Major Series of Putting underway in Vegas

The 10 local pros who are participating first have all committed to give half of their winnings to the Vegas Strong gun massacre charity. The tournament events run through Sunday (Nov. 5). Entry to watch all championship tournament events is free and based on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Today (Oct 30), pro golfer Brad Faxon hosts the individual stroke-play competition. Among the players in the all-pro championships are Colt Knost, Graham DeLaet, Alex Kang, Kurt Kityama, Sam Ryderm, John Cook and Tommy Armour III. Today’s singles tournament has a 36-hole challenge with the top 16 players competing for a $50,000 purse. Winners will qualify for the match play rounds that will take place tomorrow.

On Wednesday it’s the amateur championship where non-professional golfers compete in a five-round, 90-hole competition, with 20 of them advancing to the final round. It’s also the first of two days of team championship play in a five-round, 90-hole, two-player stroke play for a $15,000 prize.

The 10-day week of events will close with several celebrities play to benefit Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte’s “One Drop” water charity show on Saturday and Sunday. Guest celebrities include former professional tennis player Mardy Fish, actor Jack Wagner (“Melrose Place,” “General Hospital,” “The Bold and the Beautiful”), former professional baseball pitcher Josh Beckett, professional poker player Daniel Negreanu and Canadian former professional baseball pitcher Eric Gagné.

$1 MILLION

Golden Knights hockey team owner Bill Foley has donated $1 million to the Las Vegas police charity as part of the celebration of his players making NHL history with five straight wins (matching the longest winning streak by a team in its inaugural season) and in crushing the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena 7-0 giving them an 8-1 record as they set out for an East Coast road trip starting Wednesday in Brooklyn against the Islanders then the Rangers, the Bruins and onto Ottawa, Toronto and wrapping up against the Montreal Canadians Nov. 7 before returning home to the Nov 10 game against Winnipeg. Our thanks to contributing photographer Tom Donoghue for his photo gallery of the incredible win over Colorado

NEW RESIDENCY FOR NEW RESIDENT

Stand-up comedian Tom Green, who found mainstream prominence with his own zany, edgy shows on MTV and AXS TV, starting in 2003 after guest hosting David Letterman’s “Late Show” is our town’s newest celebrity resident. And he’s landed his own residency at the Back Room at Bally’s – appearing five shows each week Sunday through Wednesday until the end of the year except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then he returns again Jan. 21 through February with more 2018 dates yet to be announced .

He premiered last night (Oct. 29) to a full house of fans. Tom who starred in the “Charlies Angel” movie hit and in “Road Trip,” where he put a live mouse in his mouth was briefly married to actress Drew Barrymore and he’s known for the MTV documentary of his battle against testicular cancer, which he was successfully treated for. But it included graphic footage of his own surgery, and although it allowed him to raise money for cancer research, it caused the cancellation of his talk shows. His film, “Freddy Got Fingered,” won in five categories at the Golden Raspberry Awards given to the worst movies of the year. While on stage he began to play the harmonica and did not stop until he was dragged off by security. His comedy at Bally’s is just as zany and hysterical.

Producer Seth Yudof of UD Factory told me: “I couldn’t be happier with Tom’s opening night. He really connects with the audience in a way that I don’t think most people would expect. We are looking forward to this being a very long-term relationship between Tom and Vegas! Everyone who meets Tom likes him. He really is a sweet guy. Tom had appeared in Vegas previously at the Riviera and at the Hard Rock, but this is his first extended run and residency. I expect his show to grow and turn into a long Vegas run in a bigger venue. But this quirky venue is perfect for the quirky comedian’s show.

Tom has changed his Instagram account to show that he now lives in Vegas. He is taking Las Vegas seriously and is interested in having a life and career here. On his first day here, he went out and bought a shiny blazer, taking him one step closer to becoming a full-time Vegas resident!

Tom has had such an interesting career, from television, to movies, to webcasting, and now stand-up comedy. We’re really excited to see what we can do together here in Vegas, utilizing all the advantages of having the same venue, night after night.”

His opening night was packed, and Bally’s brought extra chairs in from the”Jubilee” showroom to accommodate the crowd. The show started with a chronological video of some of Tom’s classic television and movie scenes, ending by showing him on tour doing stand-up for large audiences. Movie producer Michael Tadross, who is producing the upcoming LBJ movie with Woody Harrelson worked with Seth on getting Tom his new residency.

Tom was clearly excited when he came onstage. He talked about his new shiny Vegas jacket, and then he hung it up on a coat rack as he got into his show. Tom riffed on the audience in his signature awkward style, connecting many of his comments to his opinions of modern technology and social media.

