Shriners Children's Open

The Shriners Children's Open is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour in Nevada. Founded 41 years ago in 1983, it is the fourth event of the Tour's 2019–20 wrap-around season and is played annually in October in Las Vegas. It is currently held at the TPC Summerlin, west of central Las Vegas at an approximate average elevation of 2,700 feet (820 m) above sea level.

Shriners Children's Open
Tournament information
LocationLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Established1983
Course(s)TPC at Summerlin
Par71
Length7,255 yards (6,634 m)
Organized byShriners Hospitals for Children
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$8,400,000
Month playedOctober
Final year2024
Tournament record score
Aggregate72 holes:
260 Ryan Moore (2012)
260 Webb Simpson (2013)
260 Im Sung-jae (2021)
260 Tom Kim (2022)
90 holes:
328 Stuart Appleby (2003)
328 Scott McCarron (2003)
To par72 holes:
−25 Marc Turnesa (2008)
90 holes:
−31 Andrew Magee (1991)
−31 D. A. Weibring (1991)
−31 Stuart Appleby (2003)
−31 Scott McCarron (2003)
Final champion
United States J. T. Poston
Location map
TPC at Summerlin is located in the United States
TPC at Summerlin
TPC at Summerlin
Location in the United States
TPC at Summerlin is located in Nevada
TPC at Summerlin
TPC at Summerlin
Location in Nevada

History

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Known by various titles, it was originally played over five rounds (90 holes) over several other courses. When created in 1983, it had the highest purse on tour at $750,000.[1] Tiger Woods recorded his first PGA Tour victory at Las Vegas in October 1996, in a playoff over 1993 champion Davis Love III.[2][3] The format was changed to 72 holes in 2004.[4]

In 2007 the tournament announced that the Shriners Hospitals for Children would take over the operations of the tournament and that the Las Vegas Founders, a volunteer group, would no longer be involved with the event.[5] The following year Fry's Electronics, chief presenting sponsor in 2006 and 2007, ended their association with the event, choosing to concentrate on a second tournament in Arizona that it was already sponsoring. Entertainer Justin Timberlake was the host of the tournament for five years, 2008 through 2012. Timberlake, an avid golfer who plays to a 6 handicap, played in the celebrity pro-am and hosted a benefit concert during the week of the tournament.[6][7]

The inaugural tournament in 1983 had a then-record official purse of $750,000 and Fuzzy Zoeller took the $135,000 winner's share at Las Vegas Country Club in mid-September.[8][9] In 1984, it became the first PGA Tour event in history to offer a purse exceeding a million dollars: champion Denis Watson won $162,000 from a prize pool of $1,122,500.[10] The tourney moved to late March in 1985,[11] to early May in 1986,[12] then to mid-October in 1990.[13] A tradition at the tournament is presenting the trophy to the champion while two showgirls are a part of the pomp and circumstance.[3]

In its history, the Las Vegas event has been hosted by numerous courses before settling at its current venue, TPC Summerlin. Past venues include TPC at the Canyons (now TPC Las Vegas), Bear's Best Golf Club, Southern Highlands Golf Club, Desert Inn Country Club (now the Wynn Golf & Country Club), Las Vegas Country Club, Las Vegas Hilton Country Club (now Las Vegas National Golf Club), Sunrise Golf Club, Spanish Trail Golf & Country Club, Showboat Country Club (now Wildhorse Golf Club), Dunes Country Club and Stallion Mountain Golf Club. Several of these courses are no longer operational.

Three players have won multiple titles in Las Vegas. Jim Furyk won three times, in 1995, 1998 and 1999. Kevin Na has won twice, in 2011 and 2019. And Martin Laird won in 2009 and 2020.

