Tom Kim may officially be him after outdueling Patrick Cantlay in the final round Sunday of the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open for his second victory on the PGA Tour. Triumphant for the second time in two months, the 20-year-old superstar who burst onto the scene at the 2022 Presidents Cup may only be getting started.

Beginning the day at 19 under and in a share of the lead, Kim quickly fell behind when Cantlay opened with a birdie of his own. In lockstep with veteran caddie Joe Skovron, Kim was unphased. The South Korean connected on his first birdie of the day on the par-4 fourth and added two more on Nos. 8-9 to turn in 3-under 32 and in possession of a two-stroke lead.

This comfortable margin would be short-lived as Cantlay found his stroke early on the inward nine. With consecutive birdies on 11 and 12, the pair went into the final third of TPC Summerlin all squared. 

Back-and-forth Kim and Cantlay continued to go before arriving at the 17th tied at 24 under. Trading pars on the difficult par 3, Cantlay’s tee shot on the 72nd hole ultimately sealed his fate. Finding the native area, the world No. 4 attempted to play from the brush and left his golf ball at his feet before taking an unplayable and hitting his fourth shot into the water. Leading to a triple bogey, all Kim needed was a routine par for his second win in his last four starts.

Known to be automatic in clutch situations, it was not Cantlay, but rather Kim who held the steady hand. Getting around TPC Summerlin in a bogey-free fashion on the week, he became the first player on the PGA Tour to do so since Joaquin Niemann at the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic and the first to do so in victory since J.T. Poston at the 2019 Wyndham Championship.

Consistently applying pressure on his playing competitor, this victory showcases the ways in which Kim may win in the future. Lapping the field on Sunday at the Wyndham Championship for his first win on the PGA Tour, this trip to the winner’s circle was considerably different given not only the competition, but the manner in which it was achieved.

Kim never flustered when Cantlay struck back and if he was, his poker face was strong enough to warrant a seat at a big-money table on the strip. Leaning on his short-game at opportune times, the combination of steadiness, touch and a dash of fieriness makes the 20-year-old not only fun to watch, but fun to root for.

With the victory Kim became the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win twice on the PGA TOUR before turning 21.

While comparisons to Tiger Woods are far-fetched, it did almost feel Tiger-esque. Slowly draining the life out of the rest of the field, Kim never blinked in the face of adversity. When punched, he punched back. When faced with sticky situations, he played conservatively aggressive. And when given a chance to step on the neck, he took one giant step in more ways than one. Grade: A+

Here are the rest of our grades for the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open.

T2. Patrick Cantlay (-21): We may never see a 72nd hole from Cantlay like that ever again as the 2017 Shriners Children’s Open winner carded a triple bogey on the final hole to hand Kim the trophy. While some will suggest it was another quality outing for Cantlay — his third runner-up at TPC Summerlin in addition to his win — he needs to start putting these tournaments away. On the heels of a season where he lost in two playoffs and was a runner-up once more, the Californian has admitted to being tired of falling short. Yes, he has eight wins in his PGA Tour career, but given his talent, consistency and mental fortitude, it sure does feel light. Grade: A

7. Sungjae Im (-19): It was a nice defense for Im, who was nearly perfect except for a 70 in Round 2 that mostly took him out of the tournament. Across the last two Shriners Children’s Opens, Im has lost to just six total golfers. The question now is how close to No. 1 he can get. In the last five years, Im’s Data Golf ranking has looked like this: 230-80-30-25-15. Right now he’s No. 11. Can he get all the way into the top five or, gulp, even close to No. 1 over the next few years? Grade: A-

T8. Jason Day (-18): The former major winner closed with 63 to jump into the top 10, and it made me wonder what in the world Day has been up to over the last few years. So I dove into his statistics and his finishes. Day hasn’t won since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship, but he has finished in the top 20 in over 20% of his events in each of the last four year. The biggest problems for Day have been with his iron play, where he went to a top 25 type player to barely tour average. He’s also gone from being the best putter in the world to being just a solid player. Hopefully the Shriners, which is his only individual top 10 since January, will be a nice kick start to him for 2023. Grade: A

