Im and Ramey Co-Lead 2021 Shriners Children's Open

Sungjae Im co-leads the 2021 Shriners Children's Open (image: Andrew Redington)
 

 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - The last of the weekday rounds of the 2021 Shriners Children's Open hosted by TPC at Summerlin are wrapping up. As it stands now, Sungjae Im and Chad Ramey co-lead heading into the weekend with a score of 14-under and a single shot lead over Sam Burns and Adam Schenk.

The cut is projected to be at 5-under.

 

 

HARD WORK PAYING OFF FOR IM

Im, who is coming off a great FedEx Cup Playoffs run last season, carded a 63 on Thursday and a 65 on Friday to take the solo lead. In both rounds, he managed to not card a single bogey or worse and put on a putting masterclass, sinking several mid-range putts for key birdies throughout his rounds

For many, Im's incredible form will come as no surprise. There is no other player on tour who is more committed to playing events like Im. Last season, Im broke the record for most birdies in a season, carding a total of 497. This was largely due to the fact that he played the most tournaments that year. 

 

To put into perspective how many tournaments Im has played thus far, this week marks the 100th start on the PGA Tour, having only been on tour for three years.

RAMEY CO-LEADS, LOOKING FOR SUCCESS THIS SEASON

Ramey's week started off hot. After a quiet 34 on his front nine during his Thursday round, Ramey found a hot streak and went on to card seven birdies on the back nine for a 29.

The script did not change for his Friday round, where birdied three of his four final holes, including the 18th, to put him in the lead with Im. 

 

This is a great performance thus far from Ramey, who after graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour last year, did not have the best start to his PGA Tour season so far, missing the cut at the Fortinet Championship, then following it up with a T63 at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

 

 

WINDS PICK UP IN THE DESERT

Windier and wetter than expected conditions were present for the first two rounds of the Shriners Children's Open, which seemed to have surprised some players. When asked about the winds, which gusted up to 30mph, many players reported having to adjust their ball flights to not get caught up in it.

Despite the weather, low scores were had, with Sung Kung shooting a 61 on Thursday and Aaron Wise shooting a 62 on Friday, the low rounds for their respective days.

The winds are expected to continue into the weekend, but what is uncertain is the direction they will come from, largely due to the proximity of TPC at Summerlin to the nearby mountain ranges and the valley it sits in. 

All we know is that it will make for some entertaining golf for us fans to watch.

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING?

 

1) Will Zalatoris: CUT

2) Louis Oosthuizen: T13 at 10-under

3) Nick Watney: T43 at 6-under

Zalatoris didn't play horrible golf, carding a 69/72, but others played better. Louis is again in a good position heading into the weekend, to no one's surprise really. Watney started off strong with a 67 on Thursday but followed it up with a 69 on Friday.

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With the uncertain winds, it will be interesting to see how players will continue to respond to them. Stay tuned for our article to see who has won it all.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

2021 Shriners Children's Open Preview and Picks

Will Zalatoris is our top pick to win the 2021 Shriners Children's Open 

(image: Chris Carlson/AP)

 

 

The 2021-2022 PGA Tour season is in full swing now and heading to Las Vegas this week for the 2021 Shriners Children's Open, hosted by TPC at Summerlin. 

 

A favourite among many, the tournament often features a field of some of the best golfers on the PGA Tour and is known for benefiting and raising money for the Shriners Hospital for Children network. 

 

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The tournament boasts an elaborate history, compared to other events on tour, reflecting the showmanship of the city that hosts it.

Since its inception in 1983 and until 2004, the tournament consists of five rounds of golf, spread out over several courses in the Las Vegas area; similar in style to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

 

In 1984, it became the first PGA Tour event to offer a purse of over $1 million, with $162,000 going to the winner.

From 2006 to 2007, it was known as the Frys.com Open, after which Frys.com switched their sponsorship to what is now the Fortinet Championship.

From 2008-2012, Justin Timberlake hosted the tournament and it's pro-am event.

The tournament was also the site of first career wins for a number of notable professionals including Jim Furyk in 1995, Tiger Woods in 1996, Kevin Na in 2011, and Patrick Cantlay in 2017. 

TPC AT SUMMERLIN

After going through a rotation of courses, the current host for the event is TPC at Summerlin, located just 20 minutes downtown from Las Vegas. 

 

The course opened in 1991 and was the design of Bobby Weed, frequent collaborator with Pete Dye. In addition to TPC at Summerlin, Weed oversaw the design of several other tournament-level courses in the TPC network including TPC Las Vegas, TPC Tampa Bay and TPC River Highlands in Connecticut.

Summerlin is private and for the Shriners Children's Open will play as a par 71 measuring 7,255 yards in length.

OUR PICKS TO WIN

 

1) Will Zalatoris

2) Louis Oosthuizen

3) Nick Watney

Zalatoris is off to a hot start this season, finishing T11 at the Fortinet Championship and T14 last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship, where he carded a course record 61 during his second round. TGR favourite Oosthuizen makes his season debut this week, looking to carry some momentum from last season. Finally, Watney is coming off a T2 finish last week and is in great form. 

