Sanderson Farm Championship victor Luke List heads to Las Vegas this weekend looking to go back-to-back on the PGA Tour at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
The Augusta native claimed his second Tour title on Sunday by winning a five-way play-off which included European Ryder Cup star Ludvig Åberg.
The 38-year-old shot an –18-under-par 270 before notching a birdie on the first play-off hole. With an expected easier course this weekend - TPC Summerlin ranks 45th out of 53 on course difficulty on the PGA Tour – birdie opportunities should be aplenty in Nevada.
List's victory did come out of the blue somewhat. The American had zero top 10 finishes in his last 27 tournaments, while his putting has been suspect all season – he ranks 182nd on the PGA Tour in putting shots gained, 166th in putting average and 179th in putts per round. He's 50/1 to claims the title this week.
Much like last week, Åberg is the star name and one of the bookies' favourites after narrowly missing out to List on Sunday. The Swede has two top five finishes in his last four PGA events, and with a field that lacks Ryder Cup talent, he'll surely be at the front end of proceedings once again.
He is 14/1 to win the tournament outright, with a safer price of 2/1 to finish in the top 10.
Given the low difficulty rating of the course, those players who excel in birdie average on the Tour should be able to mount a strong challenge on the 7,255-yard, par-71 course which sits 2,700 feet above sea level.
Sam Ryder struggled last week but boasts a 4.11 per round birdie average which should suit the TPC Summerlin course, however form is not with the American. Defending champion Tom Kim, who sits just behind Ryder when it comes to birdie average (4.10), is potentially the better bet.
The South Korean is also priced at 14/1 to claim victory, with a 2/1 price to finish top 10. Kim is top 30 on the PGA Tour when it comes to shots gained, total driving, approach play and putting average. Given his all-round game, he could be the smart wager here.
Those looking for a larger price to back, consider 90/1 shot Kevin Yu, who actually boasts a higher birdie average than both Ryder and Kim at 4.21. He's has missed three consecutive cuts but his highly capable of carding rounds several shots under par.
The Chinese Taipei golfer has solid numbers in every area of his game other than putting. He is 16th in score average (69.44), seventh on par fours, 12th in birdie average but is also 174th in putts per round, 166th in one-putt percentage and 183rd on shots gained through putting. A 15/4 shot for a top 20 finish is within the realms of possibility.
Those looking at players who have had success at TPC Summerlin can look at former winners - two-time champion Martin Laird (90/1), 2014 winner Ben Martin (125/1) and 2013 victor Webb Simpson (90/1).
