For more than four decades the Nevada Open has been a proving ground for professional golfers who are looking to enter the PGA Tour, as well as take advantage of the temperate late fall climate found in southern Nevada.
In the late ’90s, Mesquite became the permanent home of the storied tournament, said Christian Adderson, corporate sales manager for Mesquite Gaming, and it is there that golfers will tee off on two of the area’s best courses — the CasaBlanca Golf Club and the Palms Golf Club.
The two par-72 courses will set a scenic stage as golfers vie for their piece of the $125,000 prize purse, the tournament’s largest payout in its history, up $20,000 from 2014, Adderson said.
Players will play one round on each of the two courses over the first two days of play before the 36-hole cut, according to information from the Nevada Open website.
The cut will take place at 30 percent of the field plus ties, and the championship round will take place Nov. 12 at the CasaBlanca Golf Club. The prize purse of $125,000 is based on a full field of 205 players.
“Interest is high this year because of the increased prize purse,” Adderson said, adding that in 2014 about 67 players received a payout.
New to the tournament this year is the addition of a Pro Am. Playing Nov. 9, amateur golfers will join forces with professionals to play for valuable prizes and a good cause.
Money from registration fees will go to the Mesquite Junior Golf program.
Participation in the Pro Am is $140 per amateur player and includes the green fee, a box lunch and a donation to the Mesquite Junior Golf Program.
Registration is now open and can be found online.
“The Pro Am is a neat chance to play with professional golfers and benefit a great junior golf program,” Adderson said.
Spectator spectacular
For fans, the Nevada Open provides a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the future of professional golf as many of the players will go on to play in the PGA Tour, Adderson said.
Notable past champions and participants that have played on the PGA Tour include: Tom Lehman, Kevin Stadler, Robert Gamez, Vic Wilk, Tony Finau, Graham DeLaet, Craig Barlow and Boyd Summerhayes.
The 2014 Nevada Open champion Seann Harlingten of Vancouver, British Columbia, will be returning to defend his title and 2014 Nevada Open low amateur winner Ryan McCullough of Las Vegas is returning as a professional.
“The tournament is free for spectators,” Adderson said, adding that “this is a good opportunity to watch young up-and-coming professional golfers.”
