PGA Tour Power Rankings: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
Oct 25, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Smylie Kaufman holds the trophy after winning the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin at TPC Summerlin. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports
After a pair of overseas events, the PGA Tour heads to Nevada, where Smylie Kaufman will defend his title at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
After a trio of quirky events, the PGA Tour returns to business as usual this week. The Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, held yearly at Las Vegas’ TPC Summerlin, is your standard tournament — no reduced field, no alternate event, no bells and whistles, no nothing.
With the exception of last week’s alternate Sanderson Farms Championship, the Shriners will feature the weakest field to this point on the schedule for the new PGA Tour season. But even with the relative lack of big names, you shouldn’t have any trouble identifying a few of your favorites set to tee off this Thursday.
Some of the PGA Tour’s notable players have already arrived in the Silver State, so let’s dive right in. Here are the ten best bets for success at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ryan Moore pick up his second win of the year this week.
1
Ryan Moore
No. 32, Five top 25s in last six starts
A Las Vegas resident, Moore has a great opportunity to pick up a second career victory at his hometown event this week. The 33-year-old has found the top 25 in each of his last three starts, tying for second at the Tour Championship just last month. He also turned in a solid performance at the Ryder Cup, so it’s been nothing but positives for him over the past few weeks. Moore has gone seven-for-nine in his career at the Shriners, posting a win and two other top 10s along the way.Next: Scott Piercy
Mandatory Credit: Thomas Joseph-USA TODAY Sports
Hometown hero Scott Piercy knows TPC Summerlin like the back of his hand.
2
Scott Piercy
No. 34, Three top 25s in last four starts
He turned in a poor performance at the WGC-HSBC Champions last week, but this proud Nevadan always rises to the occasion at the Shriners. Piercy has found the top 30 in six of his nine career appearances at TPC Summerlin, racking up a trio of top 10s over that stretch; last year, he ranked 12th in the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green en route to a tie for 25th. He ran into a wall at Sheshan, but he’s got his 2016-17 campaign off to an otherwise strong start, opening with a tie for third at the Safeway Open and a tie for 10th at the CIMB Classic.Next: Ryo Ishikawa
Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports
Ryo Ishikawa has been on an absolute tear lately, but this week will be his first chance to showcase his strong form in the U.S.
3
Ryo Ishikawa
No. 96, Five consecutive top 10s
Still a relative youngster at the age of 25, Ishikawa might be the most intriguing player in this week’s field. He’s reeled off five consecutive top 10s on his home continent, but it’s been a while since he’s performed in the states — his last top 10 on U.S. soil came nearly a year and a half ago at the 2015 Quicken Loans National. Even so, he’s no stranger to TPC Summerlin, tying for second at the Shriners back in 2013. If he can channel that experience, expect his red-hot form to carry across the Pacific Ocean.Next: Chris Kirk
Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Kirk has never contended at the Shriners, but his recent results have been too good to ignore.
4
Chris Kirk
No. 68, Three consecutive top 10s
This Georgia product’s record at TPC Summerlin is nothing to write home about, but sometimes you’ve got to respect the hot hand. Kirk has been dynamite over the past couple of months, finishing his 2015-16 season with a tie for 10th at the BMW Championship before reeling off back-to-back top 10s, including a tie for second at the Sanderson Farms Championship, to kick off the new campaign. He tied for 36th in each of his two previous appearances at the Shriners, but at least he has eight rounds’ worth of experience. To top it off, his putting has been off the charts in recent weeks.Next: Brendan Steele
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
After a big win at Silverado to start the new season, Brendan Steele kept his good run going in Malaysia.
5
Brendan Steele
No. 57, Four top 30s in last six starts
This California native followed up his victory at the Safeway Open with a tie for 26th at the CIMB Classic — nothing spectacular, but enough to suggest he’ll continue to perform in the wake of his recent win. TPC Summerlin hasn’t exactly been his favorite course over the years, but with four cuts made in five starts and two top 20s, he’s got a good idea of its ins and outs. Last season, Steele ranked 20th on the PGA Tour in driving distance and 25th in greens in regulation, forming a combo that could pay major dividends this week.Next: Tony Finau
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
One of the PGA Tour’s most dangerous player off the tee, Tony Finau has what it takes to post another good finish at TPC Summerlin.
6
Tony Finau
No. 80, Four top 35s in last six starts
This long bomber has tasted success at TPC Summerlin in each of his first two seasons on the PGA Tour, tying for seventh in 2014 and for 16th last year. After opening the new campaign with a pair of top 35s, Finau is playing well enough to post a similar finish this week, but he’ll need to keep the ball in the fairway in order to do it — he ranked 175th on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy last year. He’s already established himself as a regular contender at this event, so I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.Next: Martin Laird
Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Scotland’s Martin Laird has what it takes to pick up a second career win at the Shriners this week.
7
Martin Laird
No. 138, Two top 20s in last three starts
A former winner at the Shriners, Laird would love to come away with the trophy for the first time in more than seven years. In five starts since that victory, he’s gone four-for-five with a pair of top 20s, so the course history is definitely there. In terms of recent form, he tied for eighth at the Safeway Open to kick off the new season, giving us a case of converging trends. If he can continue to strike the ball like he did at Silverado, expect this Scot to show up on the first page of the leaderboard.Next: Keegan Bradley
Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Despite some putting woes, Keegan Bradley’s form has really come around over the past few weeks.
8
Keegan Bradley
No. 105, Four top 25s in last six starts
After a long slump brought on by his switch to a conventional putter, Bradley appears to have finally reached the end of the tunnel. The New Englander opened the new season with back-to-back top 25s, including a solo sixth at the CIMB Classic, so he’s currently hotter than he’s been in months. He missed the cut in his TPC Summerlin debut last year, but against this week’s relatively weak field, he might not need all that much experience to contend. Aside from the putting, every part of his game is strong.Next: William McGirt
Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
William McGirt’s skill set makes him a threat to contend wherever he goes.
9
William McGirt
No. 44, Back-to-back top 20 finishes
The clear highlight of McGirt’s 2016 season was his win at the Memorial Tournament back in June, but he still finished it in decent fashion, posting a tie for 20th at the BMW Championship and a tie for 17th at the Tour Championship. Having rested since then, he should be ready to take on TPC Summerlin, a course that’s been kind to him in the past. He’s made the cut in four of five starts at the venue, peaking with a tie for eighth last year; he’s also armed with the accuracy and short game to contend anywhere.Next: Kevin Streelman
Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Streelman hasn’t done much in recent weeks, but you can’t ignore his positive history at TPC Summerlin.
10
Kevin Streelman
No. 115, Five career top 20s at TPC Summerlin
There was some fierce competition for the final spot on this list, but Streelman ultimately stood out among the other options. The man isn’t in spectacular form, managing only a tie for 18th at last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship, but keep in mind he hasn’t missed out on the top 25 at the Shriners in any one of his five starts dating back to 2009. With that kind of course history, the Duke product looks primed to do some major damage this week — he could even pick up his third PGA Tour win.Next: WGC-HSBC Champions: Key Takeaways
Who’s your pick to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open? Let us know in the comments, and keep it here at Pro Golf Now for more PGA Tour updates.
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