Wynn Las Vegas to Host Netflix Cup Celebrity Golf Tournament Set for F1 Weekend
The Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas is preparing to host an unusual golf tournament in the form of the inaugural Netflix Cup on November 14. This celebrity golf tournament, organized by streaming giant Netflix, will feature stars from the PGA Tour alongside Formula One drivers.
The unusual combination was no doubt influenced by the upcoming Las Vegas F1 Grand Prix, which is set to take place on Sunday, November 18.
As the Grand Prix is anticipated to attract international attention and some $1 billion in potential revenue for Las Vegas, the Netflix Cup is prime promotion for the streaming giant, while kicking off festivities for the race weekend.
Located right next to the famously opulent Wynn Las Vegas, the Wynn Golf Club will be the center stage for this unique event, where golfing skills will meet racing expertise.
“We love to see how our sports series have brought increased fandom to sports leagues and competitions all over the world,” said Gabe Spitzer, vice president of nonfiction sports at Netflix.
“The Netflix Cup will take that energy to the next level, with global stars from two popular hits competing in our first live sports event.”
Packed Race Weekend for All
The tournament will adopt a match play format, featuring four teams, with each team consisting of a pro golfer paired with an F1 driver.
The participants will engage in an eight-hole semifinals, culminating in a championship match. Formula One’s representation includes star drivers like Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris, and Carlos Sainz, while the golfing community will be represented by top pros such as Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Thomas.
Sainz is no stranger to competitive golf, having recently competed in the Celebrity All-Star Ryder Cup event, where he lost his match against tennis legend Novak Djokovic.
Once the golf event is over, the Spaniard and others from the show will just days later be racing around many of the famous Nevada casino venues of the Las Vegas Strip at 200 miles per hour.
The F1 Grand Prix is expected to be a huge event for Nevada’s retail sportsbooks, although there’s no word if regulated golf betting will allowed on the Netflix Cup, seeing as it’s not a pro licensed event.
Regardless, the showcase celebrity golf event is just another high profile event planned for the F1 weekend.
Sin City is expecting so many well-heeled international visitors, it has had put on extra private jet parking spaces at Harry Reid International Airport. Casino resorts have pulled out all the stops with multimillion luxury race weekend packages. Much-loved trees have been uprooted to make way for grandstands. The city has even helped finance a $500 million paddock building, just off the Las Vegas Strip.
Netflix Embraces Las Vegas
And now, it has a Netflix-backed celebrity golf event with F1 drivers to add to the spectacle.
“The Wynn Golf Club has hosted a number of unique matchups over the years, and The Netflix Cup will be an incredible addition to the storied history of the course,” Steve Weitman, president of Wynn Las Vegas, said in a statement.
“This tournament will showcase a tremendous roster of talent, competing on the only golf course on the Las Vegas Strip, just steps away from the inaugural Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.”
As well as the golf betting potential on this new celebrity tournament ands its wider interest in sports content, Netflix also recently announced its biggest show ever will be getting a new casino slot game.
The Squid Game slot, made by Light & Wonder, debuted at this month’s G2E Las Vegas gaming expo. The $400,000 jackpot slot game will feature some of the much-memed but macabre games from the surprise smash hit South Korean drama.