Shriners Open 2014: Daily Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More
On the heels of a riveting start to the PGA Tour in Napa Valley, the field has now moved on to Las Vegas. The Shriners Open marks the second tournament of the season with many of the same names looking for the trophy.
One player who was not in the field in California is the defending FedEx Cup champion, Billy Horschel. The 27-year-old golfer referenced making his return to the tour prior to the tournament on Twitter:
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Some of the top players in the world like Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson won't be in the field after playing in the Grand Slam of Golf. That leaves the door wide open for other stars to step up and steal the spotlight in Vegas.
Here's a look at the current leaderboard and analysis from each day in the 2014 Shriners Open.
Day 4
Ben Martin won his first ever PGA Tour event on Sunday at the Shriners Open, holding off Kevin Streelman's spectacular final day with a 20-under par score.
PGA Tour summed up the victory for Martin:
Streelman had one of the best rounds of the day and by far the best of any contender, shooting a round of 65 to put the pressure on Martin late. But following a birdie on No. 15, Martin turned around for a huge eagle on the 16th hole to take an outright lead.
With only a one-stroke lead down the stretch, one slip-up would have lost it for Martin. He faced a tricky two-putt to clinch the victory, but didn't need it, instead holing a birdie to finish 20 strokes under par.
Streelman's late rally had many thinking he was in for a repeat performance of the Travelers Championship as Golf Digest's Stephen Hennessey noted, but it wasn't to be:
Martin and Streelman weren't the only ones in contention late, with Ryder Cup notables Webb Simpson and Jimmy Walker both in the hunt down to the final few holes. But Walker couldn't repeat his Day 3 success in which he shot a 62, instead shooting a 69 on Sunday to finish a tie for fourth with Simpson.
Russell Knox played alongside Martin and entered Sunday in a great spot, but shot just one-under. However, he was able to finish in third place outright with holes like this:
What an incredible turnaround for Martin. A week after shooting 13 strokes over par and missing the cut, he went 20 under par to beat a field full of star golfers.
The FedEx Cup is certainly in its infancy after just the second PGA Tour event of the season, but Martin is now atop the standings after his win while Streelman and Knox both made moves into the top 10.
Up next for the PGA Tour is next weekend's McGladrey Classic in Sea Island, Georgia, and a number of less touted names—headlined by Martin—will embark there with a head full of confidence.
Day 3
Saturday once again proved a major moving day, this time in California at the Shriners Open.
Andrew Putnam personifies this best, as the leader entering the day's action dropped 23 spots by the time the dust had settled on the round thanks to a 73.
Ben Martin is the leader all by his lonesome after emerging from a crowded bunch of contenders thanks to a week-low round of 62 Saturday thanks to a single bogey counteracted by 10 birdies. The week as a whole has been quite the return to form, as Justin Ray of Golf Channel points out:
Martin was not alone in his feat of 62, though, as Jimmy Walker pulled the same number out of his hat thanks to a bogey-free performance with nine birdies to rise 27 spots up the board and rest four shots off Martin's lead.
Despite the effort, Walker still sits behind Russell Knox, who has a hold on second place at two shots off the lead. Thanks to steady play in the form of a 65 and 67 on the first two days, a bogey-free 66 was enough to get Knox right where he wanted to be going into the final round.
Andrew Svoboda rests in third with Walker, while four names sit one shot off their mark. The notable of that grouping is Kevin Streelman, who shot 25 spots up the board on the day. Six of his nine birdies came on an epic hot streak as illustrated by the PGA Tour's Twitter account:
With 15 names within six shots of Martin's lead going into Sunday, the tournament may produce one of the most interesting finishes of the year after a wild, no-lead-is-safe start.
Day 2
After an opening-day 67 Thursday, Andrew Putnam unexpectedly rose to the top of the leaderboard in California Friday in what is his third pro PGA Tour start.
Putnam started sluggish with a bogey on No. 3, but quickly turned things around and never looked back thanks to seven birdies, four of which came on the back end, to enter tied with Russell Knox for the lead.
Speaking of Knox, his round totals were the inverse of Putnam's by the end of the day. The sleeper to win it all showed off a flair for the dramatic, too, knocking in one of his six birdies on the day on hole No. 18 to tie for the lead.
Andrew Svoboda and Tony Finau rest just one shot off the lead. The latter is a fan favorite thanks to his path to the tournament, as captured by PGA Tour on Twitter:
A number of names sit just two strokes off the lead, chief among them Spencer Levin and George McNeill, two of the day's biggest risers.
Both shot 74 spots up the leaderboard after rough outings of 71 Thursday before stellar performances netted both a 63 Friday. Levin was arguably more impressive on Day 2 with his 10 birdies, but McNeill was certainly not far off with his nine.
As PGA TOUR Media points out, Levin was close to a career-best moment, although it is clear this should have been expected from him at this tournament in particular:
Martin Laird, the leader after Round 1, also rests among those wealth of names sitting two strokes off the lead.
Laird came back to Earth after an opening-round 64 and shot a 70 Friday, ripe with four birdies, a bogey and a tough double-bogey on No. 7. Given that no player has yet to separate himself from the pack, though, he is far from out of the proceedings as the weekend approaches.
Day 1
Following a strong showing in the Frys.com Open, Martin Laird put together a flawless opening round in Vegas.
Sitting at third in the FedEx Cup standings after the first tournament, Laird used five birdies on the front nine to propel himself to the top of the leaderboard. PGA Tour Media noted how consistent Laird has been at the Shriners Open:
Laird's seven-under 64 was enough to get him to the top of the leaderboard and tied with a veteran who matched him earlier.
Along with Laird, Stewart Cink got off to a great start with a clean early round of his own. Unlike Laird, Cink made his charge on the back nine, carding five birdies in the final eight holes.
Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal pointed out Cink's solid finish on Day 1:
Trailing the two top contenders is a great story in Jarrod Lyle. He made his return in Napa Valley but put together a phenomenal round on Thursday to throw his name into the chase.
The PGA Tour pointed out just how inspiring the run was for Lyle up the leaderboard:
An encouraging start for Wes Roach wouldn't quite hold up as he fell slightly behind on his last nine holes. A relative unknown, Roach stormed through the back nine with eight birdies and one double bogey to enter his name as an early contender.
However, that would taper off on the front, as he closed with two bogies at a four-under 67. Despite the struggles on the back, Roach was still happy with his performance, as he told the PGATour.com.
Several new faces, and some familiar ones, are at the top of the pack, making for an exciting tournament heading into the weekend. Horschel, Webb Simpson, Vijay Singh and several others put together good rounds, so any of those players could make a charge on Friday.
Needless to say, the field is still wide open after Day 1 in Vegas. Expect plenty of shakeups throughout the weekend as golfers look to take an early lead on the PGA Tour.
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