Featured Groups: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

Jim Furyk, Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay are among those who picked up their maiden PGA TOUR victory in Las Vegas, home of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin. Will this week bring us the 12th first-time winner in the last 17 years, or will it signal a return to the upper echelon for Jordan Spieth, who will be making his first start here and his first fall TOUR start since October 2015? This marks the third domestic tournament and seventh overall of 43 Regular Season events, to be followed by the reformatted three-event FedExCup Playoffs next August. It’s the strongest field in Las Vegas in years, with Rickie Fowler returning after a two-year absence; Tony Finau; and Bryson DeChambeau still hot after his two FedExCup Playoffs victories last season. Golf Channel will provide live coverage for all four rounds, with the first three rounds starting at 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday through Saturday. Coverage of the final round will begin at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.COM will air live starting at 2 p.m. ET for the first two rounds Thursday and Friday, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, and 2 p.m. ET Sunday.  MORE: Tee times Here’s a look at the Featured Groups for the first two rounds (FedExCup ranking in parentheses): Webb Simpson (–) – Led the TOUR last season in rounds of 63 or better (5); THE PLAYERS Championship was his fifth win. Making first start. Won here in 2014. Rickie Fowler (–) – First start after a season in which he didn’t win but had six top-10s, including a Masters runner-up, to finish 17th in FedExCup. Matt Kuchar (–) – First start this season after a down year in which he finished 76th in the FedExCup after just four top-10s in 24 starts. Tee times: Rd. 1 (2:05 p.m. ET); Rd. 2 (9:30 a.m. ET) Kevin Na (70) – T19 at CIMB Classic to start the season; along with playing partner Moore is a past champion (2011) and resident of Vegas. Ryan Moore (10) – Vegas resident and former Shriners champ (2012) sprinted into the new season with playoff runner-up at recent Safeway Open. Tony Finau (7) – One of the hottest players over the last six months, coming off playoff runner-up at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions. Tee times: Rd. 1 (2:15 p.m. ET); Rd. 2 (9:40 a.m. ET) Cameron Champ (6) – Long-hitting rookie is coming off his first TOUR win at the Sanderson Farms last week, when he birdied five of the last six holes. Aaron Wise (–) – First start. Named Rookie of the Year on Tuesday after a season in which he won (AT&T Byron Nelson) and was only rookie to make TOUR Championship. Jordan Spieth (–) – First fall TOUR start in three years; hopes to bounce back from rare winless season in which he finished 31st in the FedExCup. Tee times: Rd. 1 (9:30 a.m. ET); Rd. 2 (2:05 p.m. ET) Kevin Tway (4) – Oklahoma State product looks to continue momentum after collecting first TOUR win at the Safeway Open to start this season. Bryson DeChambeau (–) – Biggest story in golf when he won the first two FedExCup Playoffs events last season, he ultimately finished third in the FedExCup. Patrick Cantlay (26) – Career nearly derailed with back problems but delivered on amateur promise with playoff victory in Vegas a year ago. Tee times: Rd. 1 (9:40 a.m. ET); Rd. 2 (2:15 p.m. ET)

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