T12. Davis Thompson (-16): Remember the name. Or should I say, remember the name? Thompson led after the first round of the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot when he was still an amateur at Georgia. After a nice year in 2022 on the Korn Ferry Tour—Thompson had four top 10s, including a win—he’s off to a good PGA Tour start this fall with three made cuts, including a T9 at the Fortinet Championship and this week’s T12. The even better news? He flushed it all week and was the worst putter of anybody inside the top 19 on this leaderboard. He’s somebody to keep an eye on over the next month. Grade: A-

T28. Patrick Welch (-13): You might be asking, “Wait, who in the world is Patrick Welch?” which is a totally reasonable question. The answer: He’s an amateur who plays collegiately for Oklahoma, is ranked No. 44 in the world, plays cross-handed and beat over 100 pros this week doing so. Here’s a look at his wild swing, which must be working considering he finished top 25 in the field in both strokes gained on approach and from tee to green. Grade: A+

The First Cut podcast crew is back to bring you their recap for the Shriners Children’s Open and the LIV Bangkok event. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  

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The floodgates were always going to open for Patrick Cantlay ,and on Saturday they did just that. The 2017 Shriners Children’s Open champion catapulted his name to the top of the leaderboard with an exquisite third round of 11-under 60, leapfrogging his counterparts in the process. Good for a share of the course record and a share of the 54-hole lead, the Californian is now in prime position to notch his ninth career victory on the PGA Tour five years after capturing his first on these very grounds.

While unable to make birdie on his final hole to become the 13th member of the illustrious sub-60 club on the PGA Tour, Cantlay’s day was still indelible. The 30-year-old was as solid as can be, not once finding the rough and averaging a proximity of 21 feet with his approach shots. 

His lone missed green in regulation came when his ball settled on the fringe of the par-3 8th, and if not for a so-so day with the putter, Cantlay’s 60 could have easily surpassed Jim Furyk’s 58. Connecting on only a single effort from outside 10 feet, the one putt Cantlay may want to have back is his 17-foot eagle chance on the par-5 16th that came a couple revolutions short of dropping.

Despite the spotlight rightfully settling on Cantlay, one cannot lose sight of the Energizer Bunny that is Tom Kim. Without a birdie on his back nine on Friday, the 20-year-old more than made amends on Saturday with six on his inward half. Making four straight birdies from Nos. 13-16, the South Korean was able to keep pace with the very American he disarmed on Day 3 of the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club.

Alongside Cantlay, the pair possess a three-stroke margin over their nearest pursuers, setting up for a potential duel between the unlikely foes. Opposite in demeanor and opposite in skillset, the primary focus of the two will be the same in the final round in Las Vegas: Win.

The leaders

1. Patrick Cantlay, Tom Kim (-19)

The betting favorite coming into the week, Cantlay has played the part through 54 holes at TPC Summerlin. Capturing his first victory here in 2017, he has since added finishes of 2nd-2nd-T8 to his Shriners Children’s Open résumé and looks well on his way to adding to his stellar history. 

With a near flawless track record on these grounds, it was surprising to hear Cantlay critical of the conditions after his second round on Friday. Emphasizing the need to hit his approach shots closers as the new greens settle, Cantlay did just that on Saturday and led the field in strokes gained tee-to-green. 

“[Sunday will be the] Same game plan as the first three days, and it’s going to take a low one again tomorrow,” said Cantlay. “This golf course yields low scores, and I expect the same tomorrow. Everyone will be gunning for me, and I’ve got to shoot a low one.”

Other contenders

T3. Matthew NeSmith, Mito Pereira (-16)

T5. Sungjae Im, S.H. Kim (-15)

T7. Aaron Rai, J.T. Poston, Adam Hadwin, Si Woo Kim, Robby Shelton (-14)

Im, the defending champion of this event, put together a middling first couple rounds, but much like Cantlay, exploded on Saturday. Signing for an 8-under 63, the two-time winner on the PGA Tour will look to add a third trophy to his mantle tomorrow. Im memorably carded a 9-under 62 to win by four strokes a season ago at TPC Summerlin, and given the play of Cantlay and Co., something similar may be needed again.

