2024 Shriners Children's Open: Top 10 power rankings at TPC Summerlin
Top ten contenders at the Shriners Children's Open
10) Davis Thompson
The Georgia Bulldog enjoyed a breakout 2024 -- he found the winner's circle for the first time at the John Deere Classic in July. Arguably his most impressive performance, however, came two tournaments earlier in which he finished T9 at the U.S. Open in just his fourth-ever major start.
Add him to the list of players (Russell Henley, Sepp Straka, Brian Harman, and others) as part of the Georgia-PGA Tour pipeline. Thompson carries himself in the same way his Bulldog counterparts do: ferocious, tenacious, and gritty.
His ball-striking is his strength, so look for his driver and irons to carry him in his first start since August.
9) Eric Cole
It's not often that you get a PGA Tour rookie who's 35. But that was Eric Cole in 2023, who overcame disease, back issues, and 13 years of playing mini-tours to get his Tour card. The Rookie of the Year honors was a culmination of sheer dedication and willpower.
That same mojo that powered him to win ROTY seems to be returning after a forgetful first six months of 2024. His putter -- his strong suit -- eluded him during that stretch, but he has now gained strokes putting in eight out of his last ten starts. A very encouraging sign for his outlook this fall.
He finished with a 62 at TPC Summerlin last year, good for a T3.