by There are no Presidents Cup pledges on the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open leaderboard, only those who competed a few weeks ago at Quail Hollow Club. Mito Pereira leads the field after a blistering 8-under 63 on Friday, and sits alone atop the leaderboard at 12 under heading into the final 36 holes at TPC Summerlin.
Using a team competition as a starting point for the season is nothing new on the PGA Tour (just look at Scottie Scheffler last year), and for Pereira it seems he’s not alone. His Quail Hollow teammates Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim are some of his closest pursuers as they are two out of the lead at 10 under along with Las Vegas resident Maverick McNealy.
Cam Davis, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Sungjae Im are in the top 20 for now, but to say the Shriners Children’s Open was strictly an international party would be a lie. Americans Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa will certainly have something to say about the outcome of this tournament with both just four strokes back in a tie for ninth.
The two men from the United States have yet to show their A-games around TPC Summerlin, and are more than capable of firing a round in the low 60s on Saturday to take control. Although the score is lower compared to recent years, favorable pin positions and ideal weather could lead to a barrage of birdies finally coming to fruition this weekend in Sin City.
The leader
1. Mito Pereira (-12)
After some serious form in the middle stages of the 2021-22 season, Pereira went cold. Showcasing his skills at the 2022 PGA Championship, the Chilean went on to lose four of his last six starts to end his first full PGA Tour campaign. While he limped to the finish line, Pereira’s play was still enough to earn him a spot in the Presidents Cup squad, where some of that lost confidence may have been rediscovered.
“[Captain Trevor Immelman] He just really tried to put us in a position where we really want to play well and really believe in ourselves,” Pereira said of the international’s confidence. “Every day he liked a little pep talk about how good we are and how we can do it. we do this. So I think it really touched us.”
Other contenders
2. Robby Shelton (-11)
T3. Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim, Maverick McNealy
T6. Kevin Streelman, Cam Davis, Chad Ramey (-9)
T9. Patrick Rodgers, Patrick Candley, Matthew Nesmith, SH Kim, Adam Hadwin, Max Homa, Sam Ryder, Keith Mitchell (-8)
It was the first 11 holes for Si Woo Kim, who reached 10 under early in his second round. Stopping around the bend, disaster struck for the South Korean when he dropped his chip into the water on the par-4 12th which led to a triple bogey. Kim later made amends with an eagle on the par-4 15th from the Greenside bunker and a birdie on the par-5 16th to reach 10 under once again to keep his name in contention.
“I had a little bit between the numbers and then I hit a little pull hook. I think the pull hook is a little bit further so I miss it. I just missed the one shot and then I had a hard lie. Then I had a bad chip and then I triple,” said Kim. “But Manny, my friend, said to keep it positive and we can go back. Yeah, I stayed positive and just played my game.”
The momentum from the Presidents Cup continues
At the start of the week, 10 participants in the Presidents Cup made it to TPC Summerlin with the vast majority coming from the international side. All 10 entered the weekend with eight currently residing inside the top 20 — six of which are international. Led by Pereira and the South Korean duo, a new sense of confidence can be instilled from this team competition just a few weeks ago.
“Obviously, with the pressure that’s in the Presidents Cup, and usually you’re playing by yourself in individual tournaments, but you’re playing for the whole team. One shot, it’s on me,” Tom Kim said. “I’m not hurting anybody else. Just things like that, when you’re in a mindset where you feel a little bit more comfortable. For a lot of us players, it’s been a great learning experience and I think we’re going to continue to grow.”
Cantlay discusses TPC Summerlin’s new greens
Patrick Candley, Patrick Candley, is once again in good position to claim the Shriners Children’s Open title. Coming into this week having recorded one win, two runner-up finishes and one top-10 finish in his four previous trips to Las Vegas, this time was dramatically different. Known as one of the best players on the PGA Tour, Cantlay has been vocal about his displeasure with desert putting surfaces.
“Of [TPC Summerlin’s] in much worse shape, and you can see that in the ratings,” Cantlay said. “The greens aren’t settled enough, so you’ve got all kinds of bounces out there. Each green and each small spot has a different stability. It’s hard to predict and hard to approach because of that, but it’s the same way for everyone. I’m just going to do my best to hit it as close as I can and make as many birdies as I can.”
The world No.4 continued: “The greens haven’t cleared up. It’s very difficult to read the greens. Even if you read it right, it could bounce offline in a heartbeat. I think it gives even more value to hitting with ball around that place. If I can keep driving it the way I am and get a few more shots closer, I’ll be in a good spot.”
2022 Shriners Children’s Open updated odds and picks
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- Mito Pereira: 9/2
- Tom Kim: 11/2
- Patrick Cantlay: 2/15
- Si Woo Kim: 10-1
- Robbie Shelton: 10-1
- Maverick McNeely: 12-1
- Cam Davis: 16-1
- Max Homa: 18-1
- Sungjae Im: 20-1
All the big players came out to play this week, but I have a feeling a Saturday run will come from a player not on this list. Sam Ryder was a name I was following this week as he arrived with his irons and putter in good shape. Through two rounds, he ranks 10th in strokes gained and would be on the front page of the leaderboard if not for a poor showing on Friday. Instead, Ryder is 100-1 sitting at 8 under and tied for ninth, where he takes a back seat to the likes of Cantlay and Homa, although he’s still in contention.