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Play kicks off Thursday morning, be sure to check out our Weekend Update to see who is leading heading into the weekend.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Max Homa Surges on Back Nine to Win 2021 Fortinet Championship

Max Homa Surges on Back Nine to Win 2021 Fortinet Championship

 

 

NAPA, CA - In picturesque Wine Country, something sweet was fermenting. 

 

It was Max Homa's golf game, coming to full fruition on the back nine at Silverado Country Club. The Burbank, CA native has won the 2021 Fortinet Championship with a score of 19-under, one stroke ahead of 36-hole leader Maverick McNealy.

 

This is Homa's third PGA Tour win and his first since the 2021 Genesis Invitational. Aside from a $1.26 million paycheck, Homa becomes fully exempt on the PGA Tour for the rest of the season through to the 2023-2024 season. He also secures a spot in the Sentry Tournament of Champions (next season), The Players Championship, The Masters and the PGA Championship.

A BACK NINE MOMENTUM SWING: HOMA SURGES, MCNEALY FALLS

At the start of the back nine, the storylines were much different.

 

McNealy, in the final group, made the turn at 17-under whereas Homa, in the second-to-last group, made it at 14-under.

 

McNealy, calm and poised as ever, seemed to be cruising on his way to his first PGA Tour win. On the other hand, Homa bogeyed the 10th hole to drop him further away from McNealy and a potential victory.

 

But then, things changed, in Homa's favor, on the short par 4 12th hole. Homa's tee shot found the first cut of fairway rough, 96 yards from the hole. With birdie prospects looking slim, Homa swung his wedge, landed the ball perfectly on the green, and watched it roll in for an eagle, shooting him two spots up the leaderboard.

This was the wake-up call that Homa needed, as he would go on to make an incredible birdie putt on the par 4 13th, to tie McNealy for the lead at 17-under. 

 

Fully in contention now, Homa knew exactly what he needed to do. After an excellent approach shot into the par 5 16th hole green, he was left with a tap-in birdie putt. On the 17th, he yet again made birdie with another huge putt. He would par the par 5 18th hole to shoot a 65 on the day.

Amidst the run that Homa was on, McNealy was cruising at 17-under, after a series of pars, until the par 5 16th hole, where he sunk a tricky putt for birdie. A playoff seemed almost inevitable at this point.

But then, things changed, not in McNealy's favor, at the 17th hole, a short par 4. During his pre-shot routine, something seemed off with McNealy's swing, as noted by Golf Channel TV Commentator and 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman. McNealy's tee shot sliced hard right, hitting a tree and dropping straight down, about 190 yards from the hole. He followed this with an approach shot that overshot the green, then a risky flop shot that also overshot the green. After three-putting, McNealy finished the hole with a double-bogey.

At this point, with Homa in the clubhouse at 19-under, McNealy needed an albatross on the par 5 18th hole just to force a playoff. To his credit, he played the hole excellently, missing the albatross approach shot but holing the ensuing eagle-putt, to finish one short.

SILVERADO BITES BACK... A BIT

Sunday saw a tougher golf course at Silverado, compared to previous days. During the morning rounds, the course remained benign albeit foggy, but as the day progressed, the winds picked up and the course became firmer. This made conditions slightly tougher for those higher on the leaderboard, particularly with approach shots into the harder greens. 

 

The low round on Sunday was a 65, shot by Max Homa and Marc Leishman.

 

In his post round interview, Homa credited his caddie for knowing how the course would change as it firmed up, something that certainly aided in his win. 

 

HOW DID ARE PICKS FINISH?

Our hopes were resting on young Will Zalatoris, let's see how he finished.

1) Jon Rahm: CUT

2) Kevin Na: CUT

3) Will Zalatoris: T11 at 12-under

 

Not a bad finish for Zalatoris, great to see that his form from last season has carried over. As we mentioned in our Weekend Update, the bigger concern is Jon Rahm's form and what state it will be in for the Ryder Cup next week. Only time will tell. 

 

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And with that, the first tournament of the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season has concluded, and in great fashion. If the 2021 Fortinet Championship is a sign of things to come, we are in for a great PGA Tour season.

Our coverage next week moves to Michigan for what is perhaps the most exciting event in golf: The Ryder Cup from Whistling Straits. We'll be having special coverage for the Ryder Cup, with daily round recaps and a special op-ed article before the tournament. Be sure to follow our Twitter feed as well for live tweets about the event.

 

Stay tuned for all that and much more!

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Maverick McNealy Leads 2021 Fortinet Championship

Maverick McNealy Leads the 2021 Fortinet Championship

 

 

The last few holes of the weekday rounds of the 2021 Fortinet Championship are wrapping up at Silverado Country Club. As it stands heading into the weekend, Maverick McNealy leads the tournament with a score of 12-under and a two shot lead over Beau Hossler and Mito Pereira. 

The cut is also projected to be 3-under.

MCNEALY OFF TO A HOT START

McNealy, starting his third year on tour, opened the tournament on Thursday with a 68, in a round that included five birdies and a bogey. 

