The First Tee at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open (TPC Summerlin)

Congratulations are in order for PGA Tour rookie Emiliano Grillo, who won this past week's Frys.com Open. That marked his second consecutive win, as Grillo also took down the Web.com Tour Championship on his way to full-time status for the 2015-16 season. Grillo defeated a still winless Kevin Na in a playoff. Both Na and Grillo made their way to the playoff by virtue of excellent ball striking. I highlighted Grillo as the rookie to watch this season, and he did not disappoint in his 2015 debut. It would be easy to dismiss Grillo as just another really good young player, but he is much more seasoned than other players his age after competing in the European Tour Championship and this year's PGA Championship. With the win, Grillo moved all the way up to 36^th in the world, and would currently be eligible for WGC events.

There is one thing you can count on when the tour stops by the TPC Summerlin each fall, and that is the tournament will be a pure, unadulterated birdie-fest shootout. The scoring chances will be plentiful and with the inclusion of the Fall Series in the Fed Ex Cup rankings, the SHCO has continued to attract high profile players. Ricky Fowler will undoubtedly be the most popular player, but guys like Jimmy Walker, Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson have all established a solid fan base. Fowler has a great chance to add another win to his resume with TPC Summerlin setting up to be a test of ball striking and putting. He feasts on the par 5's and I see no reason why he won't be among the last couple groups to go out on Sunday.

The hometown favorite this week is Scott Piercy. Piercy started last season on a medical extension but made the most of his limited opportunities by winning the Barracuda Championship and qualifying for the Tour Championship at East Lake GC. Piercy hits the ball a mile but what he really brings to the table is his ability to go absolutely bonkers in at least two rounds a year. I've watched several Piercy heat-checks and when he starts throwing darts I know that 62 or 63 is around the corner. It will be fun to watch a free-wheeling Piercy go after every pin and play the type of no pressure, aggressive brand of golf that got him to the Tour in the first place.

Another hometown favorite is 2012 SHCO champion Ryan Moore. Moore grew up in Tacoma, Washington, but attended college at UNLV. Moore rewrote the record books at UNLV and has the aura of a golf gold in and around Las Vegas…and with good reason. In 2004, Moore put together perhaps the greatest year of amateur golf we've ever seen, winning the US Amateur, the Western Amateur, the US Amateur Public Links and the NCAA Individual Championship. Moore has won four times throughout his career, a number most guys would kill for. Given Moore's illustrious background, many feel as though he has underachieved by having never seriously contended at a major or other high profile events. He is super talented though and he has familiarity and a history of low scores at TPC Summerlin. I will have heavy exposure to Moore this week.

The trio of Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau and Patrick Rodgers is one that I am looking forward to watching this weekend. They are not traditional bomb and gouge players, but rather each has a soft touch around the greens and can light up the scoreboard with their ball striking. Rodgers is coming off a second place finish at the Frys.com Open, and it is looking like he will get his first win sooner than later. Koepka got his first win last season, and is hungry to move on and capture his 2nd….3rd…10th Tour wins. He has superstar written all over him and has the type of game that travels well, so Koepka is a guy I like to contend in a major this year. Tony Finau makes new fans at every tournament stop. He is bright, engaging, humble and well spoken. He also happens to have a very exciting game. He can drive the ball for miles, and when he is focused, hits his mid to long irons as well as many of the top players in the game. As evidenced by the PGA Championship, Finau also has a very tight short game, his short putting in particular was much better than I had thought. He has also the parts to be a dominant player, he just has to put it together. I think he gets a win this year, and has a great chance at doing it this week on a course he is familiar with.

Stay tuned tomorrow, as we debut our PGA Podcast, “Café on the Green."