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The Shriners Hospitals for Children Open is a well-established tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, having been played since 1983 and at its current host since 1992, although only in 2008 did the entire week take place there rather than at multiple venues. This week will feature the first 2020-21 season appearance of U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, a course specialist, and he’ll face a decent field that includes fellow major championship winner this summer Collin Morikawa, plus Webb Simpson, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay and Matthew Wolff. The course at TPC Summerlin is a Bobby Weed design which plays to a par of 71 and a yardage of 7,255. In some ways it’s a rather unusual set up, with Bermuda grass tee to green and bent grass on the putting surfaces. Player comments tend to highlight all sort of aspects, with Patton Kizzire saying: “This is a little bit more of a ball placement off the tee golf course.” But Jordan Spieth stated: “It’s more of a second-shot golf course.” And then added: “Statistically it’s one of the most difficult, maybe top five most difficult, places around the greens to chip from.” Perhaps the fact players can argue which elements are trickiest from tee to green explains why Strokes gained Tee to Green figures as the most important number – it’s a combination of all those factors. That said, last year’s winner Kevin Na confounded such numbers by having a rotten week tee to green and then holing just about everything he looked at. He found himself in a play-off with Patrick Cantlay, who ranked first for SG Off the Tee, second for SG Tee to Green and third for SG Around the Greens. In contrast, Na ranked outside the top 50 for all three. But Cantlay gained just 0.548 strokes on the green (41st) and Na a whopping 14.176 (obviously first). If you fancy someone to repeat that remarkably trick, back him. Otherwise the route seems to be looking for a tee to green merchant.
Angles to consider 1/ Strokes Gained Tee to Green Overlooking Na’s astonishing effort last year, getting the ball onto the greens has tended to matter more than performance on the putting surface. DeChambeau and Pampling led this category, Cantlay was second when making the play-off last year and seventh when winning, Alex Cejka made the play-off in 2017 ranking fourth and even Smyllie Kaufman in 2015 was 12th. 2/ Muirfield Village This section identified 70/1 winner Kevin Na last year, less because we’d seen something special on the putting green, more because we’d noted that winners at Summerlin often have an excellent record at Muirfield Village – Na did too, courtesy of a play-off loss there in 2014. Cantlay and DeChambeau are both winners at Jack Nicklaus’ course, Rod Pampling once held a three-shot 54-hole lead there. Other Summerlin winners who finished in the top three at Muirfield Village include Ryan Moore, Jim Furyk and Jonathan Byrd. 3/ Par 4 Performance Whoever’s led the scoring on the par-4s has thrived in the last five years. Those five leaders has reaped two wins, a second and two fourth places.
Selections The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected. Hideki Matsuyama Twice a visitor to the tournament, landing T16th and T10th, he’s been in good form Tee to Green in recent outings, ranking second when third in the BMW Championship and fourth when T17th at the U.S. Open. A winner at Muirfield Village. Harris English Logged four laps of 67 at Summerlin in 2016 for tied fourth, one of five cuts he’s made in the tournament from six visits. Currently in a brilliant run of consistent form that has landed 14 top 20s in 21 starts. The highlights of those were second in The Northern Trust and fourth at the U.S. Open. Ranked 19th for SG T2G last season. Ryan Palmer Second at Muirfield Village this year when only an inspired Jon Rahm could better his efforts for the week. Since the return from lockdown he has also landed T8th at the Heritage, T15th in the WGC St Jude and T8th at The Northern Trust. Ranked 29th for SG T2G last season and has four top 20 finishes at Summerlin.
Tips: 0-3; -6.00pts 1.5pt e.w. Hideki Matsuyama at 20/1 (William Hill, BF Sportsbook, PaddyPower, Boylesport 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) mc 1pt e.w. Harris English at 28/1 (William Hill 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) mc 0.5pt e.w. Ryan Palmer at 80/1 (BF Sportsbook, PaddyPower 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 35th
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