Sometimes the house wins. OK, the house always wins, but TPC Summerlin usually meets the golfers halfway when serving as the host of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. This wasn’t the case in 2017 when the wind blew in Las Vegas. It was both cooler and a cooler en route to a 20-year-high scoring average north of the par of 71. But it was business as usual again last year despite the fact that it was the first edition after all 102 bunkers were redone. Scroll past the ranking of projected contenders for more on the course, details on this week’s edition and additional information. Hideki Matsuyama, Joaquin Niemann, Matthew Wolff, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. The new bunkers didn’t influence scoring as TPC Summerlin returned to its customary position as one of the most vulnerable par 71s of the season. The field averaged 69.369 in 2018. What’s more, fairways and greens were measurably even easier to find than in previous editions. Last year’s collection of 132 golfers averaged almost nine (of 14) fairways hit and 13.33 greens in regulation per round. It didn’t hurt that the rough was trimmed to two inches – a reduction of one inch – and conversion percentages on the greens aligned with history, so it made sense that Bryson DeChambeau reached 21-under 263 as the champion. This year, a field of 144 has assembled. The bump in size is possible because of the earliest date since 2011 (when only 132 competed, in fact). It can expect glorious weather throughout. Seasonably dry conditions not only welcome the PGA TOUR, but the countless snowbirds who flock to the Desert Southwest right around this time of year. Daytime highs in the mid-80s will be accompanied by a percentage of humidity barely into double digits. Wind will not be a factor. The bentgrass greens also will be allowed to run their full 11-and-a-half feet on the Stimpmeter. Customary aesthetic and agronomic enhancements did not influence the length of the course. It remains at 7,255 yards. So, the familiar formula of amassing scoring opportunities in advance of a sharp flat stick once again will define the leaderboard. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Fantasy Insider * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.
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