Adam Scott tops field of golfers with Las Vegas ties

By Brian Hurlburt Special to the Review-Journal

6 years ago

Adam Scott, of Australia, watches his shot on the eighth hole during the third round for the Ma ... — Adam Scott, of Australia, watches his shot on the eighth hole during the third round for the Masters golf tournament Saturday, April 13, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Adam Scott, of Australia, lines up a putt during the third round for the Masters golf tournament Saturday, April 13, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Adam Scott, of Australia, reacts to a putt on the eighth hole during the third round for the Masters golf tournament Saturday, April 13, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Adam Scott, of Australia, hits from the fourth tee during the final round for the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Adam Scott, of Australia, looks over a shot on the eighth hole during the final round for the Masters golf tournament, Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Adam Scott, of Australia, waves on the 18th holeduring the final round for the Masters golf tournament, Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

At least 30 pros with ties to Las Vegas are playing on the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA Tour Champions, European PGA Tour or LPGA Tour. Several are in terrific form now that the golf season is in full swing.

Some highlights:

Former UNLV standout Adam Scott is 32nd in the FedEx Cup standings to lead players with local ties. Scott was among the early leaders at the Masters two weeks ago, but a balky putter sealed his fate and he finished tied for 18th. He was 12th at the Players Championship in March.

Scott Piercy, a Las Vegas native and former Bonanza High product, is 33rd in the FedEx Cup standings, jumping 12 spots from last week after a tie for third at the RBC Heritage. Piercy has four top-10 finishes this season and has made 11 of 14 cuts.

After a slow start, former UNLV standout Charley Hoffman is racking up terrific finishes. He is 55th in the FedEx Cup standings and has made four consecutive cuts after missing four of the previous six.

On the European Tour, former UNLV player Kurt Kitayama is ninth in the Race to Dubai standings, and Las Vegas resident David Lipsky is 14th . Both have won tournaments this season.

Las Vegas resident Bob May turned 50 in October and has Monday qualified for three PGA Tour Champions tournaments. He has converted his opportunities into $34,109 and is 70th on the money list.

On the LPGA Tour, Las Vegas residents Danielle Kang (12), Jenny Shin (23) and Inbee Park (27) are among the top 30 money leaders. Kang has finished in the top 10 in four of her past five tournaments.

Shriners champs making moves

Some previous Shriners Hospitals for Children Open champions are putting together solid seasons.

Patrick Cantlay, the 2017 winner, is 13th in the FedEx Cup standings and finished tied with Piercy last week. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau is 19th after a hot start to the season.

An underrated story is 48-year-old Jim Furyk, a three-time Shriners champ and all-time tournament money leader. Furyk captained the 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup team and came to the Shriners in November rusty after not playing for a long stretch. After a missed Shriners cut, Fuyrk has made eight of nine cuts with three top-10 finishes and is 27th in the standings.

Legacy champs

Ed Knott won the Legacy club gross championship, and Ted Brickner won net.

Weekly deal

At Wildhorse, buy one lunch and get the second half off with a paid green fee.

Stars on, off course

Jerome Bettis, Blair O’Neal and Jorge Posada are among those expected to play in the Derek Jeter Celebrity Invitational on Thursday and Friday at Shadow Creek.

The golf notebook appears Wednesdays. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider.