Next on the calendar for the PGA TOUR is the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin (par 71, 7,255 yards, bentgrass greens) in Las Vegas, Nevada. This course has been the home of the Shriners Open since 1992 and Tom Kim is the two-time defending champion of this event. This is a field of 132 golfers and there will be a top-65 and ties cut following the first two rounds.
TPC Summerlin is a short desert parkland course that features wide fairways, thin rough, huge greens, 92 bunkers and water in play on only four holes. This track is one of the easiest courses on the annual PGA TOUR schedule, which is evident by seven of the last eight winners at TPC Summerlin all shooting -20 or better. We have seen both short hitters and bombers win at this venue and any length of golfer can contend at TPC Summerlin. To come out on top at this scoreable course, you need to have a terrific showing with both your irons and putter. For three consecutive years, the player who took home the novelty check at TPC Summerlin finished the tournament top-seven in both SG APP and SGP.
Furthermore, each of the past three victors at this par 71 have finished the event top-three in efficiency on the 400-450-yard par fours of TPC Summerlin. Seven of the 11 par fours land in this range and targeting players who are efficient on this length of hole is a wise strategy.
Below, I break down four of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the Shriners Children’s Open, all costing less than $7.5K.
Patton Kizzire ($7,300) – Kizzire is a compelling combination of strong course history and current form that needs to be rostered at this affordable salary. Including two top-five finishes, the veteran has made 6-of-8 cuts at TPC Summerlin and Kizzire returns to the Vegas track this week as the maker of the three straight cuts while gaining strokes on approach and with his putter at all three of these events. During this cut streak, Kizzire impressively won the Procore Championship by five shots and finished T-11th at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Kizzire ranks 16th in SG APP and fourth in SGP when we compare this field’s last 12 rounds, and he has top-10 upside this weekend in this type of form.
Matt Kuchar ($7,300) – Expect a strong bounce-back performance from Kuchar at TPC Summerlin after he missed the cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship in his last start. Kuchar still gained strokes on approach at the CC of Jackson that week and before this missed cut, the veteran had carded three straight top-13 finishes, including a T-3 finish at the 3M Open to begin this stretch. Overall, Kuchar has made eight of his last 10 cuts and his resurgence as a ball striker has been the main reason for his success, with the 46-year-old ranking fourth in SG APP when we analyze this field’s last 24 rounds. Kuchar has made five cuts in a row at TPC Summerlin – including two top-seven finishes – and is an easy choice at this low salary.
Nick Taylor ($7,100) – Taylor is fresh off a T-25 at the Black Desert Championship last week, where he gained strokes in every major category. The veteran was one of only seven players in the field to reach this feat and Taylor will now look to carry this momentum over to TPC Summerlin, which is a course he knows very well. The Canadian has made 8-of-10 cuts at this par 71, with his best finish at TPC Summerlin coming last year with a T-13. Evident from his -21 win at the Phoenix Open in February, Taylor has the tools to thrive at scoreable desert tracks and he needs to be attacked at this cheap price tag, which is a $300 decrease from last week.
Neal Shipley ($7,200) – Shipley gained an invite to the Shriners Open this week through the Monday qualifier and will likely get overlooked due to his last-minute entry to this event. The 23-year-old has never teed it up at TPC Summerlin before, but Shipley has the skills to flourish at this course and he is simply too cheap for his talent. Shipley was crowned low amateur at both the Masters and U.S. Open earlier this year and he has made 7-of-8 cuts at the PGA TOUR level. Four of these finishes have been top-30 results, including a T-13 at the Procore Championship last month. The Ohio State product has gained strokes on approach in four of his last five starts and is vastly underpriced for his upside.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $300K Sand Trap [$100K to 1st!]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
