The PGA Tour heads into Las Vegas this week for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The tournament has been the second event of the season in previous years but it has moved on a couple of weeks this season which will have amped up the anticipation in Nevada.
With other big events going on around the world and this tournament coming off the back of a WGC event it has to be said the field could be stronger but even so we have plenty of players teeing it up for a shot that winning on the PGA Tour brings.
Recent Winners
2015 – Smylie Kaufman
2014 – Ben Martin
2013 – Webb Simpson
2012 – Ryan Moore
2011 – Kevin Na
2010 – Jonathan Byrd
2009 – Martin Laird
2008 – Marc Turnesa
2007 – George McNeill
2006 – Troy Matteson
The Course
Once again TPC Summerlin is the course hosting the tournament this week. The course is a par 71 which measures 7,255 yards and it is one of the easier courses on the Tour. The fairways aren’t wide but the rough generally isn’t too bad so you have some freedom off the tee. The greens are large and easy to find but pinpoint iron shots are the order of the day.
In recent seasons the scoring has got higher here as the rough has been more consistent but despite that we’re looking at a shootout here so those who are putting well and making a lot of birdies are the ones to focus on this week.
The Field
There isn’t the depth of talent in this field that there is in other PGA Tour events but despite that we have one current major champion lining up as the USPGA champion Jimmy Walker is in the field. Graeme McDowell is a former major champion teeing it up with Keegan Bradley and Lucas Glover other major champions playing this week.
Smylie Kaufman defends his title and he is joined by former champions Ryan Moore, Webb Simpson and Kevin Na in what is a pretty competitive line up despite the absence of the star names.
Market Leaders
Ryan Moore heads into the week as the 20/1 favourite to take another Shriners title. Moore is in good form at the minute and knows this course well so there isn’t a lot not to like about him other than the doubt that he’s better in tougher conditions.
Brooks Koepka is the second favourite at 25/1 alongside Jon Rahm. Koepka doesn’t win enough for my liking although if he is going to win you would think this is an ideal chance. Jon Rahm’s talent is no secret and his price reflects that but he isn’t for me at the prices.
Francesco Molinari ran hot in China last week and he is 28/1 this week. He won in Italy a couple of months ago so he’s in good form but whether he can deliver in a shootout would be my only concern – that and the amount of recent travelling he’s done. Chris Kirk is the same place and he has much more appeal.
Scott Piercy and Kevin Na are both playing home matches this week and they head into a tournament they will be motivated to win at 33/1 and it is 40/1 bar those named.
Main Bets
I’m going with three main bets this week with putting the key to all three of them. That is my big angle in this week although recent form is a positive too.
Chris Kirk is the first player I’m taking this week. In many ways he is a fairly obvious pick given that he’s one of the better players in the field but I’m still happy to take him. Kirk led going into the final round last week but couldn’t quite hang on but that should have fine-tuned him up nicely for this event.
He was third in strokes gained putting last week which is a big thing and with three top 10 finishes in a row now he is certainly in good form. All of that added together makes him a solid looking bet to me this week.
Scott Piercy went well in the Safeway Open to kick off the season and this is a tournament which should be right up his street in his hometown. He has three top 10s around this track and after finishing third in the Safeway he went to Malaysia and recorded another top 10 so he’s another form horse who is built to score low. That’s a good combination this week.
Arguably the best putter on the PGA Tour right now is Patton Kizzire and he’s my final main bet. He was in the long tie for second here last year having come from the clouds on the final day although he couldn’t quite match the heroics of Smylie Kaufman but there was no harm in that. It at least shows that he can beast over the course and that could well be significant.
Kizzire was right in the mix in the Safeway Open at the beginning of the season and while he couldn’t get it done in the end that experience should have helped him for the next time he is deep in contention. Hopefully that is this week and hopefully he closes it out if it is.
Outsiders
I’ll also go with a couple of outsiders who fit the same mould as the main bets in that they have shown some form and are good putters.
The first of those outsiders is Derek Fathauer, another player who has begun the season well. He finished T15 in the Safeway Open and then followed that up with a tie for third in the CIMB Classic between two top players in Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama and there’s nothing like that in the field this week. Fathauer is in the top 20 in strokes gained putting this season so he’s running hot and can go well again here.
Trey Mullinax arrives on the PGA Tour off the back of a solid Web.com Tour campaign last year and he is worth changing at a massive price. He has similar credentials to Smylie Kaufman from 12 months ago in that he was eighth on the second grade tour in birdie average and he knows how to take care of par 5s. Mullinax had a solid Safeway Open and began the Sanderson Farms well last week. If he puts four rounds together the stats suggest he has enough birdies in him to go close.
Tips
Back C.Kirk to win Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with Boylesports (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back S.Piercy to win Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Coral (1/4 1-5)
Back P.Kizzire to win Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 51.00 with Coral (1/4 1-5)
Back them here:
Back D.Fathauer to win Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with Ladbrokes (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Back T.Mullinax to win Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 176.00 with Bet365 (1/4 1-5)
Back him here:
Please note that due to time issues relating to the problems with the website earlier in the week there will be no DFS fantasy breakdown this week. We will return with our fantasy golf previews next week.
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