This was a very interactive show — the audience yelled out lines from Tom’s movies, and Tom reenacted those parts for them. In a departure from his normal stand-up routine, Tom sat down on a stool and showed different TV and movie clips, telling the audience some of the behind-the-scenes stories about them.

After the show, Tom invited everyone to come hang out at the front lounge of the Back Room, where he plans to host regular parties with his fans. Top Canadian DJ Coins provided the music for the first opening night party.

DEATH-DEFYING

Be sure to check Access Hollywood Live tomorrow night on NBC TV because roller skating siblings Billy and Emily England from “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace will premiere a new special death-defying performance — “Skates of Hell” is one of the sexiest and most dangerous acts on the Strip. Artists at “Absinthe” under the tent mix outrageous comedy with jaw-dropping feats of danger for the immersive adult playground — definitely not for the faint of heart.

“Absinthe” premiered in 2006 with Melody Sweets as the Green Fairy until her 10-year run there ended last Monday. I’m told that the first night of the new Green Fairy burlesque singer who entered on a rope from the ceiling did not go too well with the audience and the cast fearing for her safety during the downward spiral.

LESS THAN A MONTH

We are now in the final stages of the countdown to the 66th Miss Universe pageant being held for the sixth time here since it began in 1952. More than 80 contestants are getting ready for their trip to Las Vegas where the reigning beauty queen Iris Mittenaere from France will crown the new winner. Two of the arriving competitors have already selected their national costumes:

The event is set for Nov. 26 at the AXS theater in Planet Hollywood. Iris and our current Miss USA Kara McCullogh, who is competing, will be here for the competition. They have recorded a special message with Miss Nevada USA Lauren York for the VegasCares entertainment show being held Nov. 5 at The Venetian..

6th WALK FOR WATER

Professional BMX rider Ricardo Laguna hosted the sixth annual Walk for Water, which attracted 700 supporters on Saturday carrying water buckets on a 2.7-mile walk from Symphony Park at The Smith Center to the Springs Preserve. It raised over $50,000 and awareness for critical water issues worldwide for Cirque du Soleil’s One Drop charity. Cirque performer Khalid Freeman of Soul Clap Fitness warmed up the participants before the walk.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

• Oktoberfest 2017 concluded on a high note at Hofbräuhaus this weekend with the final round of celebrity keg tappers. The stunning ladies from the sexy “Fantasy” show tapped the keg on Friday, with the Australian Bee Gees handling Saturday Night Fever for the final Oktoberfestbier keg tapping of 2017. Oktoberfest is the world’s biggest beer party as an annual celebration in Munich, Germany since the 19th century, This year’s celebrity keg tappings every weekend, included Siegfried & Roy, Ricardo Laguna, Raiding the Rock Vault stars, the Chippendales, Murray SawChuck, Frankie Moreno, Legends in Concert impersonators, Anthony Cools, Nathan Burton, Magic Mike Live, Mac King, Gordie Brown and the reality stars of “Tanked.”

• It was a different kind of a role for film director John Carpenter because yesterday he was in front of them when Las Vegas officials declared it “John Carpenter Day” for his contributions to our entertainment community.

• Rap-rockers Hollywood Undead raced against their fans at the Pole Position Raceway, and then put on an electrifying show at The Pearl in the Palms to celebrate the same-day release of their latest album Five. They opened their set with “Whatever It Takes” from the new album, but ran through hits of their career including: “Hear Me Now,” “Comin’ in Hot” and “Everywhere I Go.” One band member even sported the “Vegas Strong” T-shirt — a collaboration with street artist Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One (100 percent of all proceeds benefit those affected by the Oct. 1 tragedy.)

MONDAYS DARK

The Mark Shunock charity events really do go dark tonight but only until tomorrow when it moves to reimagine itself as the hottest Halloween party in town with the casts of “Magic Mike Live” and the “Sexxy” show at the Westgate joining forces with 22 charities that benefit from the bimonthly shows. On Dec. 18, Monday’s Dark will celebrate its four-year anniversary at the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

• Crooner Frankie Moreno sings and has the females swooning at Myron’s Cabaret Lounge in The Smith Center.

• Halloween celebrations continue with the Boos and Boolesque dinner party at STK in the Cosmopolitan.

• HELP of Southern Nevada holds its first annual Night of the Witches with Mystic Mona at the Grape Street Wine Bar in Downtown Summerlin.

• DJ A$AP is twisting the turntables at Marquee in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.