For the second day in a row, there was an ace on the famous par-3 hole at TPC Scottsdale.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — For the second day in a row, there was an ace on the famous par-3 hole at TPC Scottsdale.
The coliseum had gone seven years between aces. Francesco Molinari made a hole-in-one there, the ninth in tournament history, in 2015 before Sam Ryder made the place erupt with his Saturday afternoon ace.
On Sunday, just before lunchtime, Ortiz, who was playing the back nine first, took to the tee box, sized up the green with a pin near the back, and let one fly.
The ball bounces, bounded forward, rolled up close and then dove in from the side.
It’s the now the 11th ace on the hole. It was his third career PGA Tour ace following the 2020 American Express and the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship. It moved Ortiz to 4 under for the day, 10 back of the lead.
And, in case you were wondering, yes, it created another beer-can shower.
The golf ball used by Sam Ryder for his Phoenix Open ace will be heading straight to his mom and dad’s house.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The golf ball that etched Sam Ryder’s name into PGA Tour history on Super Bowl weekend will be showcased in Ryder’s own Hall of Fame — mom and dad’s house.
Ryder notched a hole-in-one on the infamous 16th hole in the third round of the 2022 WM Phoenix Open Saturday afternoon. He is just the 10th golfer to ace the 124-yard par 3 that more closely resembles a football stadium than a golf hole.
Ryder compared the Srixon ball to a football player’s first touchdown ball — meant for safe keeping. As for where it’ll be kept, Ryder said that his parents will be the rightful owners.
“I’m going to protect it,” said Ryder’s mom, Kelly, following the round.
Kelly and husband Art watched the pandemonium from the 16th hole tee box. The next time they visit TPC Scottsdale, their son’s name will be engraved alongside the likes of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker on a plaque that honors the golfers who have achieved the holy grail of golf.
“I don’t think anybody else will ever experience a sporting event much better than that,” Art said. “To have it be your son was mind blowing.”
Kelly said that she was so at a loss for words when the ball dropped on the green that all she could do was joke about whether it really happened. And cry.
Ryder’s immediate reaction to the sunken shot was a quick jump into his caddy’s arms. However, once the pair retrieved his ball, Ryder was so focused on what the stroke did to his scorecard that the ball was almost mixed in with others in a side pocket of his golf bag.
“I was looking at my scorecard trying to figure out which holes I made bogie or birdie on,” Ryder said.
Shooting a 2-under round brought the 32-year-old pro back to even par. While Art appreciated the short-term impact, he was more focused on the legacy it instantaneously created.
Art compared watching his son’s shot on 16 to Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” — the game-winning home run that punched the New York Giants’ ticket to the 1951 World Series.
“Those two strokes are important,” Art said. “But having your name etched into the history of the tournament. … That will ways be there. I’ll be long gone, but people will still be talking about Sam Ryder’s home run.”
“My dad’s the kind of guy who remembers all the shots he’s ever hit,” Ryder said. “That’s a hole I will definitely never forget.”
Lauren Withrow is a graduate student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
The last ace made on the 16th at TPC Scottsdale came from Francesco Molinari in 2015. Well, the Italian was just taken over.
Sam Ryder, coming off a birdie at the par-5 15th, canned an ace in front of the rowdy, heavily lubricated, coliseum fans and the place went nuts.
Beer sprayed throughout the crowd and cans were tossed in every direction. Not sure if there’s a better place on Earth to make one.
Just ask Tiger Woods, who did it back in 1997 and raised the roof in front of thousands. Although when he did it, the arena-like structures surrounding the hole didn’t yet exist.
“It’s the best crowd we get. 16 is the best amphitheater we get so it’s the perfect spot to do it.”
Over the years, golfers wearing jerseys from other sports has become a common sight at the WM Phoenix Open’s 16th hole. In 2020, multiple golfers paid respect to the late Kobe Bryant. Before this year, Jon Rahm often wore an Arizona State jersey to rep his alma matter.
On Friday, Max Homa added to the tradition. This time, it was the result of a bet.
After the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves in the 2020 National League Championship Series, Homa took over JT Poston’s Twitter account for a day. The two teams faced off again at the same stage last year so Homa and Poston made another wager.
Because the Braves won Round 2, there was Homa on Friday afternoon, walking down the 16th fairway wearing a white Braves jersey with “Poston” on the back.
“No animosity towards the Braves,” Homa said, laughing. “Now I have animosity towards JT Poston.”
Despite coming four months after the NLCS wrapped up, the longtime friends chose the Phoenix Open as the stage for their bet because of its trademark crowds.
“It’s the best crowd we get,” Homa said. “16 is the best amphitheater we get so it’s the perfect spot to do it.”
Over the years, Homa has seen the fan support surrounding him grow. He’s cultivated a significant Twitter following with a unique online presence that’s most notably defined by his witty critiques of amateur golfers who send him videos of their swings.
At the 2020 Phoenix Open, Max Homa was one of several golfers to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant, who died days earlier in a helicopter crash in California. Rob Schumacher/The Republic
In Phoenix, that popularity is especially pronounced due to the fan-centric nature of the tournament.
“When people are cheering for you and giving you support, it makes each day fly by and every hole is exciting,” Homa, who finished the day in a tie for 5th at 8 under, said.
At the 16th hole, though, fan support was distinctly in Poston’s favor. As Homa cleaned up his par wearing the Braves jersey, fans in the greenside stands did the Braves’ signature Tomahawk chop.
“I had to wear that ugly jersey, everyone did the chop, it was awful,” Homa said.
Afterward, he signed the jersey and wrote “Go Dodgers” on it before tossing it into the stands, leaving one fan with a one-of-a-kind souvenir.
On his way to the 17th hole, Homa stopped and said some words that he “cannot repeat” to Poston. That, though, won’t be the last time the two speak this week.
Separated by just one shot on the leaderboard, they’re paired together Saturday.
The WM Phoenix Open has had its share of memorable moments over 20 years, from a streaker on the green to a waste management problem.
It’s not just the pro golfers and celebrities who draw record-setting numbers of fans to the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament.
“The People’s Open,” which has been hosted at TPC Scottsdale since the ’80s, usually boasts a rowdy, alcohol-soaked atmosphere — with the exception of the masked, limited-attendance 2021 tournament — making the PGA Tour event perfect for people-watching.
Over the decades, Tiger Woods and some mischievous spectators have been responsible for some of the most memorable moments in Phoenix Open history. Then there was the “crowd pleaser” portable toilet in 2015 that was anything but.
Take a look back at some of these Phoenix Open highlights — or lowlights.
How long is No. 16 at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, and for that matter, every other hole at the Wm Phoenix Open?
TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course in Arizona, home to the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open this week, was designed by the team of Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. It opened in 1986 and was renovated in 2014, and the desert layout has been the site of the Tour event since 1987.
Most famous for its par-3 16th hole, site of a massive party and ringed by coliseum-like grandstands during the Tour event, the Stadium Course ranks No. 5 in Arizona on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts. It will play at 7,261 yards with a par of 71.
Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week. Check out the maps of each hole below.
@CarlosOrtizGolf drains it at 16. pic.twitter.com/GfcPxi3yd3
ACE ON 16 
