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Joe Idone's @TourPicks Exclusive Course Preview and Breakdown for the 2024 Shriners Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, NV. He offers a comprehensive preview and concentrated analysis for DFS lineups.
The PGA Tour is firmly in the midst of desert golf season. While TPC Summerlin won't visually captivate you quite the way that Black Desert Resort looked on television, it will indeed be nice to evaluate a familiar and longstanding stop on the PGA Tour Schedule located just on the outskirts of Las Vegas.
TPC Summerlin is one of a handful of courses on the PGA Tour schedule that I have personally played. The Shriners Open does incredible work for charity and this is definitely an event that helps facilitate their philanthropic mission which is something that I think we can all appreciate.
I wanted to use this piece to hopefully highlight a few different angles and elements that may be less spoken about to provide some value in this course preview, including my personal anecdotes. I'm hopeful you can utilize this to get your research started and evaluate the proper DFS and betting options for the Shrines Open!
An Introduction to TPC Summerlin
TPC Summerlin, located within an upscale neighborhood in the hill of Las Vegas, NV, was opened in 1991 under the co-design of Bobby Weed and Fuzzy Zoeller. They have created an amazing property as part of the TPC network with expansive practice areas that has become the home base for many Las Vegas professionals. You're bound to run into 2-3 PGA Tour players upon walking up to the Driving Range on an ordinary day.
You also have to keep in mind that this is a golf course that gets a ton of annual play from the general public, so they have to balance catering to the PGA Tour tournament while also being playable for amateurs. Thus, you get wide fairways and generously sized greens, along with several holes with definite risk-reward options that make it fun to play and leans into the gambling minds that are in Las Vegas.
The conditions are usually lush and perfect for this tournament, and head superintendent Dale Hahn understands that the challenge comes from the harsh desert landscape and rock areas, combined with potentially windy conditions that often arise in the Fall. This is a fun tournament that benefits a great cause, making it my favorite event on the Fall swing schedule every year.
One important note when doing your research this week, TPC Summerlin went full Bermuda grass recently. Check out this video.
TPC Summerlin got that Bandera Bermuda grass upgrade in 2022, and it’s still looking brand new! You’ve got to come see it! 🙌#ShrinersOpen🏌️ pic.twitter.com/41RdKfJ0OQ
— Shriners Children's Open (@ShrinersOpen) October 5, 2024
Scorecard:
Course Specs
First things first, as shown in the video above, all eighteen greens were brand new last year. Every green was reshaped and contoured with substantially more slope and undulation added. With being brand new last year, they were also much firmer than in years past. The fairways were also resurfaced to help them with sustainability during harsh weather and to hold up better with the amount of play the course receives.
The fairways are nice and wide, but don't miss them or you will end up in the rocks and native cacti. I've been in the rocks while playing TPC Summerlin, and trust me, you will have to take a drop. There is a decent amount of water on the course but it really only comes into play in a couple of spots. The 92 bunkers protect many of the greens and are difficult to get out of, but they may actually be easier in some spots than chipping off tight, grainy Bermuda grass lies.
The course is not long by any stretch. If you hit the fairways, you are often met with less than 150 yards into the green. The par 5s are easily reachable and the par 4 15th hole is drivable, which gives players the opportunity to score and make an eagle if properly played. There are a few outlier years where the wind played a huge factor in the difficulty, but the norm has been a low-scoring birdie fest.
Statistical Considerations
I mentioned how the course is not long, and given the elevation, it allows players who are often incapable of keeping up with the bombers to still compete at TPC Summerlin. It's not only about avoiding disaster in the rocks but also comes into play as the angle into several greens can counteract the undulations which makes accessing many pin locations almost impossible from anywhere other than the fairway.
Here is the other thing, chipping around the greens is extremely tricky with the tight lies and dramatic land changes. Trying to save par from the bunkers is maybe even more difficult. Players have to be really sound around the greens to avoid going in the wrong direction and making bogeys in a tournament that they know will likely eclipse the -20 under-par mark.
Here are the top 10 players in strokes gained around the green x driving accuracy for reference that are playing this week :
- Adam Svensson
- Ryan Moore
- Webb Simpson
- Chan Kim
- Brice Garnett
- Ben Kohles
- Brendon Todd
- Daniel Berger
- Davis Thompson
- Zac Blair
In terms of approach play, over 40% of approach shots on average over the previous 5 years have come from inside of 150 yards. Step number one is to put it in the fairway, and then step number two is to stick your wedge tight with your approach shot. Greens in regulation percentage on average is nearly 10% above the Tour average.
Lastly, you have to show up to TPC Summerlin with a hot putter. Given the amount of greens per round that are hit, you will see an uptick in the amount of putts from within 20 ft. Scoring opportunities come in abundance, so looking into Opportunities Gained is of extra importance this week.
Past Winners/Odds - @ShrinersOpen pic.twitter.com/o8tM6mUNzX
— Ron Klos (@PGASplits101) October 14, 2024
Approach Shot Distribution Chart via DataGolf
Top 10 Best Adjusted Player Course Fit Rankings
- Harry Hall (home course)
- Ben Silverman
- Matt McCarty
- Brendon Todd
- Eric Cole
- Vince Whaley
- Jacob Bridgeman
- Maverick McNealy (home course)
- Patrick Fishburn
- Seamus Power (home course)
Good luck and enjoy the 2024 Shriners Open!
