Just like that, the halfway point of the FedEx Cup Fall slate has arrived as the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open represents the fourth of eight tournaments to be played before the calendar flips to a new PGA Tour season. While veterans like Patton Kizzire have made their presence known, potential young stars such as Kevin Yu and Matt McCarty have entered the winner’s circle for the first time.
The fall has had a way of rewarding young talent in years past, and one would have to look no further than this tournament in particular as Tom Kim has gone back-to-back. Looking to become the first player since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic to win the same tournament three years in a row, the Presidents Cup star brings a wave of form into the Las Vegas desert.
Kim — who enters the tournament as the betting favorite at 12-1 to pull off the three-peat, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, has gone winless since his victory at TPC Summerlin last fall, but all signs point to him contending once again given his strong showing at the Presidents Cup. Alongside Kim in Montreal was Taylor Pendrith who also tees it up this week and headlines a contingent of 2024 PGA Tour winners that also includes Davis Thompson, Austin Eckroat, Cam Davis, Jhonattan Vegas and Nick Taylor.
PGA Tour veterans Rickie Fowler and Daniel Berger continue their search for consistent form, while others such as Beau Hossler, Keith Mitchell, Harris English, Kurt Kitayama and Matt Kuchar aim to keep a good thing going in Sin City.
2024 Shriners Children’s Open schedule
Dates: Oct. 17-20
Location: TPC Summerlin — Las Vegas, Nevada
Par: 71 | Yardage: 7,255
Purse: $7,000,000
2024 Shriners Children’s Open field, odds
- Tom Kim (12-1): The 22-year-old entered the Presidents Cup as the worst putter in the field across the last three months, but he went on to putt like Ben Crenshaw at Royal Montreal. If that same putter arrives with Kim at TPC Summerlin, the two-time defending champion will have a fantastic opportunity to make it three in a row. Despite not making it into the BMW Championship, Kim had plenty of strong showings to end his season with close calls at the Olympics, Canadian Open and Travelers Championship.
- Davis Thompson (25-1)
- Taylor Pendrith (25-1): Pendrith is the highest-ranked player in the FedEx Cup standings to tee it up this week after he finished the 2024 campaign 14th in the season-long race. Courtesy of a win in Dallas and a strong second half to his season, the Canadian climbed into the upper echelon of the PGA Tour. His play at the Presidents Cup was more smoke and mirrors if anything; he struggled when the lights were the brightest. Still, Pendrith should love his chances at this spot given his run of quality and T3 result last year.
- Tom Hoge (28-1)
- Kurt Kitayama (30-1)
- Keith Mitchell (30-1)
- Stephan Jaeger (30-1): There may be more juice to squeeze out of of Jaeger as this marks his third start this fall with quality results coming in the first two. A top-25 finisher at the Sanderson Farms Championship, the German backed it up with a runner-up result at the Black Desert Championship where he gave eventual winner McCarty something to think about down the stretch. After a dry spell on the greens throughout the summer, Jaeger has now gained strokes with the putter in four straight tournaments.
- Seamus Power (30-1)
- Beau Hossler (30-1)
- Adam Hadwin (35-1)
- Maverick McNealy (35-1)
- Matt McCarty (35-1): With his win in Utah, McCarty became just the second player to earn a Three-Victory Promotion and win on the PGA Tour in the same season. It marked his fourth victory in less than 90 days and has given him a chance to play himself into the first two signature events of 2025. Unlike most of the young and upcoming stars of today, McCarty gets the job done in a different way. A maestro on the greens and with a soft touch around them, the left hander’s ball striking is usually what makes or breaks his chances.
- Eric Cole (35-1): The reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year only has a few weeks left with the title as he searches for his first career victory. After coming close often last fall, Cole hopes to replicate his efforts after a sophomore slump. He found his form late in the season and finished his campaign with three top 10s in his last seven starts to secure a spot inside the top 50 of the FedEx Cup. Cole’s iron play has been much better of late, but he’ll need to avoid the desert off the tee if he is to contend this week.
2024 Shriners Children’s Open expert picks
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