5 takeaways from Dewar’s par-3 contests at the 8AM Invitational

The third annual 8 am Invitational presented by Justin Timberlake at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas was full of good times and good drinks. Speaking of drinks, Dewar’s teamed up with GOLF to sponsor the par-3 12th hole. Each day there was a different component to keep celebrities eagerly coming back for more than just the drinks.  

Day 1: Any celebrity that hit the green would win a bottle of limited-edition Dewar’s Double Double 37 in a special casing. 

Day 2: Dewar’s made a $12,000 donation to Justin Timberlake Foundation, and would make another $12,000 donation to closest to the pin’s charity of choice.

The Dewar’s bar cart, which is as cool as it gets, was on hand with Dewar’s 12, a special edition Dewar’s 19 to commemorate its partnership with the USGA featuring a Pinehurst logo for this year’s U.S. Open on the packaging, and lemon wedges made to order. From the moment celebrities stepped up to the tee box, they locked their eyes on the Dewar’s cart before even peaking at the green. When Day 2 came around, the field was anticipating their visit to No. 12 to compete for closest to the pin and to get the first drink. 

These are five things that stuck with me from my time on the 12th tee box with Dewar’s:

1. A Lemon Wedge is a highly underrated drink

When I drink whisky, I typically have it neat. That’s just my preference. When it’s 90 degrees in the sun at the beautiful Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, it makes you want to seek out something with a more summer feeling. Enter the Lemon Wedge.  

It’s a simple drink to make:

1 ½ oz. Dewar’s 12

2 oz. lemonade

3 oz. club soda

While that might not sound like much, it’s a perfect trifecta. A common sentiment shared by celebrities after having a sip was that while they might not be typical whisky drinkers, they are now Lemon Wedge drinkers.

2. Kathryn Newton was the event tempo queen

No one was kinder or had a sweeter swing on the 12th tee box than Newton. Her swing is as smooth as a Dewar’s 19 (I couldn’t resist). Without any hesitation, which is a breath of fresh air to watch considering the amount of slow play we see in today’s game, she walked up and effortlessly hit the center of the green to win a bottle of Dewar’s Double Double 37.

Newton quickly complimented her caddie’s efforts in helping her navigate the Wynn Golf Club all day and said she would be gifting him her bottle. His smile of gratitude said it all as to what that gift meant to him.

3. Justin Timberlake *almost* made an ace

JT, who hosts the event and is a partner in 8 am Golf, takes his game seriously. He wasn’t just trying to get it close to the pin – he was trying to ace the 12th hole. He was tracking well and nearly made the course erupt. Nonetheless, you could see the satisfaction on his face for sticking it tight on a tough pin placement in front of the crowd.

That was the best shot hit on Day 1. 

4. No one has more fun than Jimmy Fallon and Blake Griffin

Fallon and Griffin aren’t the best golfers in the field, but they are the best at having a good time. The energy changes when you’re in the presence of these two. They’re natural-born entertainers who know how to lighten up the mood. Once these guys start feeling loose with Dewar’s in their hands, the fun really starts.

Now that Griffin is retired, Fallon should start worrying about him entering the late-night game… 

5. Former athletes still have the competitive juices

While most athletes were retired and golf is a hobby for the entertainers in the field, you wouldn’t know it by how seriously they took the charitable challenge and closest to the pin contests. They wanted to win. Badly.

It’s that kind of drive for perfection that makes them so successful at what they do for a living, and their imperfection with the game makes them relatable to the everyday golfer.