RADIO
With the pomp and circumstance of the Ryder Cup now firmly in the rearview, we got back to the business of the PGA Tour last week in Mississippi with the Sanderson Farms Championship. The FedEx Fall season continues this week, as we head to my buddy Spencer Aguiar's hometown of Las Vegas for the Shriners Children's Open
In this article, you will find my Shriners Children's Open Power Rankings, which gives golf fans a first look into the top 10 golfers who are primed to make a significant impact in this year's edition of this longstanding fall event. These players should be considered serious contenders at TPC Summerlin this week when the tournament gets underway on Thursday, October 12, 2023.
Hopefully, these rankings provide some insight into the current landscape of the PGA Tour and the upcoming tournament. Players have been evaluated on recent performances, statistical analysis, course history, and this week's projected course fit. The 2023 Shriners Children's Open promises to be a fun tournament for golf fans, as it annually provides PGA punters and DFS grinders a chance to partake in some golf action during football season.
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#10. J.J. Spaun
Spaun rolls into TPC Summerlin with a nice combination of recent form and previous Shriners Children's Open success to his credit. The Californian kicked off the FedEx Fall season with a strong showing in Napa Valley, posting a rock-solid T11 at the Fortinet Championship on the strength of gaining an impressive 6.9 strokes tee-to-green.
Spaun has now gained strokes T2G in seven consecutive starts which has led to made cuts in each of his last five outings. In addition to the steady statistical output, he has played well in prior trips to Summerlin, posting a pair of T15s across his last four Shriners appearances.
#9. Adam Hadwin
The Canadian has been a beast in Las Vegas. Hadwin is a true "course horse" at TPC Summerlin, as he's recorded top-10 finishes in three of his last four Shriners Children's Open starts. The 35-year-old has gained an eye-popping 32.01 strokes total in this event since 2019, which is the second-best mark in this year's field.
Hadwin struggled to find consistent form in 2023, though he popped for several impressive finishes with his best recent results coming at the Rocket Mortgage Classic (T2) in July and the FedEx St. Jude (T14) in August. This will be his first start in nearly two months, but if his Shriners track record is any indicator, he shouldn't have any trouble knocking the rust off this week.
Security mistakenly thought golfer Adam Hadwin was a fan and tackled him 😂 pic.twitter.com/OgPO87nbmh
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) June 13, 2023
#8. Nicolai Hojgaard
Like Ludvig Aberg (who we'll talk more about later), Hojgaard is fresh off a Ryder Cup victory at Marco Simone as a rookie member of Team Europe. Unlike Aberg, Hojgaard did have last week to rest and recoup from the celebratory festivities, so he should arrive in Las Vegas for his Shriners Children's Open debut relatively well rested. The 22-year-old from Denmark has already made an impact at the professional level and has two DP World Tour wins under his belt.
He's made limited starts on the PGA Tour to this point but did record a T14 at the Wyndham in his most recent U.S. outing. In addition to his booming distance off the tee, Hojgaard has displayed useful touch with the putter and has gained an average of 1.5 strokes on the greens over his last five measured starts. He's a major talent with explosive distance and scoring ability.
#7. J.T. Poston
Known for his putting prowess, "The Postman" closed out the 2022-23 delivering with his irons. Poston has gained an average of three strokes on Approach over his last five starts. The spike in ball striking has resulted in seven straight made cuts for the North Carolina native with four top-10 finishes among those outings. This week's Shriners will mark Poston's first start in nearly two months. While he scored a T20 in last year's edition, he's had mixed results overall at TPC Summerlin, missing the cut in three of his last five trips to Vegas.
#6. Adam Schenk
Schenk produced the best season of his career in 2022-23, qualifying for the Tour Championship and locking himself into 2024's Signature Events. With his game operating at a higher level, the Indiana native will try to continue his history of success at TPC Summerlin. Schenk has been excellent in previous trips to Vegas, finishing T27 or better in his last four Shriners starts with a T3 two years ago preceding last fall's T12.
Have a day, Adam Schenk! ⛳️
📺: Golf Channel and @peacock pic.twitter.com/LBc256qAuT
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 24, 2023
#5. Eric Cole
The longtime golf journeyman continues to thrive on the PGA Tour. Cole heads to Las Vegas off a solid T35 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He gained just over three strokes on Approach for the week at Country Club of Jackson and appears primed to continue a run of strong play that recently included a T4 at the Fortinet Championship. Cole now hasn't missed a cut since May and has gained an average of 2.6 strokes T2G over his last 20 measured starts.
#4. Si Woo Kim
The South Korean should feel like he has a huge weight off his shoulders, as he recently paired with Sungjae Im to win a gold medal for the Republic of Korea at the Asian Games. It's a huge deal because it makes Kim and Im exempt from serving Korea's mandatory two years of military service.
Now free to focus solely on golf without a looming military stint, Kim heads to a TPC Summerlin layout on which he's performed well in previous appearances. The 28-year-old has recorded T8 finishes in two of his last three Shriners starts. Kim grades out first in this week's field in Strokes Gained: T2G and Ball Striking over the last 50 rounds.
Over the weekend, Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim helped the Republic of Korea win gold at the Asian Games, making them exempt from the country's mandatory 21-month military requirement.
Full story: https://t.co/zpHGHfJGdv pic.twitter.com/6n0KKDkmYr
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) October 2, 2023
#3. Cameron Davis
An abysmal start to the 2023 calendar year eventually gave way to a sterling finish to the season for Cameron Davis. After missing five consecutive cuts at one point across January and February, Davis improved from some health issues and battled back in a big way.
The Aussie has been on a legitimate heater over the last few months and has recorded top-10 finishes in four of his last five starts. Most recently, Davis scored an impressive T3 in the first of event of the FedEx Fall season at the Fortinet, where he gained eight strokes T2G for the week. He's reeled off four straight made cuts at the Shriners and appears set up for success this week.
#2. Ludvig Aberg
If for some reason you weren't already blown away by Ludvig Aberg, his recent accomplishment at the Sanderson Farms Championship should make you a fan. Just days removed from helping Team Europe to a Ryder Cup victory as a rookie member of the squad, the 23-year-old flew halfway across the globe to Jackson, Mississippi in order to honor his long ago to play the Sanderson event.
Aberg not only turned up, but also showed out. The Swedish superstar cut through the weak field in Jackson like a hot knife through butter, ultimately settling for a runner-up result after falling in a five-man sudden-death playoff. He's set to make his Shriners debut this week, and though the fear that fatigue might finally catch up with him is legitimate, he still stands out as the cream of the crop in this field.
Describe Ludvig Aberg's swing in three words or less. pic.twitter.com/bkcT4A43mF
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 27, 2023
#1. Tom Kim
After picking up two victories to close out 2022 - including winning the Shriners - Tom Kim has been unable to lift a trophy in 2023. The rising star looked sluggish at times in '23 but strong finishes at both the Masters (T16) and U.S. Open (T8) buoyed him enough to finish the season on a certified tear. Kim logged top-25 finishes in his last five starts of the season with three top-10s among those, including a backdoor runner-up at the Open Championship.
He's had time to rest and rehab an ankle injury that nagged him during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, though it's fair to wonder if that will come with some rust as he defends his Shriners title in Vegas this week. This short, 7,255-yard Summerlin layout has been a haven for short hitters through the years and should once again suit Kim's game perfectly.
🏌️♂️FORE DAYS TO GO!
Tom Kim is set to defend his #ShrinersOpen PGA TOUR title! pic.twitter.com/m0aEVIAMMg
— Shriners Children's Open (@ShrinersOpen) October 8, 2023
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