Korda’s career total is now $9.86 million, good for 26th all-time.
GILBERT, Ariz. — The second leg of the three-tournament West Coast swing on the LPGA is in the books with the conclusion of the inaugural Ford Championship.
Hoisting the trophy on Sunday? None other than world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who’s now won three straight starts on the LPGA.
Korda took her first outright lead of the week on the back nine Sunday and never looked back, winning for the 11th time in her LPGA career.
With Ford signed on as the title sponsor and the Thunderbirds, who run the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open joining as a founding partner, the total purse and first-place money got bumped to $2.25 million and $337,500, respectively.
Korda’s career total is now $9.86 million, good for 26th all-time in 131 starts.
Korda is the fifth American to win three times before April 1 and the first since 1980.
GILBERT, Ariz. — Nelly Korda’s last win was seven days ago. Lexi Thompson’s winless streak spanned 1,696 days. Korda was looking for a third win in her last three starts. Thompson was seeking to snap a winless streak of 77 tournaments, dating back to June 2019.
Thompson’s drought will continue for at least two more weeks, as she’s skipping the next event in Las Vegas with the Chevron Championship coming in two weeks.
As for Korda, her next In-N-Out celebration for winning will have to wait as well. She said she celebrated after her win a week ago in Los Angeles with a burger and some “animal style” fries but won’t enjoy the meal after her third straight win Sunday in the 2024 Ford Championship, noting that all the In-N-Outs in the Phoenix area are closed for Easter Sunday.
So how will she celebrate victory No. 11?
“With a beautiful five hour drive to Vegas,” she quipped. “Actually, I went to a coffee shop this morning and their baked goods looked really good and I got myself an almond croissant for the road. I’m thinking about that and that’s making me very happy.”
What also makes her happy is winning and Korda has put her name in the LPGA history books with her latest victory. It’s her third win in as many starts, and she’s the first to win three LPGA starts before April 1 since Yani Tseng in 2012 and she’s the first American since 1980, and just the fifth ever, to win three times before April Fool’s day.
It was quite a week for Korda, who never held the outright lead at the Ford till the back nine Sunday. Once she did, she put it in a stranglehold, finishing at 20 under and winning by two shots. She recorded 23 birdies this week, fourth most in the field, and had just five bogeys. She hit 57 of 72 greens in regulation, tied for 15th in the field.
She has a quick turnaround to the match-play event in Vegas which starts Wednesday. She’s also being careful not to look ahead to the first major of 2024, the Chevron Championship, in less than two weeks.
“Just so one at a time,” she said. “I have been a professional golfer since 2016, and when you get ahead of yourself, it’s just never going to be positive. So I’m going to take it one tournament at a time. Stay very present. It’s worked pretty well so far. Sometimes it’s much harder than others. Your self-expectations, the expectations around you, too. I’m going to try and stay in my own little bubble and see how it goes.”
The contrast in tournament success between Korda and Thompson served as the backdrop on the back nine Sunday at Seville Country Club, with the two battling each other as well as the cold and rain, After two days of bright sunny skies, the third round saw 35 mph winds. Tournament officials on Saturday night moved tee times up two hours and golfers woke up Sunday to chilly temps and a steady downpour of spring rain.
A four-way tie for the lead at 17 under gave way to Korda holding the solo lead for the first time all week after a second straight birdie on the 13th hole. Thompson would reclaim a tie for the lead at 18 under after a birdie on the par-3 14th hole. Korda would nudge out in front once again on 16, after she almost jarred her second shot on the driveable par 4, the ball bouncing three times before rolling just over the edge of the cup. A birdie would get her to 19 under.
Hira Naveed joined the party late, as she went 4 under over a six-hole stretch from No. 12 through 17. The first LPGA player of Pakistani descent, Naveed was ranked 648th in the world coming in and finished solo second at 18 under. But it wasn’t enough to threaten the lead of Korda.
Thompson’s run, meanwhile, came to an end on the short par-4 16th. With driver in hand, she pushed her tee shot right and into a lake. She took a drop in the desert and then hit her third on the green but two-putted for bogey. She then missed a short par putt on 17 for another bogey, and she was suddenly three back of Korda with one hole to go.
Lexi Thompson plays her shot from the fourth tee during the final round of the 2024 Ford Championship at Seville Golf and Country Club in Gilbert, Arizona. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Korda closed out her day going up-and-down from just off the green on 18 for one final birdie, this one getting her to 20 under and with few pursuers left chasing, safely in the clubhouse. She said she had some soup in an effort to warm up a bit while she waited.
Korda would later hoist the trophy to make it her 11th career victory official. She’s now tied on the all-time list with Jane Geddes, Jiyai Shin and Thompson, who has four solo seconds and four ties for second and Sunday’s tie for third since her last victory.
