Shriners golf event ready for big week, eyes spring date

Your move, PGA Tour.

The future of professional golf in Las Vegas beyond 2012 lies with the tour, which must decide whether to grant the Shriners its request to move its tournament from the fall to the spring.

"We're waiting to hear from them," said Gary Dunwoody, chairman of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, which has a full schedule of events at TPC Summerlin that began Sunday with a youth golf clinic and charity walk and culminates with the final round of the tournament next Sunday.

The goal is for the event to count toward qualifying for the FedEx Cup playoffs, this year's version of which just concluded Sunday, with Bill Haas sweeping the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup title.

"We've made our intentions clear that we want to be in the FedEx (Cup) in the spring. Our board has already voted unanimously for a five-year commitment if we're moved to the FedEx," Dunwoody said.

Timberlake and the Shriners are contractually obligated to Las Vegas through 2012; this year is the fourth of a five-year commitment. Dunwoody said he hopes the tour will provide a spring date beginning in 2013.

"If they offer us a suitable date in the spring, we're moving," he said. "The only stipulation we had was we didn't want to be in conflict with a major like the Masters or the U.S. Open."

And if the tour keeps the tournament in its Fall Series?

"Obviously, we'd have to look at it," Dunwoody said. "Our preference is to be in the spring. Our field would be better. Attendance would go up. Same with sponsorships. Sponsors would get more bang for their buck."

Dunwoody said despite spotty attendance at TPC Summerlin, the Shriners want to be in Las Vegas if they remain in the pro golf business.

"We could have moved this to Tampa, but we chose not to because we're absolutely committed to Las Vegas," he said. "Our attendance hasn't been the greatest in the world. The perception is there's too much competition. But I don't subscribe to that. Vegas is used to having the best, and that's why I'm convinced if we're in the FedEx Cup in the spring, it changes everything."

The Shriners might be willing to stay in Las Vegas long term, but what about Timberlake? Dunwoody said there have been no talks with Timberlake about his future with the tournament.

"We're here regardless of whether Justin remains involved," Dunwoody said.

Timberlake's annual Saturday concert at Planet Hollywood has generated more than $1 million annually to the Shriners. But he has been criticized for not doing more to promote the event.

Dunwoody defended Timberlake's level of participation.

"To be honest, I think it has been a good relationship with Justin," he said. "His financial obligation each year has been around $1.5 million, and he has met that. But whether he remains involved is something that has to be decided jointly and shortly."

For now, everything remains status quo. This week's tournament kicks off the Fall Series, and while Tiger Woods decided not to play, Dunwoody said if the weather remains good, it should be a success.

"We've got more events connected to the tournament," he said. "We have more sponsors now. (Tournament director) Adam (Sperling) has grown by leaps and bounds. We like being in Vegas, and we want to stay here for years to come."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.