TPC Summerlin’s familiar terrain buoys locals’ hopes in Shriners Open

Ask the local PGA Tour pros who play TPC Summerlin on a regular basis and they believe they have an advantage over their out-of-town colleagues.

Kevin Na, Scott Piercy, Nick Watney and Charley Hoffman all have ties to Las Vegas, and they think their knowledge of the par-71, 7,223-yard course gives them a leg up when the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open starts today. Yet since TPC Summerlin opened in 1992, only Na, who lives in Red Rock, has held the championship trophy aloft.

So where's the home-course advantage?

"There's a lot of good golfers out here," said Watney, a Henderson resident who lost to Na by two strokes last year. "You have to be able to play well for four days, and that's not easy, even if you know the course."

Na has spent the last three weeks in town sharpening his game, particularly his putting, preparing for a repeat. The last person to successfully defend the championship in Las Vegas was Jim Furyk, who won in 1998 and 1999.

"You know the golf course very well because you know the greens," Na said. "I think the big thing is distance control because the ball goes (farther) out here. Some of the guys have trouble adjusting to that."

Piercy, who starred at Bonanza High School, said knowing all the subtleties of the course gives him an edge.

"A lot of it is knowing where not to put the ball," said Piercy, who was in contention last year and in 2010. "It's not a hard course, but if you make a mistake you're going to pay. So, knowing the course definitely helps in that regard."

Hoffman, who was an All-American at UNLV and lives in Las Vegas, said he has played the course so many times over the years, he's comfortable with being able to judge distances. That said, Hoffman knows it comes down to execution, particularly on the greens.

"If you don't make putts, you're not going to win out here," he said.

Vijay Singh, who last played in Las Vegas in 1999, said the locals may be under a bit more pressure to perform than the out-of-towners.

"For those of us who don't play here regularly, we can just go out and play," Singh said. "The guys who live here and play the course all the time probably feel like they have to play well because they're expected to do well."

Singh said his decision to return to Las Vegas was a matter of timing.

"I had two weeks off at home and doing some tweaks in my swing, and I decided to come out and try it out," he said. "What better place to do it than here in Las Vegas with the great weather?"

Some subtle changes have been made to the course that will make even the locals take notice. Several tall trees have been relocated down the left side of the fairway at the 448-yard, par 4 No. 11, where a player will have to hit a big fade if his ball lands in the left rough.

At the par-4, 442-yard No. 12, a bunker was eliminated and the rough expanded. At No. 13, a 606-yard par 5, the bunkers in front of the green will need to be avoided.

"We're constantly tinkering, trying to make the course tougher," tournament director Adam Sperling said. "But it's still a consistent golf course, which is what the players are looking for. It's still going to yield a lot of birdies and the scores will continue to be low."

Singh, who played in Wednesday's pro-am, said he noticed the difference from the last time he played TPC Summerlin 13 years ago.

"It seems to be a lot narrower," he said. "The trees have grown in. I don't know if it's playing any shorter. But it seems better, more established. I like the golf course."

Na said he has noticed a difference this week from the past three he has been out on the course.

"One thing not favoring the local guys is the course is playing a bit soft," he said. "The ball's not going to run as much.

"But, honestly, if I had to put my money on someone to win this week, I would pick all the local guys - Piercy, Watney, (Ryan) Moore, Hoffman."

Hoffman said the greens appear to be running faster than in previous years and judging the speed could be a guessing game with each passing day.

"There's no secret to this golf course," Hoffman said. "Everyone knows everything slopes toward the Strip. But you still have to execute."

Which is why the locals haven't fared as well over the years as one might have expected.

"A lot of us have contended, but winning a golf tournament is hard," Hoffman said.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.