2022 Shriners Children’s Open Leaderboard, scores: Mito Pereira goes low in Round 2 to lead solo commander
No captains have made it to the Shriners’ 2022 rankings for the children’s Open, only those who competed a few weeks ago at the Quail Hollow Club. Mito Pereira leads the charts after a heated 8 under 63 loss on Friday, and is topping the leaderboard alone at 12 under heading into the final 36 holes at TPC Summerlin.
Using a competitive team as a launchpad for one’s season is nothing new on the PGA Tour (look at Scottie Scheffler last year), and for Pereira, it doesn’t seem like he’s alone. His teammates from Quail Hollow, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, were some of his closest pursuers as they took the lead at 10th alongside Las Vegas resident Maverick McNealy.
Cam Davis, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Sungjae Im have all made the top 20 so far, but to say the Shriners Children Open is truly 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 as they are both just four strokes apart in the ninth draw.
The two men from the United States have yet to show their A games around TPC Summerlin, and are more likely to shoot an inning in the low 60s on Saturday to take control. Although scoring has fallen a bit from recent years, the favorable peg position and ideal weather that could lead to a birdfight finally materialize over the Sin City weekend.
Leader
1. Mito Pereira (-12)
After showing serious form in the middle of the 2021-22 season, Pereira has turned cold. Showing off his skills at the 2022 PGA Championship, the Chilean went on to miss four of the last six starts to end his first full campaign on the PGA Tour. While he limped to the finish line, Pereira’s play was enough to earn him a place in the Presidents Cup team, where some of this lost confidence may have been regained.
“[Captain Trevor Immelman] Just really trying to put us in a position where we really want to play well and really believe in ourselves,” Pereira said of confidence on the international stage. Every day he talks a little bit about how good we are and how we can do this. So I think it really touched us. “
Other candidates
2. Robby Shelton (-11)
T3. Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim, Maverick McNealy
T6. Kevin Streelman, Cam Davis, Chad Ramey (-9)
T9. Patrick Rodgers, Patrick Cantlay, Matthew NeSmith, SH Kim, Adam Hadwin, Max Homa, Sam Ryder, Keith Mitchell (-8)
That was the first 11 holes of the test run for Si Woo Kim, who hit 10 under early in his second round. Deadlocked in the first leg, disaster struck the Korean as he threw his chip in the water at par-4 on day 12 resulting in a treble. Kim then modified with a hole-punch eagle at par-4 15 from the beachside bunker and a bird at par-5 16 to hit 10 under again to keep his name in contention.
“I had a bit between the numbers and then hit a little hook. I think always pull the hook a little further, so I missed it. I just missed one and then said,” I lied the hard way. Then I had a bad Kim and then tripled it.” But Manny, my caddy, said keep it positive and we can get back to it. Yeah, I’m always positive and just playing my way.”
Momentum from the Presidents Cup continues
At the beginning of the week, 10 Pres President Cup participants performed it at TPC Summerlin with the majority coming from international. All 10 have entered the weekend with eight currently in the top 20 – six of which are international. Led by Pereira and the Korean duo, a new sense of confidence can be infused from this team’s competition just a few weeks ago.
“Obviously, given the level of pressure in the President’s Cup, and normally you play for yourself in individual tournaments, but you play for the whole team. For me, it’s really like that – it’s just comfortable. need to know if I miss Tom Kim saying, “I didn’t hurt anyone else. Only such things, where you are in the mindset where you are a little more comfortable. For many of us, it’s been a huge learning experience and I think we’ll continue to grow. “
Cantlay discusses TPC Summerlin’s new greens
Horse for course, Patrick Cantlay is once again well-positioned to compete for the Shriners Children’s Open title. Entering this week with one win, two runner-ups and a top 10 result in his previous four trips to Las Vegas, this time was dramatically different. Known as one of the best hitters on the PGA Tour, Cantlay has voiced his displeasure about bringing surfaces into the desert.
“Its [TPC Summerlin’s] in a lot worse condition, and you can see that with the scores,” Cantlay said. The pitches are still unstable, so you get all sorts of bounces there. Each green and each small point is a different hardness. It’s hard to predict and it’s hard to get there, but everyone is the same. I’ll do my best to hit it as close as possible and make as many birdies as I can. “
The world number 4 continued: “The green tiles are unstable. It’s very difficult to read the green tiles. Even if you read them correctly, it can go offline in a split second. I think it even does. more advanced when hitting the ball around this location. If I can keep driving it my way and shoot a few more shots, I’ll be in a good position.”
2022 Shriners for kids expands odds and updated selection
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- Mito Pereira: 9/2
- Tom Kim: 11/2
- Patrick Cantlay: 15/2
- Si Woo Kim: 10-1
- Robby Shelton: 10-1
- Maverick McNealy: 12-1
- Orange Davis: 16-1
- Homa max: 18-1
- Sungjae Im: 20-1
All the big players are coming in this week, but I have a feeling a Saturday run comes from a player who is not on this list. Sam Ryder is the name I’m following this week as he arrives with both irons and putters in good form. Over two rounds, he’s 10th in strokes reached, and would be found on the first page of the leaderboard if not for a lousy hit on Friday. Instead, Ryder was 100-1 sitting in 8th place and drawing 9th, where he sat behind the likes of Cantlay and Homa despite still being in contention.
