Power rankings: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
The 2015-16 PGA Tour season is underway now, and, after a trip to Napa Valley, the scene moves to Las Vegas for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
TPC Summerlin hosts once again, as Ben Martin defends his first PGA Tour title. Rickie Fowler headlines the field, with Frys.com Open winner Emiliano Grillo looking to make it three wins in his last three starts. Expect low scores on a par-71 track that should get picked apart by the field.
Here are our top five players for this week:
1. Rickie Fowler — Fowler hasn’t played in this event in five years, but he’s the class of the field with three wins in the last five months, including The Players and the Deutsche Bank Championship. Loves to make birdies and hits the ball a ton.
2. Emiliano Grillo — Maybe this is too fast, too soon, but Grillo has won his last two events, including the Web.com Tour Championship. Clearly not a great putter, especially close in, but Spieth struggles from inside 6 feet, so…?
3. Patrick Rodgers — Thanks to a quirk in PGA Tour membership rules, Rodgers had nowhere to play during the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Web.com Tour Finals. That rest may have been good for Rodgers, who finished T-6 at Frys.
4. Will Wilcox — Wilcox faded on Sunday at Silverado with a 73 to post a T-10 finish, but that’s a great start for his season. Seems refreshed and TPC Summerlin should suit his game well.
5. Kevin Na — So, Na didn’t win the playoff at Frys. Well, he takes up his next start at the home of his lone PGA Tour win back in 2011. Good vibes here should help Na, who does seems to get over golf pain well.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
