Page 56 - Las Vegas Golf & Leisure Winter 2019

[ FE A T UR E ]

here’s a deep history of professional golf in Las Vegas that runs
all the way back to the playing of the inaugural Tournament of
TChampions at the old—and no longer here—Desert Inn Golf
and Country Club in 1953. At one time, Las Vegas played host to all
three major tours (PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, PGA TOUR Champions)
in one year, and the 36th playing of the recent Shriners Hospitals for
Children Open was among the best in the tournament’s history. More
than 15,000 fans watched the final round and were thrilled by Bryson
“the Golf Scientist” DeChambeau’s victory.

Al Besselink, the first Tournament of Champions winner, would be
proud.

An undercurrent to the bigtime tournaments is that Las Vegas has
been the home base for dozens of tour players. Some were born or
raised here. Others played at UNLV. Some fit both categories. And still
others were enticed to move here for tax benefits, but were immediately
taken by the easy living, quality golf and other benefits that locals have
known forever.
Ed Sullivan, Red Skelton and Wilbur Clark (Owner of the Desert Inn) June
In all and by best count, 16 players with strong ties to Las Vegas 1959 - Wikimedia.org
have won PGA TOUR or LPGA Tour events including three major
champions and several appearances in the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup
and Presidents Cup. And more than 40 players have or have had some Jupiter is the pro hub of golf in Florida with residents such as Tiger
level of status on a major tour or have played collegiately at a high level Woods and Rory McIlroy, among many others. However, as more and
and are in pursuit of playing at the highest level. more pros move to our city that glitters, someday soon they may be
calling Jupiter the “Vegas of the East.”
“There are tons of guys who live out here now,” former Stanford All-
American and aspiring PGA TOUR player Maverick McNealy said on The list is long and deep of tour players with strong ties to Las Vegas. It
a recent No Laying Up podcast. “Vegas is like the Jupiter of the west; it’s is so long and so deep that it is difficult to keep track of all the players,
kind of the young, new center of golf in the West. It’s an awesome place but as of mid-November, this article offers a who’s who of professional
to be.” golf in Vegas.

54 LVG&L WINTER 2019 W W W.L ASVEGASGOLFANDLEISURE.COM