A wild wind forecast in Las Vegas is putting live betting options at the Shriners Children’s Open in the hands of the weather as the second round approaches.
The Thursday morning group, who won’t return until Friday afternoon at TPC Summerlin, certainly had the benefit of calmer conditions in the first round. Canadian Taylor Pendrith led the charge with an impressive 10-under 61, giving him a three-shot cushion over the rest of his wave. Bud Cauley, Ben Silverman, Rico Hoey, J.T. Poston, Harry Hall, Matti Schmid, and Mark Hubbard all posted 7-under 64s. The scoring average for the morning wave was a solid 67.62.
The late group, however, faced tougher conditions. Joseph Bramlett and Doug Ghim, both Las Vegas residents familiar with the course, shot 64s to lead their wave, but overall, the group struggled, averaging 69.82, over two shots worse than the morning players. Several players were even unable to finish before dark.
While the late players faced winds from the South/Southwest at around 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph, it’s nothing compared to what’s expected Friday morning. The wind is forecasted to shift to the North/Northwest during the night, bringing gusts up to 50 mph by 10 a.m. before gradually calming to 20-30 mph in the afternoon.
Both waves will be affected by the winds, but the early Friday players may face particularly brutal conditions. Caution is advised when betting on players from the early wave, as survival may be the name of the game.
Here are the current odds, broken down by wave, with my betting thoughts considering the forecast.
Early/late wave:
- +300: Taylor Pendrith (-10, 1st)
- +1600: J.T. Poston (-7, T2)
- +1600: Harry Hall (-7, T2)
- +1600: Matti Schmid (-7, T2)
- +2500: Mark Hubbard (-7, T2)
- +2500: Ben Silverman (-7, T2)
- +2500: Rico Hoey (-7, T2)
- +2800: Bud Cauley (-7, T2)
Late/early wave:
- +1800: Doug Ghim (-7, T2)
- +2500: J.J. Spaun (-6, T11)
- +2800: Joseph Bramlett (-7, T2)
- +3000: Kurt Kitayama (-5, T22)
As impressive as Bramlett and Ghim were, it’s tough to back them heading into such challenging conditions. They’re more of a “yellow light” right now—you have to wait and see. Bramlett delivered his best round of the season, but sustaining that in gale-force winds will be difficult, especially since he’s ranked 91st in Strokes Gained: Approach this season. A regression from Thursday’s 18th-place finish is likely.
Ghim is a bit more appealing, having made five consecutive cuts and boasting stability with his 23rd place in Strokes Gained: Total, 11th in SG: Tee-to-Green, and 6th in SG: Approach. Still, I can’t recommend a live bet on him until we see how he handles the wind on Friday. If he can survive, he’ll be on my radar for the weekend.
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