A longshot won last week's Sanderson Farms Championship as Mackenzie Hughes prevailed in a playoff over Sepp Straka. Third round leader and dark horse Mark Hubbard stumbled in the final round, but still returned +1500 for a top-5 finish. Now the PGA pros head to Las Vegas for the Shriners Children's Open, which includes 10 Presid ent's Cup players in the field.
TPC Summerlin is a par 71 resort-style desert golf course playing to 7,255 yards. It plays a bit shorter with thin air, elevation changes and a number of risk-reward holes. The course has new turf from tee-to-green with bentgrass greens and bandera bermuda fairways and rough. Low scores of 20-under-par or better have won the last 5 editions of the Shriners Children's Open. The event is one of the most unpredictable tournaments on the schedule, partly because of timing, depth and the number of new capable players.
Shriners Children's Open Dark Horse Picks 2022
Beyond the leading favorites and top-ranked golfers like 2017 winner and 2018 and 2019 runner-up Patrick Cantlay (+650), and 2021 champion Sungjae Im (+1100), there are plenty of other players and dark horses who offer some value as capable contenders.
With longshots in mind, here are three dark horses that could make a run'at'the leaderboard and come away with a high finish or victory on Sunday. Check out the'Shriners Children's Open odds, prop bets and top finishing position odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.
1. Taylor Montgomery (+2900)
Las Vegas resident and former UNLV golfer Taylor Montgomery has been shooting up the odds board with his strong recent play. The 27-year-old finished 3rd at the Fortinet Championship last month and then T-9 last week at the Sanderson Farms. He makes his debut in the Shriners, but has played the course many times. His short game is superb, ranking No. 1 in Putting and No. 4 in Short Game stats in this field over the last 24 rounds.
2. Adam Hadwin (+4500)
Hadwin's odds have risen, and the 34-year-old Canadian has scored well in the tournament. He finished T-4 at -20 under par in 2019, and T-6 in 2021. He's an ideal type for a shootout when everything is firing, and he's scored and played well on a variety of desert courses. Across 22 rounds played at TPC Summerlin, Hadwin ranks top-5 in Strokes Gained: Putting, Short Game and Total. He's top-15 in Around the Green and Tee-to-Green stats.
3. Byeong Hun An (+8000)
Byeong Hun An has a similarly strong record in the desert. On the DP Tour across the UAE and Qatar, the South Korean and former Cal Golden Bears golfer has 14 top-15 finishes. He's also fared well in Phoenix, and in the recent Fortinet Championship, he finished T-4 following a poor final round. The big hitter can improve his standing and hit the jackpot in Vegas with better approach play to match his stronger tee-to-green game.