The young 2017 PGA Tour season heads to Las Vegas this weekend for its next tournament: the 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. This tournament has seen some unheralded winners in recent years. Will another unlikely victor emerge or can one of the top favorites rise to the top? Read on below for our preview of this upcoming PGA tournament.
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Koepka will come into this tournament as one of the top favorites to win, although he won’t be in the best of form. Since his 9th-place finish at the Travelers Championship last August, Koepka has finished T70, T57, T32, and T40 in his last four starts. Kopeka finished T4 at the course in 2014, but he also missed the cut in 2013 and 2015. Despite the big name, Koepka will be a risky play this weekend.
Moore, on the other hand, has been much better in recent outings than his co-favorite Koepka. The 33-year-old had a fourth-round 75 to finish just T23 in the WBC-HSBC, but prior to that, he went T17 in the CIMB Classic, and had four top-6 finishes in his last six starts of the 2016 season.
Moore, a Las Vegas native, definitely likes playing close to home. He was a winner in Shriners back in 2012, and finished T9 in 2013.
Of the top favorites in this tournament, though, Kirk has been playing the best golf at the moment. Kirk was unlucky to only finish T2 last time out at the Sanderson Farms Championship after leading through 54 holes.
Nevertheless, that tournament is just another in a fine stretch of results for Kirk, who also went T8 at the season-opening Safeway Open and T10 at the season-ending BMW Championship in September.
The Shriners Hospitals for Children Open lends itself to first-time winners. Twelve of the past 21 winners of the tournament got their first PGA Tour win in Las Vegas. So which up-and-coming star best fits that bill this year? How about Patton Kizzire. The 30-year-old made his first career Tour start in this very tournament last season, and finished in a six-way tie for 2nd place. Talk about beginner’s luck!
And if you think that was a fluke, think again. Kizzire started this season with yet another runner-up finish at the season-opening Safeway Open. That first Tour win is coming, and it could finally come this weekend.
Cameron Tringale has struggled mightily though the first two tournaments of the new season. He missed the cut at the Safeway Open, and was way down in 76th in the CIMB Classic. But don’t let those recent showings completely throw you off his scent.
Tringale, you may recall, was part of a six-way tie for 2nd place in last year’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open along with Kizzire, so he has proven he can come up big in this course.
Writer’s Prediction
Ryan Moore continues his fine form by claiming his second Shriners Hospitals for Children Open title.
