Viva Las Vegas! The PGA Tour rolls into Sin City this week for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open hosted at TPC Summerlin. This event tends to be a favorite of many players because the course is fun for them to play (read: easy) and there are plenty of activities off the course for them and their significant others to partake in.
Unless the wind blows, TPC Summerlin is not particularly difficult in any aspect of the game. We typically see a winning score around -20, which means you should roster players who have high birdie rates. Also, the field has a handful of players with ties to the area, and local knowledge could be an advantage this week. Here are three players with local ties you should consider for your DraftKings lineups:
Tony Finau $9,800
Finau is coming into Vegas off of the back of two events in Europe, which included a 10th-place finish last week. Vegas likely feels like a second home to Finau, as he spent a lot of time here grinding in money games before making the PGA Tour. He has had solid but not spectacular results the Shriners, finishing 36th, 16th, 41st, 16th and seventh. But digging deeper, we can see that he has struck the ball well here every year but just hasn’t been able to get putts to drop. Over the past five years, he has gained over 28 shots combined off the tee and on approach but lost 10 strokes putting! If he can just have an average week on the greens, he has a chance to contend. He has very high upside in birdie and eagle rates, which makes him all the more attractive for your DraftKings lineup.
Scott Piercy $7,900
Piercy, a Las Vegas native and current resident, has finished 32nd or better in this event in nine of the past 10 years. Overall, he has missed only two cuts in the past 12 months. This consistency at this event and in general makes him an excellent value at a $7,900 price tag. Getting Piercy at a bargain allows us to pay up for top players like Finau.
Aaron Wise $7,500
This is a home game for Wise, as he is a Las Vegas resident and has played a ton of rounds at TPC Summerlin. He has finished 15th, 32nd, and 10th in his three appearances at the Shriners. Wise has shown the ability to contend and win on the PGA Tour, and he boasts very high birdie and eagle percentages, ideal for DraftKings scoring.