Lindsey races against clock at Shriners Open
There’s no clock in golf, except if the marshal tells someone he’s playing too slow and to pick up the pace. But for Patrick Lindsey, time is his biggest enemy as he oversees preparations for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Lindsey, who took over from Adam Sperling as tournament director this year, has a myriad of tasks to handle as Oct. 16 looms. That’s the date for the first event connected to the tournament, which will be played at TPC Summerlin from Oct. 22 to 25.
Whether it’s finalizing sponsorships, making sure there are enough volunteers, attending meetings or trying to get commitments for the 144-player field, Lindsey has plenty left to do.
“The whole week is setting up nicely,” Lindsey said Friday. “Right now, we’re in our final push for getting players and getting sponsorships. We want to make this the best tournament yet.”
Last year’s event, won by Ben Martin, attracted nearly 35,000 fans, a number the Shriners were happy with. But Lindsey isn’t satisfied.
“My goal is 50,000,” he said. “We want the community to come out and make it feel that this is their event, which in reality, it is. No tournament can be successful without great support from the community, and I know Las Vegas cares about golf and this tournament.”
The 34-year-old from Florida has never run his own golf tournament until now. But Lindsey, who worked for the PGA Tour before accepting his current position, said he has a lot to work with at the Shriners Open.
“Adam and his staff did a great job, and the Shriners have been so supportive,” he said. “My goal is to keep moving the tournament forward. We don’t want to take any backward steps.”
Lindsey started his new job March 30 and said he is impressed by the quality of the course and how fan-friendly it is.
“I’ve only played it three or four times, but it’s a great course,” he said. “For the spectators, it’s a great place to watch golf.”
Lindsey has attended several PGA Tour events, introducing himself to players and their agents and trying to get them to commit to playing Las Vegas. He will attend The Barclays next week in New Jersey when the FedEx Cup playoffs begin and hopes to speak with Jordan Spieth, the world’s No. 1 player, about playing in the Shriners Open.
“I’ve talked to his agent a couple of times,” Lindsey said. “But I’m hoping I can get a few minutes with Jordan and tell him about what we’re doing. We’ll have one of our (Shriners Hospitals) ambassadors with me, and my hope is we can get him to consider playing our event, if not this year, then in 2016.”
Lindsey said the list of commitments isn’t finalized, but he expects to have Martin defending his title and probably can count on players with local ties such as Charley Hoffman, Scott Piercy, Ryan Moore, Kevin Na and Nick Watney.
“One of my goals is to grow our relationship with the players, especially the young ones who are just starting out on Tour,” Lindsey said. “We had a strong field last year, and I want to see it get stronger. I want the players to get to the point where they look at the schedule, and they see ‘Shriners Hospitals for Children Open,’ and they say, ‘I’m going to clear space on my schedule to play that tournament.’
“I think we’re going to have our best field yet. We think we have a lot to offer the players and their families, and I’m hopeful we’ll get a strong response.”
Fans can expect some new wrinkles at the course. Lindsey said a small fleet of food trucks will sit between the 17th and 18th fairways to provide more varied menus. A similar ploy was implemented four years before when several local restaurants formed a “Restaurant Row.”
There will be more interactive golf things. The pools will be back, as the tournament and MGM Resorts International again have partnered for fans to take a dip while watching players finish at 18.
And, yes, The Hill, which has become a tradition, again will be operational with bars, numerous high-definition TVs and sofas, and for fans to watch the tournament’s 16th green, 17th hole and 18th green. Lindsey said the popular viewing area at the 15th green, which had a bar and was up against the back apron of the green, also will continue to be used.
“The things that have been successful, such as The Hill and the area at 15, you don’t want to change that,” he said. “But we’re looking to increase the viewing areas around the course that give the fans the best vantage point possible.”
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