In the 2010 tournament, Jonathan Byrd made a hole in one on the fourth hole of a three-man sudden-death playoff to win.[14]

The 2024 event proved to be the final edition of the Shriners Children's Open, with Shriners Hospitals for Children not renewing their contract for 2025.[15] The event was not listed as part of the 2025 FedEx Cup Fall series.[16]

Course layout

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Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 408 469 492 450 197 430 382 239 563 3,610 420 448 442 606 168 341 560 196 444 3,625 7,255
Par 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 5 35 4 4 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 36 71

Source:[17]

Winners

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Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Purse
($)
Winner's
share ($)
Ref.
Shriners Children's Open
2024   J. T. Poston 262 −22 1 stroke   Doug Ghim 7,000,000 1,260,000
2023   Tom Kim (2) 264 −20 1 stroke   Adam Hadwin 8,400,000 1,512,000
2022   Tom Kim 260 −24 3 strokes   Patrick Cantlay
  Matthew NeSmith
8,000,000 1,440,000
2021   Im Sung-jae 260 −24 4 strokes   Matthew Wolff 7,000,000 1,260,000
Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
2020   Martin Laird (2) 261 −23 Playoff   Austin Cook
  Matthew Wolff
7,000,000 1,260,000
2019   Kevin Na (2) 261 −23 Playoff   Patrick Cantlay 7,000,000 1,260,000
2018   Bryson DeChambeau 263 −21 1 stroke   Patrick Cantlay 7,000,000 1,260,000
2017   Patrick Cantlay 275 −9 Playoff   Alex Čejka
  Kim Meen-whee
6,800,000 1,224,000
2016   Rod Pampling 264 −20 2 strokes   Brooks Koepka 6,600,000 1,188,000
2015   Smylie Kaufman 268 −16 1 stroke   Jason Bohn
  Alex Čejka
  Patton Kizzire
  Kevin Na
  Brett Stegmaier
  Cameron Tringale
6,400,000 1,152,000
2014   Ben Martin 264 −20 2 strokes   Kevin Streelman 6,200,000 1,116,000
2013   Webb Simpson 260 −24 6 strokes   Jason Bohn
  Ryo Ishikawa
6,000,000 1,080,000
Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
2012   Ryan Moore 260 −24 1 stroke   Brendon de Jonge 4,500,000 810,000
2011   Kevin Na 261 −23 2 strokes   Nick Watney 4,400,000 792,000
2010   Jonathan Byrd 263 −21 Playoff   Martin Laird
  Cameron Percy
4,300,000 774,000
2009   Martin Laird 265 −19 Playoff   Chad Campbell
  George McNeill
4,200,000 756,000
2008   Marc Turnesa 263 −25 1 stroke   Matt Kuchar 4,100,000 738,000
Frys.com Open
2007   George McNeill 264 −24 4 strokes   D. J. Trahan 4,000,000 720,000
2006   Troy Matteson 265 −23 1 stroke   Daniel Chopra
  Ben Crane
4,000,000 720,000
Michelin Championship at Las Vegas
2005   Wes Short Jr. 266 −21 Playoff   Jim Furyk 4,000,000 720,000
2004   Andre Stolz 266 −21 1 stroke   Harrison Frazar
  Tom Lehman
  Tag Ridings
4,000,000 720,000
Las Vegas Invitational
2003   Stuart Appleby 328 −31 Playoff   Scott McCarron 4,000,000 720,000
Invensys Classic at Las Vegas
2002   Phil Tataurangi 330 −29 1 stroke   Stuart Appleby
  Jeff Sluman
5,000,000 900,000
2001   Bob Estes 329 −30 1 stroke   Tom Lehman
  Rory Sabbatini
4,500,000 810,000
2000   Billy Andrade 332 −28 1 stroke   Phil Mickelson 4,250,000 765,000
Las Vegas Invitational
1999   Jim Furyk (3) 331 −29 1 stroke   Jonathan Kaye 2,500,000 450,000
1998   Jim Furyk (2) 335 −25 1 stroke   Mark Calcavecchia 2,000,000 360,000
1997   Bill Glasson 340 −20 1 stroke   David Edwards
  Billy Mayfair
1,800,000 324,000
1996   Tiger Woods 332 −27 Playoff   Davis Love III 1,650,000 297,000 [2]
1995   Jim Furyk 331 −28 1 stroke   Billy Mayfair 1,500,000 270,000
1994   Bruce Lietzke 332 −28 1 stroke   Robert Gamez 1,500,000 270,000
1993   Davis Love III 331 −29 8 strokes   Craig Stadler 1,400,000 252,000
1992   John Cook 334 −26 2 strokes   David Frost 1,300,000 234,000
1991   Andrew Magee 329 −31 Playoff   D. A. Weibring 1,500,000 270,000
1990   Bob Tway 334 −26 Playoff   John Cook 1,300,000 234,000 [13]
1989   Scott Hoch 336 −24 Playoff   Robert Wrenn 1,250,000 225,000
Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational
1988   Gary Koch 274[a] −14 1 stroke   Peter Jacobsen
  Mark O'Meara
1,388,889 250,000 [18]
1987   Paul Azinger 271[a] −17 1 stroke   Hal Sutton 1,250,000 225,000 [19][20]
1986   Greg Norman 333 −27 7 strokes   Dan Pohl 1,150,000 207,000 [12]
1985   Curtis Strange 338 −17 1 stroke   Mike Smith 950,000 171,000 [11]
1984   Denis Watson 341 −15 1 stroke   Andy Bean 900,000 162,000 [10]
Panasonic Las Vegas Pro-Celebrity Classic
1983   Fuzzy Zoeller 340 −18 4 strokes   Rex Caldwell 750,000 135,000 [8][9]