This momentum continued to Friday where, the California native carded five birdies on his front nine (actually the back nine as he started on the 10th tee). However, things would turn for the worst on the start of his back nine, where he bogeyed holes 1-3. But to his credit, McNealy did not let this get to him He went on to birdie four straight holes after that, including a hole-out birdie on the par 3 7th hole from the bunker, and finished the day with an eagle on the par 5 9th hole. 

McNealy had his best season on tour last year, including a 2nd place finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a T4 finish at the RBC Heritage. He is still searching for his first PGA Tour win and is in a great position heading into the weekend to do so. 

KUCHAR DOESNT DISAPPOINT WITH NEAR ACE

Just four shots behind McNealy sits Matt Kuchar, PGA Tour veteran and fan favorite. Also starting his day on the back nine, the 43-year old nearly aced the par 3 11th hole (his second hole of the day), after hitting an iron just short of pin high and watching it roll by the hole to four feet, nearly dropping in along the way.

Kuchar would go on to make the four footer for birdie, on his way to a 6-under 66 for the day.

SILVERADO PLAYING WELL FOR PLAYERS

As we mentioned in our preview to the tournament, Silverado Country Club is one of the shorter courses played on tour. Consequently, we are seeing some low scores this week, as a result of players being able to take on holes more aggressively, often times having shorter approaches to greens, compared to other tournaments.

The low round of the tournament was a 64 shot by Maverick McNealy, Beau Hossler and David Lipsky.  

The weather has been a bit cooler but perfect for players at Silverado and is scheduled to continue that way. There is a chance for winds to pick up on Sunday, but nothing too impactful for players.

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING?

We're looking for some redemption after our plan last week at the BMW PGA Championship backfired. Here's how our picks are doing so far:

1) Jon Rahm: CUT

2) Kevin Na: CUT

3) Will Zalatoris: T4 at 9-under

Nope. Wow, I really was not expecting Rahm and Na to be cut, especially after the way the ended last season. I suppose this is more concerning for Rahm, who needs to find some form for the Ryder Cup next week. The silver lining is that he'll have more time for prep via not making the cut.

 

And in his first season as an full-status PGA Tour member, "rookie" Will Zalatoris is off to a hot start. Here's hoping Zalatoris can carry this momentum into the weekend.

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Two rounds are left at the 2021 Fortinet Championship. Much can change in two rounds of golf, so stay tuned to see who has won it.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

2021 Fortinet Championship Preview

Jon Rahm is our top pick to win the 2021 Fortinet Championsip

 

 

Despite golf being perceived as a sport that takes too long to play, what isn't long is the break between PGA Tour seasons...

Just two weeks removed from the 2021 Tour Championship and official end of the PGA Tour season, the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season kicks off this week at Silverado Country Club in Napa, California for the 2021 Fortinet Championship (formerly known as the Safeway Open and Frys.com Open). 

 

It's the start of a new season and everyone is trying to kick off on the right foot. On the line this week is a $7 million purse, with $1.26 million going to the winner and 40 World Golf Rankings points.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The tournament was first contested back in 2007. At the time, it was part of the PGA Tour Fall Series, a group of tournaments played after the Tour Championship but before the end of the season. Scheduling was different then, with the season starting in January and ending in November, giving players the month of December off. 

 

In 2013, the PGA Tour changed its scheduling to start the season in October. The Frys.com Open, as it was known then, was selected to be the inaugural tournament of the season and has held the title since.

Since 2007, several courses have played host, including Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale and CordeValle Golf Club near San Jose. 

 

Since 2014, the tournament has been contested on Silverado Country Club's North Course, which plays as a par 72 measuring 7,166 yards, making it one of the shorter courses on tour. Last year, Stewart Cink set the tournament scoring record to par, winning with a 21-under par.

WHO DO WE THINK WILL WIN?

The Fortinet Championship sits in a unique position this year, in terms of scheduling. As stated prior, we're coming off a great FedEx Cup Playoffs and the Ryder Cup is being played next week. Some players will perhaps be looking to capitalize on some momentum they have left from the playoffs, while some (one really) will be looking to get into Ryder Cup form. At the same time, this is the start of a brand new PGA Tour season. New season, new opportunities, a chance to start out strong. 

Wrapping all of this together, here are our picks to win the 2021 Fortinet Championship:

1) Jon Rahm

2) Kevin Na

3) Will Zalatoris

Rahm is coming off an impressive playoff run and is the Number One Golfer in the World. He's riding a huge wave of momentum and is perhaps using this event as Ryder Cup prep. He hands down has to be the favourite to win this week. Kevin Na may have missed out on a Ryder Cup pick, but he also performed well during the playoffs. Lastly, Will Zalatoris, newly named Rookie of the Year, is now a full PGA Tour member, with some serious game, as we saw last year,

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Play kicks off at 10AM Eastern time Thursday morning, officially ending one of the shortest off-seasons in professional sport. Be sure to check out our Weekend Update post to see what the drama and storylines are after the first two rounds.

 

 

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews