This week, the PGA Tour stops just one mile south of Sin City for the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Photo by Stan Badz / PGA TOUR
Las Vegas has hosted a PGA Tour event every year for the past 27 years. This very tournament is where Tiger recorded his first professional victory in 1996. But although this week’s event does not count towards the Fed-Ex Cup, it has attracted a top class, 132 player field, including Anthony Kim, Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan.
Jim Furyk got off to a fantastic start yesterday and carded a 64 (-7) which sees him two shots back of leaders Tom Pernice Jnr, Troy Matteson and Spencer Levin. Jerry Kelly, Aaron Baddeley and David Toms are close behind on -5. The long awaited professional debut of former world amateur no.1 and victorious Walker Cup player, Rickie Fowler, started with a 67. This only confirms the likelihood of him being a future star.
At the host course of TPC Summerlin, you would think that you were worlds apart from the neon lights of downtown Las Vegas. Built on an oasis, the lush fairways and bentgrass greens take you through arroyos and canyons with stunning panoramas of desert, mountains and lakes. At 7243 yds, it is ranked 53 out of 54 courses on the PGA Tour for difficulty (a stat affirmed by yesterday’s low scores). The Las Vegas tournaments are typically birdie fests and this one will surely not disappoint.
Justin Timberlake has a new found passion and love for golf. He sees it as the perfect way to escape the hectic schedule of a performing artist. He has proved himself to be a great ambassador for the tournament’s charity and is giving golf exposure to new audience. In addition to having his own PGA Tour event, he is the only non-professional to have an endorsement deal with Callaway Golf. If you are in town this Saturday night, you can see him perform at the Mandalay Bay.
The winner this week will have to be disciplined enough to withstand the allure of the many distractions that Vegas has to offer – high end restaurants such as Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace, shows such as Cirque du Soleil, and of course, the ubiquitous casinos with every kind of betting game imaginable from slot machines to video poker.
This is a great time of year to visit Vegas. As the rest of the country starts to feel the chill, the climate here stays warm and perfect for a winter getaway. Whatever your reason for visiting Las Vegas, be sure to combine it with a few rounds of golf at some of America’s finest golf courses.
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