How Lexi Thompson helped Shriners Children’s Open compete in a crazy Las Vegas sports week
LAS VEGAS — When organizers of the Shriners Children’s Open contemplated a sponsor exemption that might bring Lexi Thompson to the PGA Tour event at TPC Summerlin, a number of factors weighed into the decision.
First, Thompson had to agree. The LPGA star had swooned earlier in the season but was rebounding after a strong showing at the Solheim Cup and felt good enough about her game to take part. She has always had the distance to play with the men, but with other facets of her game improving, the move made sense.
Next, the PGA Tour needed to sign off on the idea. Although sponsors have the right to add whomever they desire, anything that might upset the apple cart needs to be run through Commissioner Jay Monahan’s office. The approval came midway through last week.
The reason they were willing to go through such hoops is organizers understood the tournament needed some buzz, as selling tickets in Las Vegas isn’t as easy as it once was. TPC Summerlin is a great venue for a PGA Tour event, but when Jim Furyk was winning back-to-back titles in the late 1990s, the sports landscape was rather scarce. Due to gambling restrictions by most professional sports organizations, Vegas didn’t have any pro teams, so area sports fans flocked in droves when the Tour came to town.
Now, however, Sin City has as many sporting events to offer as any other American metro market, and on this week, the schedule was especially packed.
Thompson’s appearance certainly moved the needle in terms of national media coverage. ESPN and Golf Channel flashed updates and graphics about Thompson’s pending arrival and newspapers, like our network partner USA Today, featured Thompson prominently on their covers.
“At the end of the day, I think having Lexi in the field and on the broadcast, it’s only going to bring more eyes to the broadcast, which will bring more eyes to the golfers who are here and the golfers’ sponsors that are on their shirts and hats and bags,” Shriners tournament director Patrick Lindsay told Golf Magazine. “Everyone should be looking at this from a very positive standpoint because we’re bringing more eyes to the players, Shriners, the city, the golf course, all of it.”
Of course, Thompson’s team has enjoyed the hype, from her agent Brett Falkoff, who walked the course with her Tuesday during a practice round, to her sponsors.
“Lexi is a role model on and off the course, and her participation in a PGA Tour tournament is another exceptional showcase of her leadership,” said Lawrence Calcano, chairman and CEO at iCapital, one of Lexi’s corporate sponsors. “She has a track record of making history – becoming the youngest golfer to play in the U.S. Women’s Open and the youngest player to win a tournament on the LPGA Tour – and the iCapital team is proud to stand behind her.”
Here’s a look at what Lindsay and others were up against this week:
Monday: Green Bay Packers at Las Vegas Raiders
Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders snapped their three-game losing streak as running back Josh Jacobs scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and the club was able to hold off the Green Bay Packers to win 17-13 in front of 62,572 fans at Allegiant Stadium.
Neither offense was able to find a rhythm on Monday night. Packers quarterback Jordan Love tossed three interceptions and was sacked twice in what was a tough night for the QB.
Tuesday: Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights
The Seattle Kraken and the Vegas Golden Knights opened the 2023-24 National Hockey League regular season Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in front of 18,724 fans, a Golden Knights regular-season record. Vegas scored a 4-1 victory.
The Kraken took the Dallas Stars to Game 7 in the second round of the playoffs last season, going 7-7 in the postseason in just the franchise’s second year. The Golden Knights raised a banner before the contest.
Wednesday: New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces
The Las Vegas Aces dominated the New York Liberty 104-76 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday in Las Vegas, handing New York back-to-back losses for the first time this season. The Aces remain undefeated during their postseason run and have not lost since the Liberty defeated them on Aug. 28.
The game was played in front of a sold-out crowd at the 12,000-seat Michelob Ultra Arena.
Saturday and Sunday: NASCAR
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs hits its version of the elite eight with a shootout in Sin City.
The three-race third round begins on the fast oval at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after four more drivers were eliminated from championship contention last weekend on the Charlotte Roval. And Sunday’s race is wide open.
Joey Logano is the only one of the eight drivers remaining to win more than one race at Las Vegas — back-to-back spring races in 2019 and 2020. Denny Hamlin is the only other championship contender with a Vegas win, taking the checkered flag ahead of Chase Elliott at last year’s playoff race.
The track holds 80,000 spectators and attendance figures have improved since the race was moved from September into October for cooler temperatures.
Saturday: UFC Fight Night 230: Yusuff vs. Barboza
Sodiq Yusuff and Edson Barboza will meet in the feaatherweight main event, and women’s flyweights Viviane Araujo and Jennifer Maia fight in the co-feature during UFC Fight Night 230 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
