Shriners Hospitals for Children Open returns to TPC Summerlin
As the home of an impressive collection of 10 public and private golf courses, including Nevada’s only two Tournament Players Club courses, the master-planned community of Summerlin has long been known as a golfer’s paradise. For the 25th consecutive year, the eyes of the golf world once again turn to Summerlin as the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open gets underway at TPC Summerlin and runs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5.
The event, now in its 35th year in Las Vegas, is a PGA Tour FedEx Cup tournament and is expected to draw a field of 144 of the world’s top golf professionals to compete for a $6.8 million purse, which includes a championship prize of more than $1 million. The winner will also take home the first-ever Howard Hughes Cup, the championship trophy sponsored by the Howard Hughes Corp., whose namesake, Howard Hughes, was an avid golfer in addition to his legacy as a wildly successful businessman and visionary.
As the only PGA Tour event in Southern Nevada, the tournament draws considerable support from Summerlin residents, who take great pride in this fact and come out in droves to witness championship golf in their own backyard, according to Kevin Orrock, president, Summerlin, The Howard Hughes Corp.
“As the host community of this golf tournament, Summerlin is exceptionally proud of its affiliation with the PGA Tour and this event that raises critical funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children, Orrock said. “The introduction this year of the Howard Hughes Cup is the next evolution of our ongoing relationship and support of this tournament that takes place in our own community at the award-winning TPC Summerlin. Like many golf fans and Southern Nevadans, we look forward to a great week of championship golf, and we invite everyone to join us.”
Summerlin spans 22,500 acres along the western rim of the Las Vegas valley on land purchased by Howard Hughes in the 1950s. The community is today home to more than 100,000 residents and has ranked among the country’s best-selling communities for decades. Its hallmark lifestyle is created in large part by a robust list of amenities, which includes 10 golf courses, 150 miles of trails, nearly 250 parks of all sizes and 25 public, private and charter schools.
“Summerlin is proud of its long history hosting the city’s only PGA Tour tournament for more than two decades,” Orrock said. “TPC Summerlin was among the community’s very first courses and continues to rank among the city’s best. It serves as the centerpiece to Summerlin’s first custom home neighborhoods and provides residents with access to PGA Tour golf just minutes from home.”
According to Patrick Lindsey, the tournament director, even the players look forward to returning to TPC Summerlin and the surrounding community, which has welcomed them and thousands of fans with open arms for 25 years.
“This year, on the heels of the tragic shooting, coming to Las Vegas is even more meaningful for the players,” Lindsey said. “And a lot of history has been made on this course during the tournament, including Tiger Woods’ first professional win in 1996 and UNLV grad Ryan Moore’s win in 2012. We look forward to another great year with lots planned for the public to enjoy.”
Tournament play is Nov. 2-5, and the public is invited to watch all the action and follow their favorite players throughout the four-day tournament. Fans 18 years and younger will receive complimentary admission to the tournament grounds and the Hill when accompanied by an adult.
Open to all attendees, the Fairway Fan Zone is packed with food and entertainment as well as an opportunity to enjoy a virtual TopGolf experience. Tournament officials are treating first responders and military personnel to complimentary food and beverages inside its Birdies for the Brave Patriots’ Outpost on the ninth green. And military members will be honored Nov. 4 during Military Appreciation Day. Tournament tickets are available online at shrinershospitalsopen.com.
On Oct. 31, the annual Kick Off Your Heels luncheon for women is held on the Hill overlooking the 18th green. Patricia Mulroy, former general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, will serve as the event’s inspirational keynote speaker. Mulroy, who served as general manager of the authority from 1993 until retiring in February 2014, headed one of the most progressive water agencies in the country and is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on water. The event, sponsored in part by the Howard Hughes Corp., features a lunch by Andiron Steak and Sea. To get more information or reserve a table, email Corinne Spitzer at cspitzer@shrinershospitalsopen.com.
The tournament’s beneficiary is Shriners Hospitals for Children, which has 22 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Shriners provides advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate in a family-centered environment, regardless of families’ ability to pay. For more information, visit the website shrinershospitalsopen.com. Follow the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.