Claire Rogers
Hey friends and happy Saturday from Wynn Las Vegas! I am writing to you all while I await my chicken caesar salad wrap and fries at the nicest hotel I have ever entered.
I’m here for the 8AM Invitational, and the field is full of big-time celebrities. This may come as a surprise to all of you, but I actually am no teeing it up at the event this weekend. Instead, players like Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, Michelle Wie, JJ Watt, Michael Phelps, and Gossip Girl’s Nate Archibald — I mean, Chace Crawford and Kathryn Newton make up the field. I served like a fly on the wall yesterday while I was gathering social content at 8 AM and GOLF, and now I’m here to tell you everything I’ve noticed!
First tee
After breakfast, I headed to the first springboard to watch the first few groups take off. Players reached for a full bar and four Theragons to loosen everyone up for the day. Subar’s best Colt Nost and Drew Stultz were announcing jersey players, and morale was very high.
I immediately noticed how well everyone was dressed, especially in the shoe category. Most of the guys were sporting Nike Dunks or Air Jordans 4s. Travis Kelsey wore it in pink, Michael Phelps wore it in blue, and Justin Timberlake wore it in gray. I will look into buying a pair of my own the second time I’m back in Boston.
The best place to comment
I spent most of the afternoon by the tenth round, with the players hanging out for a bit before starting a new nine-hole match. There was a full dewar’s bar, snack bar, guys serving quesadillas and lots of games. We had a draft beer table, a corn hole, and a flopping shot wall that looked almost impossible. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my favorite thing around the corner: canned Gatorade. I haven’t seen one in the flesh in years, but I had three in the space of an hour on a Friday afternoon.
The Tenth Tee is also where I learned that the girl gang of Michelle Wie, Kira Dixon, and Katherine Newton brought tons energy for the event. They were so energetic and fun, as was Jimmy Fallon, who treats everyone like he’s the best friend in the world. And shout out to Drew Stultz who helped a few guys stretch out at the turn.
Basketball on the golf course
Cabot had a basketball half court set up between the 17th green and the 18th tee in Wynn, which of course was a huge Hit between the two holes.
No one was happier than Jimmy Fallon when he got his first shot. Chandler Parsons caught Fallon for a simple win around the field.
Again, check out the golf shoes on these guys! amazing.
19 hang holes
When play began to wind down, I headed over to the 19th hole, which was filled with tables, chairs, and couches. The only place I saw more sunscreen than the right one was when my Irish family went on a weeklong summer vacation in 2018.
All of the sunscreens allowed me to avoid getting a burn in Vegas, as well as fully enjoy buffalo cauliflower nachos, peach sorbet, and Dewar lemonade cocktail in the sun. Music was playing and there was a giant pong arena (volleyball is used as ping pong) as well as a 10 foot soccer ball.
It was the perfect way for the players to unwind after a day on the course.
19-Hole Dewar Shootout
The golf portion of the day ended with a 19th shootout at Dewar, where players took a 65-yard putt over the water for a chance to donate to the charity of their choice. Before the shoot began, Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake presented Travis Kelsey with a plate and gold paddle from Scotty Cameron after an incident last year resulted in Kelsey’s paddle being thrown into a lake. It was funny, and Kelsey was excited to bat.
Back to the penalty shootout itself. Caroline Wozniacki stuck with it So Close, but ultimately, the field’s only major golf champion, Michelle Wie, won in the fifth round. It was crazy to see her put it 6 feet away from the pin twice in a row without breaking a sweat. My biggest takeaways from the day include the fact that Wozniacki is a really good player and Jimmy Fallon’s energy is infectious. I look forward to seeing what day two of the 8AM Invitational holds.