never have a chance to shoot 59," he said. Wolff posted his 18-under 195 right as the last group was starting the third round, and it held until Laird was the first to get to 19 under with a birdie on the 13th. Wyndham Clark (65), Brian Harman (67) and Austin Cool (67) also were at 195. Na had a 64 and was three shots behind along with Will Zalatoris, who has a chance to earn special temporary membership with a strong finish Sunday. He already is leading the Korn Ferry Tour points list. Cantlay picked up birdies where he expects to except on the short par-4 seventh, where his drive was hung out to the right and found a bunker, leaving a 70-yard sand shot that he did well to get within 12 feet for a two-putt par. He expects to birdie the 10th, but not after hitting a provisional off the tee. "I was hoping that it would be somewhat OK over there and I could make a par," he said of his original tee shot. "Fortunately, it wasn't that bad and I was able to hit a great shot, so that was a bonus." DeChambeau, playing for the last time before the Masters on Nov. 12-15, did too much damage early on to recover. A wild tee shot on No. 2 led to double bogey, and while he missed the fairway badly on No. 6, what led to the double bogey was a three-putt from 12 feet. Four straight birdies on No. 8 steadied him — he nearly drove the 419-yard 10th — but not enough. He failed to convert on the short par-4 15th and dropped another shot coming in. "Didn't really hit bad shots, just didn't go where I wanted to," DeChambeau said. "Went into some really bad places and unfortunately didn't save par from them. Just stuff didn't go my way today, and it's OK. Not a big deal."

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