McIlroy had an idea this might be Mitchell’s week at CJ Cup

Rory McIlroy whitethorn beryllium the lone idiosyncratic successful Las Vegas who had an thought what was coming this week.

Asked Wednesday earlier the commencement of the CJ Cup wherefore it has go truthful hard to triumph connected the PGA Tour, McIlroy said the fields are truthful heavy that three-fourths of the players tin triumph immoderate fixed week.

Like who, helium was asked. Who is simply a subordinate who tin triumph that astir radical don’t cognize about? Keith Mitchell, helium said, past told a communicative astir playing the last circular with him astatine Quail Hollow successful the spring.

“(The fields) are truthful heavy that radical wouldn’t possibly prime a Keith Mitchell to triumph a tourney astatine the commencement of the week, but you play a last circular connected a Sunday, helium stopped maine successful my tracks,” McIlroy said of the existent CJ Cup leader. “I was like, ‘he’s a hellhole of a player.’ And radical don’t realize. I mean, you could accidental that astir 100 guys retired here.”

Mitchell has a five-shot pb entering Saturday’s 3rd round.

Blowing disconnected steam

Harry Higgs, who enters the play tied for second, is superior astir his 2 weeks of play successful Las Vegas. But the days successful betwixt the Shriners Children’s Open and CJ Cup were a clip to acquisition each the metropolis has to offer.

“All during the week past week for Shriners I stayed retired distant from the Strip, and past again this week I’m staying distant from the Strip,” helium said Friday. “I did spell successful Sunday nighttime and stayed Sunday and Monday, you know, conscionable marque the donation to the Aria and acknowledgment for having me.”

Sunday included a meal astatine the Bellagio with friends that helium described arsenic awesome.

“We surely kicked backmost a fewer excessively galore cocktails,” Higgs said. “I don’t deliberation I got retired of furniture until similar 2 p.m. connected Monday, but I conjecture that was large prep. It’s bully to beryllium successful the aforesaid spot for 2 weeks and past besides person the quality to spell disconnected — to spell and stroke immoderate steam off.”

Chip shots

* Mackenzie Hughes had the circular of the time connected Friday, shooting a 10-under 62 to scope 11 nether and get into the battalion of those chasing Mitchell.

* Abraham Ancer had the changeable of the day, making the rarest of numbers successful golf. Ancer holed a 4-iron from 250 yards retired connected the par-5 14th for an albatross. His changeable landed abbreviated of the green, hopped connected and took a 90-degree crook left, rolling into the cupful for a 2.

* Collin Morikawa astir apt played himself retired of the tourney implicit a three-hole agelong connected the backmost nine. Morikawa went bogey, double-bogey, bogey connected holes 10-12, putting 2 balls successful the water.

Morikawa, a subordinate astatine The Summit, changeable a 70 connected Friday and stands astatine 7 nether heading to the weekend. The CJ Cup has nary chopped aft the 2nd round.

* After 2 rounds, conscionable 1 subordinate is implicit par. Kevin Streelman is 1-over and would person avoided the favoritism if not for an unplayable shot successful the godforsaken connected the 17th hole.

Greg Robertson covers play for the Review-Journal. He tin beryllium reached astatine grobertson@reviewjournal.com.