Lydia Ko came into the week one point away from clinching a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. A win at the Ford would have given the 26-year-old the 27th and final point needed for entry. Ko tied for 11th at 15 under and a pair of 70s over the weekend.
The Ford Championship purse just got bigger. The Thunderbirds, host of the wildly popular WM Phoenix Open, have partnered with the LPGA for the first time, and their $250,000 contribution brings the total purse to $2.25 million.
It’s not just about the purse, of course. The Thunderbirds also bring a unique expertise in raising money for charity and getting fans in the stands.
The 2024 Ford Championship presented by KCC will be held March 28-31 at Seville Golf and Country Club. Last year, Celine Boutier won the 2023 Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. The LPGA has played in Arizona more than 70 times since its inception in 1950.
“We’re extremely proud to be a founding partner of the Ford Championship presented by KCC and to be a part of the historic tradition of LPGA events in the Valley of the Sun,” said Pat Williams, Big Chief of The Thunderbirds, in a statement. “We are equally excited to partner with the LPGA in an effort to continue growing the game of golf and giving back to the community. We look forward to seeing the world’s best golfers tee it up at Seville Golf and Country Club later this month.”
Lydia Ko is expected to return to the LPGA at Seville. The Kiwi is one point away from entering the LPGA Hall of Fame and has had several close calls so far since winning the season-opening Tournament of Champions.
Multiple agencies sent reinforcements to TPC Scottsdale to help quiet the chaos.
At least a dozen law enforcement agencies sent more than 100 officers to assist Scottsdale with public safety services at this year’s WM Phoenix Open, where large crowds, soggy conditions and alcohol spelled trouble for event organizers.
Massive weekend crowds were unable to spread out on the grass banks around the course given the muddy conditions, creating such congestion that the gates were closed Saturday to afternoon ticketholders.
Scottsdale police arrested a record 54 people, tripling the number from the previous year. And 211 fans were ejected from the event, which is more than twice the amount thrown out during the past two Opens. While these are still small percentages in comparison to the crowds on hand, it’s a trend organizers are hoping to reverse.
There were widespread reports of fans entering without tickets being checked or scanned, in an attempt to unclog the main entrance.
Tournament chair George Thimsen, in an interview with Golfweek Thursday, said organizers would review this year’s event as they planned next year’s tournament, and crowd size would be reviewed.
“I would say that likely there will be less people on a Friday and a Saturday at our event and that we would focus on quality over quantity,” he said.
He acknowledged “a lot of humans” at the event but did not characterize conditions as unsafe.
“That’s because of the hard work of our first responders and law enforcement and volunteers,” he said. “There may have been some frustrated fans … But at the end of the day, I think it (closing the gates) was the right call, and it was a successful event.
“From a safety perspective, there wasn’t a lot of major issues, and we feel thankful and blessed for that.”
A fan pounds two beers together and chugs them before getting arrested near the 17th hole during the second round at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale.
He said, “We have, you know, our PD all over … the course and supporting throughout the tournament.” He did say he expected a stronger police presence next year, “especially from a player perspective.”
Scottsdale police coordinate efforts with other Phoenix area departments to provide security. Pro Em is the company that provides event management and security staff at the tournament.
It remains unclear what the overall total number of officers was at the event or how that stacks up to previous years, but Scottsdale Police Department spokesperson Aaron Bolin said it “was staffed very similarly to every other year we have done it.
“This event is planned so well in advance and we have a ton of historical data as we staff it each year,” Bolin said. “We do have, according to our models and according to what has worked for us in the past, adequate staffing.”
The Arizona Republic asked 14 local law enforcement agencies how many officers and other resources they provided at the Open.
Scottsdale police declined to specify. “We do not want people with bad intentions to know how many officers and resources are staffed and working at the event. We don’t discuss it for security reasons,” Sgt. Allison Sempsis said.
Peoria and Mesa police did not immediately provide an answer. But 11 other departments confirmed they sent officers to the tournament.
Tempe: Sent approximately 50 officers between Wednesday and Saturday to provide “support” for the event. The department said the number of its officers assigned this year was lower than usual because of other events.
Arizona Department of Public Safety: Sent about 30 off-duty troopers. The department was unable to provide the number of troopers it sent during previous years.
Chandler: Sent about a dozen officers to provide support on bicycles.
Surprise: Sent four bicycle officers who worked with Scottsdale’s bike team but provided no enforcement on “incidents that result in charges.”
Gilbert: Had about 12 officers on bike teams and night traffic units. The department had a more limited presence at the open than usual because of officers’ regular shifts on Thursday through Saturday.
Apache Junction: Sent six officers who assisted Scottsdale police and the private security company.
Arizona State University Police: Sent four officers from Wednesday to Saturday.
Queen Creek and Goodyear: Sent one and two dog units to the Open, respectively. Goodyear’s unit did explosive sweeps every morning.
