 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Established | 1983 |
| Course(s) | TPC at Summerlin |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,255 yards (6,634 m) |
| Organized by | Shriners Hospitals for Children |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$8,400,000 |
| Month played | October |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 72 holes: 260 Ryan Moore (2012) 260 Webb Simpson (2013) 260 Im Sung-jae (2021) 260 Tom Kim (2022) 90 holes: 328 Stuart Appleby (2003) 328 Scott McCarron (2003) |
| To par | 72 holes: −25 Marc Turnesa (2008) 90 holes: −31 Andrew Magee (1991) −31 D. A. Weibring (1991) −31 Stuart Appleby (2003) −31 Scott McCarron (2003) |
| Current champion | |
 J. T. Poston | |
| Location map | |
  TPC at Summerlin Location in the United States  TPC at Summerlin Location in Nevada | |
The Shriners Children's Open is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour in Nevada. Founded 41 years ago in 1983, it is the fourth event of the Tour's 2019–20 wrap-around season and is played annually in October in Las Vegas. It is currently held at the TPC Summerlin, west of central Las Vegas at an approximate average elevation of 2,700 feet (820 m) above sea level.
Known by various titles, it was originally played over five rounds (90 holes) over several other courses. When created in 1983, it had the highest purse on tour at $750,000.[1] Tiger Woods recorded his first PGA Tour victory at Las Vegas in October 1996, in a playoff over 1993 champion Davis Love III.[2][3] The format was changed to 72 holes in 2004.[4]
In 2007 the tournament announced that the Shriners Hospitals for Children would take over the operations of the tournament and that the Las Vegas Founders, a volunteer group, would no longer be involved with the event.[5] The following year Fry's Electronics, chief presenting sponsor in 2006 and 2007, ended their association with the event, choosing to concentrate on a second tournament in Arizona that it was already sponsoring. Entertainer Justin Timberlake was the host of the tournament for five years, 2008 through 2012. Timberlake, an avid golfer who plays to a 6 handicap, played in the celebrity pro-am and hosted a benefit concert during the week of the tournament.[6][7]
The inaugural tournament in 1983 had a then-record official purse of $750,000 and Fuzzy Zoeller took the $135,000 winner's share at Las Vegas Country Club in mid-September.[8][9] In 1984, it became the first PGA Tour event in history to offer a purse exceeding a million dollars: champion Denis Watson won $162,000 from a prize pool of $1,122,500.[10] The tourney moved to late March in 1985,[11] to early May in 1986,[12] then to mid-October in 1990.[13] A tradition at the tournament is presenting the trophy to the champion while two showgirls are a part of the pomp and circumstance.[3]
In its history, the Las Vegas event has been hosted by numerous courses before settling at its current venue, TPC Summerlin. Past venues include TPC at the Canyons (now TPC Las Vegas), Bear's Best Golf Club, Southern Highlands Golf Club, Desert Inn Country Club (now the Wynn Golf & Country Club), Las Vegas Country Club, Las Vegas Hilton Country Club (now Las Vegas National Golf Club), Sunrise Golf Club, Spanish Trail Golf & Country Club, Showboat Country Club (now Wildhorse Golf Club), Dunes Country Club and Stallion Mountain Golf Club. Several of these courses are no longer operational.
Three players have won multiple titles in Las Vegas. Jim Furyk won three times, in 1995, 1998 and 1999. Kevin Na has won twice, in 2011 and 2019. And Martin Laird won in 2009 and 2020.
In the 2010 tournament, Jonathan Byrd made a hole in one on the fourth hole of a three-man sudden-death playoff to win.[14]
- ^ Radosta, John (January 3, 1983). "PGA Tour Preview 1983; Under A New Format, Scramble Resumes For Money". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- ^ Dohrmann, George (October 7, 1996). "Woods triumphs at Love's expense". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. (Los Angeles Times). pp. 1B, 5B.
- ^ a b Myers, Alex (October 17, 2013). "Throwback Thursday: Tiger Woods and two Las Vegas showgirls?". Golf Digest. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ^ "Las Vegas Invitational goes to 72-hole format". Lodi News-Sentinel. California. Associated Press. May 19, 2004. p. 14.
- ^ Shriners Hospital to back PGA tourney in Las Vegas
- ^ "Timberlake to host PGA Tour's Las Vegas event in '08". ESPN. Associated Press. November 12, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
- ^ Carp, Steve (October 1, 2012). "Las Vegas PGA Tour stop looks to future". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ^ "Zoeller pockets $135,000 in pro-celebrity classic". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. wire services. September 19, 1983. p. 2B.
- ^ "Zoeller collects $135,000 check for Vegas win". Spokane Chronicle. Associated Press. September 19, 1983. p. 20.
- ^ "Denis Watson captures his third tourney of the year". Gainesville Sun. Florida. Associated Press. September 24, 1984. p. 1B.
- ^ "Strange cashes in birdie putt for $171,000 Vegas jackpot". Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. March 25, 1985. p. C8.
- ^ "Norman easy winner in Panasonic tourney". Palm Beach Post. wire services. May 5, 1986. p. B11.
- ^ "Tway takes playoff in Las Vegas". Ocala Star-Banner. Florida. Associated Press. October 15, 1990. p. 3C.
- ^ "Byrd hits the jackpot in Las Vegas". Golf.com. Associated Press. Retrieved June 1, 2016.