Inside a celeb-filled weekend of golf at the 8AM Invitational | Rogers Report

Hello friends! I have had a whirlwind two weeks — I went from the Masters back to Boston for 36 hours and then to the 8AM Invitational hosted by Justin Timberlake at the Wynn Las Vegas. I have begun to catch up on some much-needed rest, but wanted to give you all the lowdown on the celebrity events I attended over the weekend.

First things first: Las Vegas is hot. My lovely producer, Emma Devine, and I flew from Boston to Vegas together and I was definitely not ready for the 90-degree weather. Sunscreen and water were definitely my two best friends all weekend. So was the iced vanilla latte from Caffé Al Teatro at the Wynn. If you’re ever there, do yourself a favor and try it.

Okay, before we get into all of the action from the weekend, allow me to provide a list of the celebrities who teed it up in the event:

Friday

The 8AM Invitational officially began on Friday, and when I say that the celebrities and athletes in the field were treated like royalty, I mean it.

Not only did the players get a ton of swag before stepping foot on the course, they also had a players lounge with everything you could dream of. Any and every breakfast item you could think of was there (food and drink). There was a cigar station, an area for players to pick out belts, a pop-up Greyson Clothiers shop, and as much Bask sunscreen as one’s heart could possibly desire, which was a massive plus for this Irish gal. Plus, Dewar’s lemon wedges were flowing to keep the field loose.

My coworker Dylan Dethier and I were lucky enough to try out the warm-up stations, which included compression boots to help blood flow in our legs, LED-light face masks, massages and a stretching station. There were also two F1 simulators where players could get a feel of what it’s like to drive a McLaren. I tried it out and folks, I’m very glad I work in golf media. I could not keep the car on the track.

After I was properly warmed up for a day of watching golf, I headed to the first tee, where music was playing, players were hanging out and the vibes were stellar. It’s interesting to watch actors, singers and professional athletes — people who are the best in the business at what they do — still get nervous on the first tee. It definitely makes them seem much more relatable (as long as you focus on just the golf aspect and not what they do off the course). The person whose game most blew me away was Kathryn Newton. Her swing is beautiful and she definitely brought a ton of energy to the event.

My coworkers and I spent the day following around different groups, capturing content of players and checking out the various activations set up throughout the course.

Day 1 of the golf ended with the World Wide Technology Shootout, where players hit wedge shots (from a fresh stack of TaylorMade golf balls) over Lake Travis (named after the one and only Travis Kelce, who we missed dearly this year) in a closest-to-the-pin contest. Archie Bradley stuck it closest and earned bragging rights for the next year.

They golf portion of the day may have ended by mid-afternoon, but the fun was far from over. It was time for a blackjack party.

Friday night

A fun fact about me is that I know absolutely nothing about blackjack. However, that didn’t stop me from having the time of my life at the blackjack tournament that took place on Friday night for the good folks of the 8AM Invitational. Over the last two years, I’ve learned that anywhere you go during this event, you’ll be treated like a star. Even if you’re just there for social media purposes.

Before the blackjack began, my coworkers and I made sure to grab a bite to eat. There were endless stations of food throughout the party, as well as an 8AM Invitational ice sculpture, an open bar, and a live painting going on. Jimmy Fallon won it by the end of the night, although I have no idea how he went about getting it home.

As fun as the blackjack event was, the best part is that the whole thing was that it was for charity to benefit the American Skin Association.

Saturday

Saturday at the 8AM Invitational was a day I had been looking forward to for weeks for a very special reason: we brought the Scoop on the road! Well, kind of. We had an ice cream truck and I got to chat with some of the players while they enjoyed some ice cream treats made at the Wynn. More on that in a few.

I spent a good portion of the day on Saturday at the 19th hole at the 8AM Invitational, which was full of activations. There was a massive wall of Bask sunscreen, which was much-needed. Not to brag, but I spent about 18 hours in the Las Vegas sun and didn’t get even the smallest sunburn. That’s a massive win for me. I tried the Cabot Citrus drink (delicious and refreshing!) and shot some hoops on the Cabot Court, which took me right back to my high school basketball days. From there, I checked out the Greyson Clothiers set up and dreamed of the day the brand comprises my entire golf wardrobe. It can be so, so hard to find flattering golf clothes for women, but Greyson has absolutely nailed it. Ladies, make sure you check it out.

I also need to give a proper shout out to my producer and fellow Bostonian, Emma Devine. She got incredible video footage of the players, the activation stations and dealt with me all weekend. So it was only fair that I got her a well-earned drink on Saturday afternoon: a Dewar’s lemon wedge. Soon enough, it was time for my big moment: The Scoop (8AM Invitational version).

I talked to a handful of players about the event, their games, their style and more. And I’m very excited for you all to see that content on GOLF soon.

Congratulations to Blake Griffin and Chandler Parsons on their big win at the 8AM Invitational. What a lovely way for Griffin to kick off his retirement!

Saturday night

And now for just a few words on the karaoke party that broke out on Saturday night at the Wynn. It was epic. Jimmy Fallon has pipes, and so do a handful of the stars who teed it up in the 8AM Invitational. I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything these people can’t do.

Overall, it was so much fun watching these celebrities and hosts — Drew Stoltz, Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon — have so much fun on the golf course over two days at the Wynn. The entire weekend was full of so much joy, and it isn’t one I’ll soon forget.

Claire Rogers

Golf.com Editor

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