Damien Kayat previews the 2022 edition of the PGA Tour’s Shriner’s Children’s Open set to take place at the TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada.
2022/2023 US PGA Tour
Shriner’s Children’s Open
TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada
6th-9th October
The tour moves from Mississippi to Nevada for one of the most carefree events on the entire calendar: The Shriner’s Children’s Open. Players seem to be freewheeling somewhat after an arduous season and they tend to enjoy their visit to the city of sin. This event has the distinction of hosting inarguably the most auspicious maiden win in PGA Tour history.
Tiger Woods held off Davis Love III in a playoff to claim an epic 1996 Las Vegas Invitational. First staged in 1983, the Shriner’s Children’s Open was previously a pro-am staged over five rounds and multiple courses.
But it started to dwindle in popularity and the PGA Tour wisely reduced it to a 72-hole event in 2004. They ditched the multiple course shenanigans in 2008 and TPC Summerlin has been the sole host since.
Designed in 1992 by Bobby Weed and Fuzzy Zoeller, TPC Summerlin is a relatively easy desert track that really incorporates the rugged look of the terrain.
It is perennially one of the most free-scoring courses on the entire tour. It is located at 2,700 yards above sea level, meaning that the 7,255 yardage is completely deceptive.
The Bermuda fairways are absurdly wide and the huge Bentgrass greens are almost impossible to miss. Seven of the last nine winning scores have been 20-under or better. But there’s no clear blueprint for success this week.
Winners such as Cantlay and DeChambeau suggest devastation from the tee box will be hugely important. But the likes of Webb Simpson and Kevin Na have shown that TPC Summerlin doesn’t need to be obliterated. I always find it fascinating when a course opens itself up to multiple avenues of attack.
Patrick Cantlay and Sungjae Im make for two very compelling names atop the market. 2017 champ Cantlay has amazing course form and only recently won the BMW Championship.
Defending champion Sungjae I’m has finished runner-up in three of his last five events. These two President’s Cuppers return to action with only one thing on their minds: victory. Max Homa will return to action for the first time since Danny Willet gifted him victory at the Fortinet Championship.
Homa has won four times in the last 19 months and has quickly developed into one of the most dangerous players in any field. Elsewhere, the likes of Tom Kim and Aaron Wise bring reasonable form into this event.
Past Winners
2021: Sungjae Im (-24)
2020: Martin Laird (-23) *playoff
2019: Kevin Na (-23) *playoff
2018: Bryson DeChambeau (-21)
2017: Patrick Cantlay (-9)
Betting Favourites (To Win): Patrick Cantlay (13/2), Sungjae Im (11/1), Aaron Wise (18/1), Max Homa (18/1), Tom Kim (22/1)
Value Bets
Taylor Montgomery- To Win (25/1), To Place (11/2)
Taylor Montgomery has enjoyed an excellent start to the new 2022/2023 season. He finished 3rd at the Fortinet Championship and in a tie for 9th at last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship.
I know it’s ridiculously early in the new season. But his stats thus far just scream success this week.
He is ranked 2nd for SG: Putting, 5th in Scoring Average and 10th in Birdie Average. Those usually prove to be vital indicators of success around free scoring layouts.
Ricky Fowler- To Win (90/1), To Place (19/1)
It’s time for Ricky Fowler to put up our shut up. Is he one of the unluckiest players in golfing history or an overmarketed pinup boy? I think his performances over the next few years will go some ways to determining that.
He has reunited with Butch Harmon and parted ways with long-term caddie Joe Skovron. He finished 6th at the Fortinet in his first event after making those seismic changes.
Fowler also has some course form, picking up a 4th and 7th place finish alongside two other top 25 finishes. As I said, it’s time for Fowler to prove his quality once and for all.
The Man to Beat- Aaron Wise- To Win (18/1), To Place (39/10)
Based in Las Vegas, Aaron Wise has plenty of things going for him this week. His late-season form has been excellent.
He finished 15th in an ultra-competitive BMW Championship prior to posting the 6th best 72-hole score at East Lake. He also has really strong course history, collecting three top 15 finishes in six trips to TPC Summerlin.
A runner-up at the Memorial earlier this season, Wise is exactly the sort of in-form player whose price has been unfairly inflated by the presence of Cantlay and Im.
