Shriners Children's Open Explained

Shriners Children's Open
Location:Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Course:TPC at Summerlin
Par:71
Tour:PGA Tour
Org:Shriners Hospitals for Children
Format:Stroke play
Month Played:October
Current Champion: Tom Kim
Map:USA#USA Nevada
Map Label:TPC at Summerlin
Map Relief:yes
Map Size:200
Coordinates:36.188°N -115.298°W

The Shriners Children's Open is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour in Nevada. Founded 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 2700feet 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]

Course layout

See main article: TPC at Summerlin.

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4084694924501974303822395633,6104204484426061683415601964443,6257,255
Par444434435354445345343671
Source:[15]

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upPurse
($)
Winner's
share ($)
Ref.
Shriners Children's Open
Tom Kim (2) 264 −20 1 stroke 8,400,000 1,512,000
260 −24 3 strokes 8,000,000 1,440,000
260 −24 4 strokes 7,000,000 1,260,000
Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
Martin Laird (2) 261 −23 Playoff 7,000,000 1,260,000
Kevin Na (2) 261 −23 Playoff 7,000,000 1,260,000
263 −21 1 stroke 7,000,000 1,260,000
275 −9 Playoff 6,800,000 1,224,000
264 −20 2 strokes 6,600,000 1,188,000
268 −16 1 stroke 6,400,000 1,152,000
264 −20 2 strokes 6,200,000 1,116,000
260 −24 6 strokes 6,000,000 1,080,000
Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
260 −24 1 stroke 4,500,000 810,000
261 −23 2 strokes 4,400,000 792,000
263 −21 Playoff 4,300,000 774,000
265 −19 Playoff 4,200,000 756,000
263 −25 1 stroke 4,100,000 738,000
Frys.com Open
264 −24 4 strokes 4,000,000 720,000
265 −23 1 stroke 4,000,000 720,000
Michelin Championship at Las Vegas
266 −21 Playoff 4,000,000 720,000
266 −21 1 stroke 4,000,000 720,000
Las Vegas Invitational
328 −31 Playoff 4,000,000 720,000
Invensys Classic at Las Vegas
330 −29 1 stroke 5,000,000 900,000
329 −30 1 stroke 4,500,000 810,000
332 −28 1 stroke 4,250,000 765,000
Las Vegas Invitational
Jim Furyk (3) 331 −29 1 stroke 2,500,000 450,000
Jim Furyk (2) 335 −25 1 stroke 2,000,000 360,000
340 −20 1 stroke 1,800,000 324,000
332 −27 Playoff 1,650,000 297,000
331 −28 1 stroke 1,500,000 270,000
332 −28 1 stroke 1,500,000 270,000
331 −29 8 strokes 1,400,000 252,000
334 −26 2 strokes 1,300,000 234,000
329 −31 Playoff 1,500,000 270,000
334 −26 Playoff 1,300,000 234,000
336 −24 Playoff 1,250,000 225,000
Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational
274 −14 1 stroke 1,388,889 250,000
271 −17 1 stroke 1,250,000 225,000
333 −27 7 strokes 1,150,000 207,000
338 −17 1 stroke 950,000 171,000
341 −15 1 stroke 900,000 162,000
Panasonic Las Vegas Pro-Celebrity Classic
340 −18 4 strokes 750,000 135,000
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources:[16] [17]

Tournament record scores

Five round tournament

The first 21 events (1983–2003) were scheduled for 90 holes.
Aggregate

To-par

Four round tournament

The event switched to a 72-hole format in 2004.
Aggregate

To-par

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Radosta . John . January 3, 1983 . PGA Tour Preview 1983; Under A New Format, Scramble Resumes For Money . The New York Times . August 6, 2013.
  2. News: Dohrmann . George . October 7, 1996 . Woods triumphs at Love's expense . 1B, 5B . The Register-Guard . (Los Angeles Times) . Eugene, Oregon .
  3. Web site: Myers . Alex . October 17, 2013 . Throwback Thursday: Tiger Woods and two Las Vegas showgirls? . October 24, 2014 . Golf Digest.
  4. News: May 19, 2004 . Las Vegas Invitational goes to 72-hole format . 14 . Lodi News-Sentinel . Associated Press . California .
  5. http://archive.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2007/Apr-27-Fri-2007/sports/14014139.html Shriners Hospital to back PGA tourney in Las Vegas
  6. News: November 12, 2007 . Timberlake to host PGA Tour's Las Vegas event in '08 . ESPN . Associated Press . November 13, 2007.
  7. News: Carp . Steve . October 1, 2012 . Las Vegas PGA Tour stop looks to future . Las Vegas Review-Journal . October 24, 2014.
  8. News: September 19, 1983 . Zoeller pockets $135,000 in pro-celebrity classic . 2B . The Register-Guard . wire services . Eugene, Oregon .
  9. News: September 19, 1983 . Zoeller collects $135,000 check for Vegas win . 20 . Spokane Chronicle . Associated Press .
  10. News: September 24, 1984 . Denis Watson captures his third tourney of the year . 1B . Gainesville Sun . Associated Press . Florida .
  11. News: March 25, 1985 . Strange cashes in birdie putt for $171,000 Vegas jackpot . C8 . Palm Beach Post . Associated Press .
  12. News: May 5, 1986 . Norman easy winner in Panasonic tourney . B11 . Palm Beach Post . wire services .
  13. News: October 15, 1990 . Tway takes playoff in Las Vegas . 3C . Ocala Star-Banner . Associated Press . Florida .
  14. News: Byrd hits the jackpot in Las Vegas . Golf.com . Associated Press . June 1, 2016.
  15. Web site: 2014 . Course: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open . October 14, 2014 . PGA Tour.
  16. Web site: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open - Past Winners . October 23, 2014 . PGA Tour.
  17. Web site: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open - Winners per Year . October 23, 2014 . Golf Observer.