The scene was more high-end hoopla than casual day on the greens at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open held at TPC Summerlin October 11 through 18. The tournament took to the Par 71, 7,223-yard TPC Summerlin course, and the player field included 132 P.G.A. Tour professionals and a $4.2 million purse, $756,000 of that for the winning pro. All proceeds from the tournament, which came from ticket sales, entry to hospitality venues, donations, and more than 100 participating amateurs (who paid $7,500 to play in the pro-am, for no prize money) went to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Gary Davis, chairman of the advisory committee for the tournament, took on a leadership role three years ago after volunteering for almost 20 years. Davis oversaw all aspects of the event, working with local tournament director Adam Sperling and his team. This is the second year that Shriners has partnered with Timberlake on the event.
Davis cited several recent changes to the event's format. Prior to last year, the tournament took place on two courses; now it’s all on one course. Another change was that amateurs used to play with the pros in their competitive round. “Justin and we decided that was not a good thing,” said Davis. “He equated it with the fact that he didn’t want people coming up on stage while he was singing.”
Thus the championship pro-am, a day in which professional golfers play in foursomes with celebrities and amateurs, was born. Timberlake, Alice Cooper, Oscar De La Hoya, Kenny G., and George Lopez were among the celebrity players in the October 14 event. P.G.A. professional Jim Furyk’s team, which included former Nevada governor Bob Miller, won the competition.
The private pairings party the night before at Mandalay Bay included a custom menu from its chefs. Among the food items were an antipasto display, a sushi and sashimi station, a risotto station, a carving station, and sweets. Decor was simple, done in red with a martini ice bar.
This year’s schedule of tournament events also included a youth clinic, two P.G.A. Tour professional practice rounds, a professional competition round, a live auction, a silent auction, and military appreciation day. There was also a benefit concert at Mandalay Bay with Timberlake and Ciara, Jay Sean, Alicia Keys, TLC, Taylor Swift, Snoop Dogg, and Timbaland. On the last day of play, the professional competition final round trophy went to winner Martin Laird, presented by Timberlake.
For fans, the tournament charged a $25 entry fee per person and offered a prime viewing spot called the Hill. The luxury 22,000-square-foot entertainment pavilion overlooked the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes and Red Rock Canyon and featured seating areas, tables, and large plasma-screen TVs, as well as food and beverages. Fiji water, Ketel One, Coca-Cola, Coors Light, Corona, and Timberlake’s own brand, 901 Tequila, were available for purchase at the Hill; all were tournament sponsors.
“There are more than 800 volunteers who help out with the different aspects of the week,” said Davis. “The toughest part is the coordination of scheduling and event planning between four dynamic organizations: Timberlake’s team, the P.G.A. Tour, Sperling’s office, and the Shriners staff.” He said many meetings throughout the year helped make it happen.