2023 Shriners Children's Open odds and best bets explored
The 2023 Shriners Children's Open will tee off next Thursday with a host of attractions. The TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas will feature eight players from the top 50 and 32 from the top 100 in the world rankings. In addition, Lexi Thompson will become the 7th woman to play in a PGA Tour event.
No wonder all eyes in the golf world are on the Shriners Children's Open this week. Defending champion Tom Kim leads the field as the top-ranked golfer (16th, according to the Official World Golf Ranking) and has the best chance of repeating his triumph.
According to specialist site BetMGM Sports, Kim himself has odds of +1100 to win the Shriners Children's Open. Tom Kim is coming off a top 50 finish in the FedEx Cup (T20) last season, as well as some good performances on the European circuit.
The second player with the best chance to win the Shriners Children's Open is Ludvig Aberg (+1200). The young Swede has done nothing but shine since turning pro last June (as he did in his amateur days).
In his return to the PGA Tour after winning the Ryder Cup, he finished T2 at the Sanderson Farms Championship, which moved him up to 59th in the OWGR.
Kim and Aberg are by far the top-ranked players according to BetMGM Sports. They are followed by Si Woo Kim and Cam Davis at +2200 and J.T. Poston at +2800.
Other players to watch at the Shriners Children's Open
As the third of seven FedEx Cup Fall events, the Shriners Children's Open has attracted a number of interesting players. In fact, 13 members of the Fed Ex Cup Top 50 will be at TPC Summerlin.
Standouts include Adam Schenk (+3000), Tom Hoge (+3500), Eric Cole (+3500), Adam Hadwin (+3500) and Andrew Putnam (+3500). Rounding out the list are Emiliano Grillo, Si Woo Kim, J.T. Poston, Cam Davis, Nick Taylor, Adam Svensson and Patrick Rodgers.
Luke List, who recently won in Jackson, Mississippi last weekend, will also be in Las Vegas looking to build on his momentum. Young players on the rise will also be in attendance. These include Ludvig Aberg's teammate at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Nicolai Hojgaard, and Akshay Bhatia, winner of the 2023 Barracuda Championship.
The Shriners Children's Open began in 1983 as the Panasonic Las Vegas Pro-Celebrity Classic. Since then, it has had several names depending on its major sponsors. Shriners Hospitals for Children took over the tournament from 2008 to the present.
The aggregate record for the tournament is 260 and is shared by Ryan Moore, Webb Simpson, Sung-jae Im and Tom Kim. The record for par is -25, held by Marc Turnesa since 2008.
Curiously, this tournament was played to 90 holes until 2003. Tiger Woods won this tournament in 1996 for his first professional victory.