The PGA Tour FedExCup Fall Series heads West this week for the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, at TPC at Summerlin. Once boasting the largest purse on tour, the event was formerly played over five rounds over a handful of courses when it was created in 1983.
This year, the four-day event is played exclusively at one venue and begins on Thursday, October 12th, and ends on Sunday, October 15th.
Tom Kim is back in action this week to defend his tournament title from last season. The 21-year-old became the first player since Tiger Woods to win twice on the PGA Tour before turning the age of 21. Kim’s 24-under par last year tied the tournament scoring record at TPC Summerlin, beating Patrick Cantlay and Matthew NeSmith by three shots.
This year, players will battle it out for the $8.4 million dollar purse, with $1.512 million going to the winner. The third of seven fall events, players will be jockeying for key positions in the standings and shooting for the 500 FedExCup points handed to the winner.
TPC at Summerlin
The venue is located just west of downtown Las Vegas and sits at 2,700 feet above sea level. The par-71 layout measures 7,255 yards in length and features a robust desert landscape with canyons and arroyos.
Opened in 1991, the 32-year-old championship golf course was designed by Bobby Weed and is a member of the Tournament Players Club network operated under the umbrella of the PGA Tour.
The scoring is historically low, but that does not mean the course does not feature some challenges. Throughout the layout, there are numerous water features that come into play, especially around the greens.
Shriners Children’s Open Field
Kim is joined by four other golfers in the field who competed for the TOUR Championship this year. Those golfers are Nick Taylor, Si Woo Kim, Adam Schenk, and Emiliano Grillo.
LPGA Tour pro Lexi Thompson earned a sponsor exemption and will become the seventh woman to participate in a PGA Tour event. Thompson is one of the longest drivers on the LPGA, averaging over 270 yards off the tee. She is an 11-time winner on the LPGA, highlighted by her lone major victory at the 2014 Chevron Championship.
Ryder Cup participant Ludvig Aberg is back in action after losing in a five-man playoff to Luke List last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Aberg, a rookie this season, sits 113th in the current standings.
Other notables competing this week include Webb Simpson, Joel Dahmen, J.T. Poston, and Adam Hadwin.
Betting Favorites Odds: Kim Favored at +110
Tom Kim (+1100 at Bookmaker) leads the field as the betting favorite heading into the opening round of the tournament. Aberg (+1200) follows closely behind as he aims for his first PGA Tour victory.
Si Woo Kim (+2200) and Cameron Davis (+2500) are next in line. Kim has won once this season with a victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii back in mid-January.
Schenk and Poston round out the betting favorites at +3000. The 31-year-old Schenk is still searching for the elusive first PGA Tour triumph, while Poston looks to get back into the winner’s circle for the third time in his career.
Bet on Tom Kim to win the Shriners Children’s Open over at Bookmaker
