PGA Tour, Houston Open to honor Butch Harmon

Last week, representatives of the PGA Tour, Houston Open and the Houston Astros Golf Foundation announced that the tournament will be known this year as the Houston Open honoring Henderson’s Butch Harmon.

The tournament is Oct. 10-13 at Golf Club of Houston. Harmon operates his school at Rio Secco.

“Butch has been in golf a long time. He is tied to Houston and has been the number one golf instructor for years,” said Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane. “To put his name on the tournament gives us another reason to have a successful tournament and bring us one of the best tournaments on the Tour, which is our goal.”

Harmon was director of golf at Houston’s Lochinvar Golf Club in the 1990s and his father, Claude, and brothers, Bill and Dick, taught at River Oaks Country Club.

Harmon has been ranked the top golf instructor by Golf Digest in a poll of his peers for the past 16 years. Harmon retired from traveling to PGA Tour events to teach his players earlier this year, but continues to instruct at his school.

Harmon also operates a school at Crane’s Floridian Club in Palm City, Florida, and the Astros Golf Foundation was key in creating the honor. Brady Exber, a nine-time Southern Nevada Golf Association player of the year, is a part-owner of the Astros and a friend of Harmon.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to help this city and help this tournament,” Harmon said. “Houston means a lot to me. It is a great golf community and always has been.

”Having the Astros get involved is the greatest thing that could happen to this tournament. What Jim Crane has done with baseball in this city is incredible and I am excited to work with him, Giles and the Astros to do the same for the Houston golf community and make the Houston Open the greatest tournament on the Tour.”

Montgomery makes debut

Former UNLV golfer Taylor Montgomery Monday qualified for last weekend’s Barracuda Championship at Montrêux Golf and Country Club in Reno. Playing in a PGA Tour event for the first time, he missed the cut.

SNGA directors win Esrom Puc

Southern Nevada Golf Association directors Sue May, Tim Quinn and Mike Davis won last week’s Esrom Puc tournament prior to the Pacific Coast Amateur, an event played at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Hall of Fame days

Play Primm Valley Lakes for $29 Saturday or Sunday with all proceeds benefiting the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame and Southern Nevada junior golf initiatives. Register at SNGA.org.

Weekly deal

Through Saturday, play Bear’s Best for $57 after 10 am and get one entry to win a pool party for 50 people at a Las Vegas Aviators game. Pay $75 before 10 and receive two entries.

Stars on, off course

Sixx:A.M. and former Guns Roses guitarist DJ Ashba, Shinedown guitarist Zach Meyers, Luxor headliner Carrot Top and professional golfer Selanee Henderson hit at Topgolf Las Vegas last week.

The golf notebook appears Wednesdays. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider.