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 struggled earlier in the season but rebounded with 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: