The secret to playing well in the wind? Shriners candidates share strategies

PGA Tour players don’t often play in extreme conditions – especially during the Fall Series – but this week’s Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas is a rare exception.

On Friday, tee times were pushed back four hours due to strong winds that occasionally gusted to 50 miles per hour. And when play finally began, conditions continued to be extremely challenging.

Despite the stiff breeze, many players still managed to post sub-par rounds. So what’s the secret to being successful in the wind? For many top contenders, it comes down to a quality that has nothing to do with swing: attitude.

“It was tough,” said Davis Thompson, who posted a record of 66-68 (-8). “I mean, I knew it was going to be hard. I just tried to have a good mental attitude about it. And yeah, I just tried to hit a lot of good golf shots and get a lot of looks.”

As a resident of Sea Island, Georgia, Thompson said he is used to playing in the wind. But there is also a strategy, he said.

“I mean, when it’s windy, the goal is to hit as many greens as possible, give yourself as many looks and just know that par is going to be a great score,” he said. “Just try not to push and chase flagsticks. If you do this, the wind may move into a short area or danger. Yeah, I’ll just stay patient and try to hit a lot of greens.”

JJ Spaun fired rounds of 65-69 (-8) to move into contention.

“I think that’s kind of the key to playing in such blustery conditions, is hitting the ball well,” he said Friday. “That’s the only way you can really control your ball, and I did that really well today.”

Like Thompson, Spaun emphasized the need to accept the difficult conditions.

“You definitely have to be easy on yourself or, I think, compassionate,” he said. “You don’t want to get too frustrated because the ball just got thrown right into a bunker by a 30, 40 mph gust and now you’re trying with all your might to get up and down.

“It happens to everyone, so I think you just have to do your best and try to play smart,” he continued. “It’s almost as if you think more about your mistakes on days like this, especially when the wind is so strong. So, yeah, I just tried to keep going with that mentality. I was just trying to get through a long day. In the end it was pretty good.”

Greyson Sigg, who scored rounds of 67-69 (-6), agreed.

“You just have to take it one shot at a time. I know it sounds pretty cliché, but there’s really nothing you can do,” he said. “I think the lead was 10 under and we had a pretty tough hand in that wave. I mean, you just hit the best shot and putt possible and add it up at the end of the day.”

Fortunately, the predictions have improved significantly for Saturday, when the remaining players will finish the second round and the third round will begin after the cut is made. Temperatures will rise into the 70s and wind speeds are expected to reach a maximum of 15 mph.

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As a four-year member of Columbia’s premier class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can outscore anyone on the masthead with a birdie. She can also outdo them in the office, where she is primarily responsible for producing print and online features and overseeing large special projects, such as GOLF’s first style issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series, “A “Round With,” debuted in November 2015 and appeared in both magazine and video form on GOLF.com.