Shriners Hospitals: Hoffman provides some value at top of the board

Las Vegas hasn't been a hotbed for the favorites in recent years.

The last time one of the top names won at TPC Summerlin was in 2013 when Webb Simpson claimed the title at 16-1.

Recently, this has been a tournament for the unheralded players to pick up a win and all the Tour perks that go with it.

Despite that, I think I've found a couple of guys near the top of the board that are undervalued by the oddsmakers.

First off is Charley Hoffman at 40-1 on Sportsbook. This is a hometown tournament for Hoffman, who resides in Las Vegas and went to college at UNLV. He's struggled recently here, missing his last three cuts, but course form hasn't really mattered much for past winners. Simpson was the only one of the previous eight that even had a top five prior to the victory. Hoffman has had some solid finishes here in the past, though, recording a fourth, fifth and sixth in 11 starts.

Hoffman cooled off toward the end of the year and was up and down during the Presidents Cup, but I think a few weeks off to regroup and gear up for the new season will do him some good. We're used to seeing him in the 20/30-1 range for tournaments of this caliber, so I think we're getting a nice price for one of the top four or five guys in this field.

A side note on Hoffman: He's pledged his winnings from the tournament to the victims of the Mandalay Bay shooting spree, meaning a victory would bring a little over $1.2 million to those impacted.

I've also targeted three other guys below 100-1 to cap the top part of my card. Kevin Streelman at 45-1 has made seven straight cuts here, highlighted by a second in 2014. He's also coming in with some good form, finishing in the top 15 in his first two starts of the fall.

Next is Jaime Lovemark at 55-1. He's a guy who's probably overdue for his first career win. Lovemark is coming back from the Asian swing with some positive results, including a fifth in South Korea.

My final guy in this range is another Las Vegas native. Scott Piercy is a play for me at 70-1. Piercy was 17th at the Safeway and has been solid here with three top 10s on his resume. He's also shown the ability to win in his home state, taking down the Reno-Tahoe Open in 2011.

Wednesday, I'll be back with a lengthy long shot card since the past three have gone that way.

Joshua has spent the last five years writing about sports and the last 10 years betting them, mostly on golf. He's one of approximately five people who will watch the PGA over the NFL in November. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaPerry22

Photo: © Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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