"Children take No. 1 spot at Shriners Open"
/That's the Las Vegas Review-Journal headline and there is no debating the incredible work of the Shriners. And since Justin Timberlake has departed as tournament host, the children who benefit have taken on even more of the focus.
But the focus of exactly how many is a concern for the long term health of an event that struggled for attention during the Timberlake years, and now seems even more behind events surging in buzz and charitable contributions.
Ed Graney says the event is stronger for shedding its ties to Justin Timberlake, but judging by the ratings, the Web.com Tour-buzz and galleries, the Las Vegas stop may be the least cool, least showy, least captivating event on the PGA Tour each year. That's okay, but it just seems so strange for the PGA Tour to have a Vegas stop that feels so dated.
The message got somewhat lost when pop/movie star Justin Timberlake acted as the tournament's official host from 2008 to 2012. Timberlake was a columnist's dream in that he was never on time for scheduled events and arrived with an overly pushy and deranged entourage (is there another kind?), and the fact when cameras were turned off, he disappeared quicker than Tiger Woods when it comes time to leave a tip.
Timberlake's name and star power never drew the level of players tournament officials had hoped, and he reportedly never became as personally involved with the hospitals or their patients as those from the Shriners desired.
It just wasn't a good fit.
It's better now, more centralized to the overall mission, a tournament hosted by the corporation that provides all that incredible medical attention for free.
And for those who watched, this message was received. But without star power and buzz, the question remains, who many are watching?