Local PGA Tour stop needs more than good intentions

The annual PGA Tour stop here has for tournament officials become all you tell your children about playing youth sports. Try your best. Never give up. Effort is paramount. Strive for improvement.

Reality is often pushed to the rear when obvious shortcomings are accepted as part of the endeavor. It's how you should continue viewing professional golf in Las Vegas each fall.

At least for the next few years, and perhaps well beyond.

Long-term security is always a good thing for those trying to sustain and grow a pro sports event such as a PGA stop, something officially secured Sunday when it was announced Shriners Hospitals for Children has agreed to a five-year commitment to act as the new title sponsor.

Shriners replaces Frys in this capacity and -- with apologies to the electronics chain -- there are few if any organizations more deserving of exposure than one that spends close to $1 billion annually to treat burned and deformed children at no cost to families.

But the name carrying a promotional campaign won't guarantee better playing fields or larger numbers paying to watch. It's why those running the tournament need to persist in endorsing all activities around the actual golf in hopes of increasing interest.

Sound crazy?

You can't sell George McNeill.

You can sell the NFL and alcohol.

It was late Sunday afternoon when the Q-school lifer and first-time PGA Tour winner McNeill strolled up the 18th fairway at TPC Summerlin to an ovation best described as exceedingly polite and a grandstand best projected to be a quarter full.

Those in charge estimated between 20,000 to 25,000 fans could attend during the week. It wasn't close to that. It's debatable whether the count reached last year's estimated mark of 11,000.

Officials insist there was growth. Maybe they're using some sort of new math.

"We don't have hard numbers," said tournament chairman Gary Davis, which is what you say when you want to side-step an important but touchy subject. "What we have focused on this year was building a foundation. We're working on a base from which to build for the future. We think we have a great platform and set the standard."

Of that which they could control (meaning most everything except which players would compete and when the event is held), Davis and his team greatly succeeded. Mixing football on large screens and drinks inside an enormous tent adjacent to holes 16, 17 and 18 was (as you might expect) warmly embraced by patrons.

There were no reported issues with shuttle services. The price -- $5 for admittance and an additional $10 to enter The Hill -- was ridiculously reasonable. So too was the cost of food, considering they somehow convinced Carnegie Deli to offer half a sandwich for $5, or about $150 less than you pay for one at The Mirage.

Even future changes are positive. They will reduce the event to one course (goodbye, TPC at The Canyons) and the pro-am portion to one day with some celebrity players before the tournament begins.

It might mean bigger galleries on Wednesday to watch movie, rock and sports stars hack their way around than on Sunday to watch a player no one has heard of (see McNeill, George) win the tournament, but there is no room for being picky when it comes to warm bodies on the grounds spending money.

That last part might have been better this year had first-round leader and Las Vegan Bob May or any of the other players with local ties been in contention Sunday, had someone in the final pairing been identifiable outside his home.

But that's the way things could continue to work out for some time, until the $4 million purse increases (it won't next year) and the PGA moves the event into its spring schedule (not before 2009, and quite possibly never), increasing the likelihood more than 10 of the world's top 50 money leaders in a given season will compete.

"Well, that's obviously our goal," Davis said. "We obviously would like to attract some bigger names in golf and give the fans of Las Vegas a chance to be up close and see the people they see on TV. That is our ultimate goal."

Until then, they're doing most things right. Trying their best. Never giving up. Showing effort. Striving to improve.

If this golf tournament business doesn't work out, maybe they can start a youth sports league.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-4618.