In addition to hosting some of the best PGA TOUR golf to Las Vegas, the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open also hosts some very special, honored guests – representatives from the tournament’s namesake and charity, Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Each year, 22 patients are chosen to represent the health care system and receive a rare insider opportunity during the tournament. The patients serve as standard bearers – carrying the scores of professional golfers during the final two rounds of the tournament, while having the experience of a lifetime.
The patients also meet and greet Shriners, volunteers and spectators, and share their stories of life-changing care at Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Our standard bearers’ inspiring stories appear online, in the tournament program and are shared on the Golf Channel, which televises the tournament nationally and internationally, reaching more than 700 million homes across 240 countries worldwide. To learn more about our Shriners Hospitals for Children standard bearers, click here.
History of Standard Bearers
The term “standard bearer” literally means “one who bears a standard or banner,” a standard being a symbolic emblem such as a flag, or “one that leads an organization, movement, or party.”
The standard bearer is an incredibly important role in golf, in an extremely high-profile position. Our standard bearers will be right in the middle of the action and in a unique position to see the event from inside the ropes, building memories that will stay with them forever.