The WM Phoenix Open: 5 crazy facts you didn’t know about the PGA Tour’s biggest party
The PGA Tour makes the short trip from California to Arizona this week for its sixth event of the season – the much-anticipated WM Phoenix Open at iconic TPC Scottsdale.
The stadium course in Phoenix is home to some of the most memorable holes on tour and provides an utterly unique atmosphere.
A $9.2 million purse is up for grabs but, without doubt, Scottie Scheffler is the man to beat having shown no signs of his hand injury when 10th at Pebble Beach last week.
A golf event that offers a similar vibe to that of the LIV golf tour, here are 5 things you may not have known about the PGA Tour’s biggest party…
Sustainable golf with ‘Waste Management’
The Phoenix Open is sponsored by a waste management company and while the beer is sure to be flowing, the organisers will be striving for a waste-free event to protect the beautiful TPC Scottsdale.
It’s recognised as one of the largest zero-waste live sporting events in the world with an emphasis on recycling and repurposing to build the reputation.
The rowdiest 16th hole in golf
Often dubbed ‘The Coliseum’, the famous par three is the loudest hole on the PGA Tour and is fully enclosed by grandstands to create an incredible and unique atmosphere.
The grandstands create a vibe that makes the event feel more like a football match than a golf tournament with brutal boos for missed greens and colossal cheers for shots hitting the dance floor.
Alcohol, streakers and hole-in-ones are a frequent part of the one-of-a-kind 16th hole. And Tiger Woods once sent the decibel levels off the charts when acing the hole in 1997.
A strategic design that levels the playing field
TPC Scottsdale is a great opportunity for PGA stars to score low and last year’s winner, Nick Taylor, matched the course record of 60 in his incredible opening round.
The course features testing fairways, an array of bunkers and varied elevation; it tests all styles and doesn’t hand a massive advantage to the long hitters in the game.
Booming drives that land on the fairway will help players go low, but the challenging rough, filled with desert sand, will quickly humble the field.
There’s room for green in the desert
The golf course in Arizona offers the perfect blend of sand and greenery with the putting surfaces meticulously maintained to create a stark contrast to the state’s desert landscape.
The course was created by Major winner Tom Weiskopf and legendary designer Jay Morrish. It opened in 1986 with the emphasis on creating holes that offer TPC Scottsdale’s signature ‘Desert meets Luxury’ ethos.
The complex design helped deliver a successful merger of the natural landscape with a championship-level golf course.
It could come down to the wire
Frequently considered one of the most challenging final holes in golf, the tough par four 18th hole could make things tasty at the business end of the Phoenix Open.
On TPC Scottsdale’s final hole, the field will have to play 453 yards to a green that is protected by waiting water on the left and a large bunker on the right; it’s a risky approach capable of ruining a card at the most inopportune time.
The hole has been the scene of much drama and six of the last nine editions of this event have gone to a play-off, bringing 18 back into play for overtime.
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