“It would be great meaning to me, back-to-back winning,” Im said. “I know it’s really difficult to win back to back, but I’ve got one more day. Today I didn’t think about any winning for tomorrow, I just clean and play without thinking about winning.”

Adam Hadwin making a habit of fronting the tab

Hopefully the boys will not be making their way down to the strip, because if so, Adam Hadwin’s tab could run wild. The Canadian connected for a hole-in-one late in his third round on the par-3 14th. Hadwin is no stranger to making aces on the PGA Tour as he made one four months ago at the Memorial and celebrated in memorable fashion. This shot was just as impressive despite the celebration being a bit more tame.

“It’s a good pin on the back right. I had to take some off a pitching wedge, and just kind of held it up there nicely,” said Hadwin. “It took off on a perfect line. Obviously when it lands, you never quite know, but it was on a perfect line, and I think it was going to be close regardless. So it’s a bonus to drop in.”

2022 Shriners Children’s Open updated odds and picks

• Patrick Cantlay: 11/10
• Tom Kim: 7/5
• Sungjae Im: 20-1
• Mito Pereira: 20-1
• Matthew NeSmith: 20-1
• S.H. Kim: 55-1
• Si Woo Kim: 80-1
• Adam Hadwin: 90-1

Earlier in the week, Cantlay was pegged as a player to win five times in the 2022-23 season, and his play through 54 holes doesn’t suggest otherwise. He has been exquisite off the tee, and his iron play followed suit in his memorable round on Saturday. With his ball-striking in sync, Cantlay has not needed to lean on his biggest weapon (the putter), which makes him all the more dangerous to raise the trophy on Sunday.

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Many PGA Tour stars who played key roles at the Presidents Cup are back in action this week at the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open, which is set to tee off Thursday in Las Vegas. World No. 4 Patrick Cantlay leads a Shriners Children’s Open 2022 field that includes 12 of the world’s top 50 players. Defending champion Sungjae Im also is among those golfers, and the 19th-ranked South Korean tied the tournament record at 24 under par last year on the strength of a final-round 62. Cantlay and Max Homa were a big part of the United States team that cruised to a 17-.5-12.5 victory in the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow two weeks ago. Cantlay went 3-1-0 and Homa went 4-0-0 in Charlotte. Im put up a valiant effort for the losing International side, finishing with a 2-2-1 mark. Homa, who won the Fortinet Championship the week before the Presidents Cup, also is scheduled to tee off Thursday. Homa has missed the cut four times in five outings at TPC Summerlin but comes in off a season where he won twice and finished fifth in the Tour Championship.

The latest 2022 Shriners Children’s Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook list Cantlay (7-1), Im (10-1) and Homa (15-1) as the favorites. They are the only golfers priced under 20-1. Aaron Wise (22-1), Tom Kim (22-1) and Taylor Montgomery (28-1) also are among the top contenders in the Shriners Children’s Open 2022 field. Before making any 2022 Shriners Children’s Open picks, be sure you check out the PGA Tour predictions and best bets from golf insider Patrick McDonald.

After spending time at FanSided and NBC Sports EDGE, McDonald joined CBS Sports as a golf writer in the spring of 2022. Now covering the sport from a broader perspective, McDonald still likes to dip his toes into the betting pools on a weekly basis on the PGA Tour.

He takes a measured approach to his outright selections and finished the 2021-22 season up 42 units on those plays, having hit Cameron Smith (22-1) at the Tournament of Champions, Hudson Swafford (250-1) at The American Express, Joaquin Niemann (70-1) at the Genesis Invitational and Justin Thomas (66-1) live at the PGA Championship.

