Stegmaier surges to lead in suspended Shriners Open

Brett Stegmaier managed to stay out of trouble Friday, which sometimes can be no easy feat at TPC Summerlin.

So when the 32-year-old from Madison, Conn., started making birdies, threw in an eagle at the par-5 16th all the while playing bogey-free golf, he was rewarded with the lead at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at 11 under par.

How long he'll remain there depends on how he finishes his second round this morning before teeing off for the third round. When play resumes at 8 a.m., Stegmaier will have a one-shot lead over Chad Campbell, Tyler Aldridge and Morgan Hoffmann, all of whom are at 10 under.

Stegmaier was getting ready to putt for birdie at the par-4 No. 7 when the siren sounded suspending play because of darkness at 6:05 p.m. That means he will get an early wake-up call this morning to try to start his day by making a 14-foot putt.

"Guess I'll go right to the putting green," Stegmaier said of how he'll prepare for the unusual restart to his round. "The greens were a little firmer (Friday). I've been putting it well and hitting it well, so I felt good about my game."

Stegmaier earned his PGA Tour card this season with an 18th-place finish on the Web.com Tour priority list. This is just his fifth start on the PGA Tour. So how will he handle the pressure of being the hunted today?

"I'm used to playing under pressure," he said. "A month ago, I wasn't even guaranteed Web.com status for next year, so I turned it on at the end of the year and was able to figure a couple things out."

Perhaps Stegmaier will seek the advice of Aldridge, who was in a similar spot Friday. Aldridge was one of the last to leave TPC Summerlin on Thursday when play was suspended, and he had two holes to play. He was one of the first to arrive Friday and finished his first round with a 7-under 64 before posting a 68 in the second round.

"I'm tired," Aldridge said after a long day that saw him arrive at the course at 5:30 a.m., play his final two holes beginning at 7:30, then start his second round at 8:40. "It's not normal because you come out and you teed off on a par 3 for your first hole, and then after you finish, you've got to wait around for a bit. But you just have to do it, so I'm super happy to be where I'm at."

Campbell, a former UNLV All-American, sandwiched seven pars between his birdies at No. 1 and No. 9, then made his move on the back nine, making birdies at No. 10 and the par-5 13th to pull even with Aldridge. He made birdie at the short par-4 15th to go to 11 under and appeared to be in good shape. But he missed a par putt at 18 to drop back to 10 under.

"It was a disappointing way to end, but I thought I played pretty solid," Campbell said. "I definitely like where I am right now."

Hoffmann got in the mix after a solid front nine that saw him make the turn at 3 under. He quickly went to 4 under with a birdie at No. 1 only to give that shot back with a bogey at the par-4 No. 2. But he finished strong with birdies at No. 7 and No. 9 to give him a 66 for the second consecutive day.

"I haven't been playing that well, and I just wanted to find a routine and stick with it for each shot," Hoffmann said. "I was able to do that (Friday), and I think it allowed me to keep pace."

And while the trio of Campbell, Aldridge and Hoffman chase after Stegmaier, there is a group of six players at 9 under ready to make a move. Among them are Nick Watney of Henderson and Jimmy Walker. Watney shot 66 and Walker 67 to position themselves.

Watney had four birdies from No. 12 through No. 15 but made bogeys at 16 and 17 to ruin what was shaping up to be a huge round.

"I know I played well, but I'm a little disappointed with how I finished," Watney said. "But overall, I'm in good shape, and I'm looking forward to the weekend."

Walker had a strong back nine to help him get to 9 under. He had birdies from No. 14 through No. 16, and with his knowledge of the course and success early in the season, he's a dangerous player with two rounds left.

"I just tried to stay patient until I was able to get on that run," Walker said. "I like this golf course. I always seem to play well here, so I'll try and keep it going."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj