DraftKings Preview for The 2021 Shriners Children's Open

The Bright Lights of Las Vegas Shine on The Shriners Children's Open

Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas! It's the Vegas swing for the PGA Tour as the shining lights of the Nevada desert host the golfing world over the next two weeks. Brooks Koepka, Viktor Hovland, Webb Simpson and last week's Sanderson Farms Championship winner, Sam Burns will tee it up on Thursday at TPC Summerlin for the 2021 Shriners Children's Open. Let's get you set to see some green screens on DraftKings this weekend.

What's up golf addicts! AC here, checking in week to week to provide a quick preview of the upcoming PGA Tour event. I’ll give you the lowdown on the course, the players, some key stats, and our favorite DraftKings picks for the week.

It was a thrilling week at the Sanderson Farms Championship with Sam Burns capturing his second PGA Tour title at the Country Club of Jackson. Our eggs were mostly in Cameron Tringale's basket and we had a lot of hope heading into Sunday but mistakes were made and such is golf. A number of guys were in contention down the stretch including a few newcomers on tour; Seth Reeves, Cameron Young and Sahith Theegala. All three were able to score a top 10 and are back in the field for the Shriners Open this week. On to Vegas!

The Field and Tournament Details for the Shriners Children's Open

Las Vegas is my favorite place on earth and I am certainly not alone as many PGA Tour pros call the area home. It can be however, quite a distraction for some players. The lights, the tables, the clubs, the ladies... There is trouble to be had. There is unfortunately not a strokes gained party scene but it is something to be aware of.

'Party Marty' Martin Laird is back to defend his 2020 Shriners Open title after he won for the second time at TPC Summerlin in a playoff against Austin Cook and Matthew Wolff. Safe to say Laird held off the partying till at least the last putt dropped. Vegas local and two-time Shriners Open champ, Kevin Na, (2019,2010) was in the field but withdrew on Tuesday. Webb Simpson (2014) and Ryan Moore (2011) are additional former champs in the field. Bryson DeChambeau (2018), Patrick Cantlay (2017), Rod Pampling (2016), Smylie Kaufman (2015), and Ben Martin (2014) round out the most recent Shriners Open champs.

This week's field is headlined by Brooks Koepka who tops the DK salaries and betting odds. Burns, Hovland, Abraham Ancer, Simpson, Will Zalatoris, Louis Oosthuizen, Scottie Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama, Harris English, Sungjae Im, and Si Woo Kim round out the $9k and above pricing range.

tpc summerlin key stats & Course Breakdown

TPC Summerlin opened in 1991 designed by a very appropriately named gentleman that went by the name Bobby Weed. Weed was assisted by Fuzzy Zoeller at the time who consulted on the course layout. Together they created this masterpiece which plays as a 7,255 yard par 71. Bentgrass can be found on the greens and bermudagrass everywhere else including the rough which is cut to just over 2" but can be tricky.

TPC Summerlin plays as the fourth easiest course on tour with average scores of almost two under par. The length of the course isn't very long by any means but plays shorter due to the elevation in the desert and the firmness of the course. Wind can typically be an issue which we saw in 2018 but the heat helps the ball travel just a bit further as well.

The course has almost a hundred bunkers surrounding the greens and landing areas in the fairway. Water is in play on four holes and there is quite a bit of OB at TPC Summerlin as well.

Key Stats for TPC Summerlin

Position off the tee, darts into the greens, and birdies by the bunches will be key this week at TPC Summerlin. You don't have to be a bomber in Vegas. It's hot, it's played at elevation, and the course plays firm. Players who have done well including last year's champ, Martin Laird, stress how much being in the right position into the greens is an advantage.

Driving accuracy is a big benefit and keeps the field level. Hitting fairways here is well below average according to Fantasy National's Course breakdown but greens in regulation don't get hindered, as the short rough can be navigated and the greens here are huge. Scoring is very important. Birdies and eagles need to be made. There is a drivable par 4, reachable par 5s, and an average wining total around -20. Approach, opportunities gained, good drives, birdie or better % and putting on Bentgrass are what I am most interested in. Mix in a bit of course history, some recent form, and a knack for going low and you should have the right recipe this week.

Just a tidbit from our Nut Hut inhouse caddie this week -- "There’s a variety of 3s that play over par and reward solid iron play - 5, 8, and 17 are all tricky in their own way. Only 3 5s, the easiest being the two on the back."