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources:[21][22]

Tournament record scores

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Five round tournament

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The first 21 events (1983–2003) were scheduled for 90 holes.
Aggregate

To-par

Four round tournament

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The event switched to a 72-hole format in 2004.
Aggregate

To-par

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Shortened to 72 holes due to weather.

References

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  1. ^ Radosta, John (January 3, 1983). "PGA Tour Preview 1983; Under A New Format, Scramble Resumes For Money". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Dohrmann, George (October 7, 1996). "Woods triumphs at Love's expense". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. (Los Angeles Times). pp. 1B, 5B.
  3. ^ a b Myers, Alex (October 17, 2013). "Throwback Thursday: Tiger Woods and two Las Vegas showgirls?". Golf Digest. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  4. ^ "Las Vegas Invitational goes to 72-hole format". Lodi News-Sentinel. California. Associated Press. May 19, 2004. p. 14.
  5. ^ Shriners Hospital to back PGA tourney in Las Vegas
  6. ^ "Timberlake to host PGA Tour's Las Vegas event in '08". ESPN. Associated Press. November 12, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
  7. ^ Carp, Steve (October 1, 2012). "Las Vegas PGA Tour stop looks to future". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Zoeller pockets $135,000 in pro-celebrity classic". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. wire services. September 19, 1983. p. 2B.
  9. ^ a b "Zoeller collects $135,000 check for Vegas win". Spokane Chronicle. Associated Press. September 19, 1983. p. 20.
  10. ^ a b "Denis Watson captures his third tourney of the year". Gainesville Sun. Florida. Associated Press. September 24, 1984. p. 1B.
  11. ^ a b "Strange cashes in birdie putt for $171,000 Vegas jackpot". Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. March 25, 1985. p. C8.
  12. ^ a b "Norman easy winner in Panasonic tourney". Palm Beach Post. wire services. May 5, 1986. p. B11.
  13. ^ a b "Tway takes playoff in Las Vegas". Ocala Star-Banner. Florida. Associated Press. October 15, 1990. p. 3C.
  14. ^ "Byrd hits the jackpot in Las Vegas". Golf.com. Associated Press. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  15. ^ Turnbull, John (October 25, 2024). "PGA Tour loses another sponsor (and maybe a whole event)". Bunkered. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  16. ^ "PGA Tour unveils 2025 FedExCup Fall schedule". PGA Tour. December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  17. ^ "Course: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open". PGA Tour. 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  18. ^ White Jr., Gordon S. (May 9, 1988). "Koch jumps on money list". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. p. 2B.
  19. ^ "Azinger wins Las Vegas golf". The Pittsburgh Press. May 4, 1987. p. D2.
  20. ^ "Brown retains lead in Las Vegas tourney". Wilmington Morning Star. North Carolina. May 1, 1987. p. 2B.
  21. ^ "Shriners Hospitals for Children Open - Past Winners". PGA Tour. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  22. ^ "Shriners Hospitals for Children Open - Winners per Year". Golf Observer. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
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