US TOUR:THE JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas is the next event on the PGA Tour's Fall Series where Scotlands Martin Laird will be looking to defend his title.
Laird captured his first PGA Tour tournament win in last year’s event after a three-hole play-off against Chad Campbell and 2007 champion George McNeil.
A graduate of Colorado State University, Laird became the first Scot to win a PGA Tour event since Sandy Lyle in 1988.
TPC Summerlin poses an interesting challenge for the field and those hoping to win will need to produce a low score, with the average winning total hovering around the 20-under-par mark.
First-time winners are regular but there is a strong field this week and it will be hard to look beyond those who have already tasted success on the PGA Tour.
Young American Ryder Cup player Rickie Fowler has been playing very well since Celtic Manor and he will arrive in Las Vegas buoyed by a strong final round that earned him fourth spot at the Frys.com Open at the weekend.
This is Charley Hoffman’s home event and he has a very good record at TPC Summerlin – he has been in the top-15 three times and was sixth 12 months ago.
A very consistent player, who can make a lot of birdies, Hoffman is coming here on the back of his win in the Deutsche Bank Championship last month.
Another Las Vegas resident, Nick Watney, has not played since the Tour Championship but that should not be a barrier to a player who is generally very reliable.
Shriners Open
Course: TPC at Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Length: 7,223 yards. Par: 72.
Prizemoney: €3.08 million (€535,000 for the winner).
Layout: Desert course designed by Bobby Weed and Fuzzy Zoeller. Designed for the average golfer so scores will be low.
Field: 132.
Defending champion:Martin Laird.
On TV:Sky Sports 3, tonight 10pm .
Weather forecast: Partly sunny with threats of thunderstorms.