If you are not yet a member, join the Tour Junkies crew and some brilliant minds in Goalby’s Nut Hut. The Nut Hut is a discord chat with tons of insight, caddie news, banter, trash talk and most of all a collection of golf addicts that have won more than $4 million since the restart. Click the banner below to sign up!

The Picks & Fades

Each week we will give you some plays and a fade from each DraftKings salary range. For all of DB and Pat’s thoughts and picks make sure to check out and subscribe to the Tour Junkies Podcast.

$9K & Above

DB: Play - Webb Simpson | Fade - Harris English
Pat: Play - Abraham Ancer | Fade - Brooks Koepka
AC: Play - Brooks Koepka, Abe Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen | Fade - Viktor Hovland

I know, I know.. "AC, how can you play Brooks at that price? He just wants to party in Vegas!" Brooks can go to Vegas whenever he wants. BK is here to play. He can club down when he needs and wedge it with the best of em. Abe is steeply priced as well but over the last six months he is 1st in Good Drives, 2nd in Par 4 Scoring and 3rd in Strokes Gained Putting. He also has two top 4s in his last three starts here. Gimmie all the Louis. Should be nice and warm for his back. Length not an issue. Oosty rates out well in, well, everything.

It's obviously scary to fade a stud like BDV (Hov) but he's projecting to be the highest owned, he's never played at TPC Summerlin and Bentgrass is his worst surface.

$8K Range

DB: Play - Corey Conners | Fade - Joaquin Niemann
Pat: Play - Cameron Tringale | Fade - Charley Hoffman
AC: Play - Matthew Wolff | Fade - Patrick Reed

There is pretty much uniform agreement here this week in the $8k. Conners, Tringale and Wolff are my favorite plays and will likely start quite a few lineups with those three. Conners and Wolff are studs and Tringale is a win away from a similar status. Love what I saw from Tringale and Wolff last week and the course sets up well for both. Conners just needs a solid putting week and win number two is all but certain.

Reed is in the bottom 100 of my model over the last 12 rds and less. The opps gained, birdies, and approach are not great. Killer scrambler but that's not what we want this week.

$7K Range

DB: Play - Pat Perez | Fade - Kevin Kisner
Pat: Play - Talor Gooch | Fade - Carlos Ortiz
AC: Play - Russell Henley, Mito Pereira, Seamus Power | Fade - Danny Willett

Henley has put himself in some great spots over the last year and it really started here in Vegas last season. He is top tier in approach and tee to green. Just needs to get that putter back. Mito, one of my new fav players on tour. Love em. Numero uno in my model over the last 24 rds. Tee to green stud. I'm going back to Seamus this week at a much lower price and ownership. This course sets up better for him. The ability to make birdies, score on the par 4s and make putts is there.

Likely an easy fade after Willett won the Alfred Dunhill last week on the European Tour but here it is. His stats over here scream stay away. It's also going to be nice out. That's enough reason to fade likely.

$6K Range

DB: Play - Adam Schenk, Stephan Jaeger, Nick Watney
Pat: Play - Denny McCarthy, Sam Ryder, Hank Lebioda
AC: Play - Doug Ghim, James Hahn, Harry Hall

The Ghim Reaper is back in the bottom of the pool sitting at 69...00. Nothing to write home about results wise but he is still 5th in opps gained and 6th in fairways over his last 24 rds. My Hahn radar started going off as I scrolled through the $6k's. Hahn has made five straight cuts at the Shriners with his best effort culminating in a top 5 in 2020. We saw a nice spark from Hahn recently. Harry Hall!? Who the hell is Harry Hall you might ask. Well Hall went to UNLV and hails from England. He's fresh out of the Korn Ferry Tour where he picked up his first win and finished T33 at the KFT Championship. We also got a nice tip in the Nut Hut about Harry for the week.

That will do it for this week. Pay attention to the ownership. Tad smaller of a field means more of the player pool makes the cut. Hopefully we don't get another -5 cut like last week.. Unless my guys are all over that. Good luck out there and may your screens be green.

THE INS & OUTS

OUT: Brendon Todd, Kevin Na, Cameron Champ, Kramer Hickok

IN: Lee Hodges, Taylor Pendrith, JJ Spaun (alt), Seth Reeves (T10), Sahith Theegala (T10), Cameron Young (T10)

Monday Qualifers: 60 (-12); Jared Wolfe (12 birdies), 62 (-10); Brandon Wu (10 birdies), 63 (-9); Jin Jeong (9 birdies) and Alex Smalley (1 eagle, 7 birdies)

*Field is set at 144 with the top 65 and ties making the cut after 36 holes.