McDonald hit both of his head-to-head matchup plays at last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship, and long-shot play Dean Burmester just missed cashing in at 66-1. The 33-year-old rookie stormed up the leaderboard on the weekend but ran out of time and finished fourth, just two strokes back.

Now, McDonald has studied the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open field and is locking in his best bets, top sleepers and favorites to avoid. You can head to SportsLine now to see all his PGA picks and predictions. 

Top 2022 Shriners Children’s Open expert picks

Shockingly, McDonald is fading Homa, despite his status as a favorite and the solid run he is on. He just hasn’t played well at TPC Summerlin, and his approach to the game doesn’t seem to quite fit the course. The only time he made the weekend, he finished 30th, and he has gone under par just five times in 12 rounds there. The California native doesn’t pile up birdies like he will need to this week. He was 40th on tour in birdies per round (3.94) and 35th in par breakers (22.76 percent) last season. He also ranked 118th in greens in regulation (66 percent).  

On the other hand, McDonald knows Cantlay’s approach is perfect for Las Vegas, as he hits tons of greens and scores low. In fact, he is 70 under par over his four Shriners appearances. Cantlay won the tournament in 2017, was a runner-up twice and has a tie for eighth. He averaged almost 4.5 birdies per round last season, fifth on tour, and was sixth in scoring average (69.468). He comes in with confidence, as his Presidents Cup performance came after he won the BMW Championship in August and tied for seventh at the Tour Championship. See who else to pick here.

How to make 2022 Shriners Children’s Open golf picks

Before this week’s PGA Tour event in Las Vegas, McDonald has locked in his best bets for the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open. He is backing several massive long shots to win, including one golfer who comes in at almost 100-1. You can only see all of the expert’s picks at SportsLine.

So which 2022 Shriners Children’s Open picks should you target? Which golfer priced at almost 100-1 could pull off a stunning victory this week at the Shriners Children’s Open 2022? Check out the odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Patrick McDonald’s top prop picks for Shriners Children’s Open 2022, all from the expert who ended last season up 42 units on outright plays.

2022 Shriners Children’s Open odds, field, top contenders

See full Shriners Children’s Open 2022 picks, best bets, and predictions here. 

Patrick Cantlay 7-1
Sungjae Im 10-1
Max Homa 15-1
Aaron Wise 22-1
Tom Kim 22-1
Taylor Montgomery 35-1
Cam Davis 40-1
Brian Harman 40-1
Keith Mitchell 50-1
Alex Noren 50-1
Adam Hadwin 50-1
Emiliano Grillo 50-1
Mito Pereira 50-1
Davis Riley 50-1
Christian Bezuidenhout 50-1
Taylor Pendrith 50-1
Si Woo Kim 55-1
Tom Hoge 55-1
Seamus Power 60-1
Andrew Putnam 60-1
Rickie Fowler 60-1
Denny McCarthy 60-1
Thomas Detry 60-1
Taylor Moore 60-1
K.H. Lee 65-1
J.T. Poston 65-1
Dean Burmester 65-1
Maverick McNealy 65-1
Ryan Palmer 75-1
Gary Woodland 75-1
Matt Kuchar 75-1
Lucas Herbert 75-1
Chris Kirk 75-1
Nick Taylor 80-1
Nick Hardy 80-1
Matthew NeSmith 80-1
Kurt Kitayama 90-1
J.J. Spaun 90-1
Will Gordon 90-1
Mark Hubbard 90-1
Justin Suh 100-1
Troy Merritt 110-1
Chesson Hadley 130-1
Stephan Jaeger 130-1
Kevin Streelman 130-1
Carl Yuan 130-1
Cameron Champ 130-1
Byeong Hun An 130-1
Brendon Todd 130-1
Russell Knox 130-1
Beau Hossler 130-1
Jason Day 130-1
Adam Svensson 130-1
Aaron Rai 130-1
Harris English 130-1
Greyson Sigg 130-1
Zecheng Dou 130-1
Wyndham Clark 130-1
Matt Wallace 130-1
Martin Laird 130-1
Chris Gotterup 130-1

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