Phoenix police and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office: Only sent deputies and officers to the “Know Your Limit” event on Friday and Saturday to highlight the effects of alcohol consumption. The agencies provided no enforcement.
Fans pack the walkway near the 10th hole during the third round of the 2024 WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
The staffing models the Scottsdale department uses involve a lighter police presence on Tuesday and Wednesday for pre-tournament events, when Pro Em is mostly able to manage the crowds, Bolin said.
Thursday through Saturday is when law enforcement agencies ramp up their efforts as more fans arrive.
Bolin said security at the tournament is so well done, Scottsdale police “have outside police agencies and event coordinators actually come to our tournament, in particular, to see how we do it and how we are successful.” He noted that a team of police officers from Sweden previously had visited to learn from the Phoenix Open’s practices.
Some of the chaotic fan behavior was a matter for Pro Em security rather than the police, Bolin said. An increased police presence or different law enforcement model would not have made much of a difference when it came to constraining some of that, he said.
“I’m not really sure that a different staffing model would have solved any of the issues that were out there, that people are posting about, people sliding down hills, things like that. Just because something isn’t golf etiquette, or it’s … raucous behavior doesn’t necessarily mean it’s against the law.”
Reporter Sam Kmack covers Tempe, Scottsdale and Chandler. Follow him on X @KmackSam or reach him at sam.kmack@arizonarepublic.com.
“There’s some major improvements and operational things that we are looking to make.”
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The 2024 WM Phoenix had a fantastic finish with a playoff that ended just before dark Sunday but this year’s version of the People’s Open is being remembered for rain, muddy conditions and the social media videos of fans drinking too much and getting into it with players.
Four days after its conclusion, tournament director George Thimsen told Golfweek there have already been long discussions about how to be better next time around, especially for the third round on Saturday, always the most highly attended day of the week.
“With respect to Saturday, I think we have a lot of things to learn from,” Thimsen said. “I think that we understand that it was a challenging set of circumstances that we had to navigate.”
Using the term “operational audit,” Thimsen said the Thunderbirds, the civic group that runs the WMPO at TPC Scottsdale, will look at the entire week.
“Each year as this tournament continues to grow, the Thunderbirds and all of our partners in law enforcement and first responders, we meet and we do a post-mortem of the event,” he said. “What are some of the key learnings that how can we continue to improve? And obviously this year, there’s some major improvements and operational things that we are looking to make and the Thunderbirds are committed to doing that.
“We’re committed to making this an event that the community is proud of. But, yeah, on that Saturday, the weather that morning and just the sheer number of people that still wanted to come out and enjoy the event, it did create a lot of congestion.”
Days of rain made many of the grassy hillsides unusable for fans. Well, mostly unusable except for the fan caught on viral video sliding shirtless face first in the muck, then getting doused in beer from several of his friends.
Do the Thunderbirds feel like part of the future plan is the discouragement of excessive drinking?
“We’re going to be addressing the distribution channels of alcohol and the alcoholic beverages to our guests and we’re going to make the necessary changes that we need to once we are able to diagnose everything, all elements of it,” Thimsen said.
“You’re hitting me at a very emotional point right now, so if I were to say if I’m gonna come back, I’d probably say no,” Johnson told The Arizona Republic. “But at the same time, I have no idea.”
Things may have come to a head around 2 p.m. on Saturday when the tournament gates were closed, even to fans who purchased tickets. That led to social media outrage. To make it up to those fans, Thimsen said they can send an email to orders@wmphoenixopen.com and after providing an order number, a ticket number or an email associated with the original order, get a full refund.
“We own up to it, we take full responsibility and own that Saturday was not perfect and we want to continue to prove that but the stage was not the normal stage that we have,” he said.
Justin Thomas thanks the crowd after his putt on the 10th green during the second round of the 2024 WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Photo: The Arizona Republic)
Chance Cozby, executive director of the Thunderbirds, was on Golf Channel Monday and called Saturday a “turning point.” On Tuesday, he and next year’s WM Phoenix Open tournament chairman Matt Mooney visited Pacific Palisades, California, ahead of this week’s Genesis Invitational. The Sports Business Journal reported that the duo met with PGA Tour players throughout the day to get feedback, the most common being that fans didn’t seem to get out of line when uniformed police officers were stationed in highly visible areas.
Tournament organizers stopped announcing attendance figures in 2019. In 2018, the tournament reported a weekly attendance of 719,179 and a Saturday attendance of 216,818, the most ever in a single day on record for the event. That Saturday was also the third year in a row the attendance surpassed the 200,000 mark.
“I think there’s been a lot of speculative numbers out there and we actually don’t have a number that we have officially communicated internally yet so I don’t have a number,” Thimsen said when asked about a 2024 number.
What is still being tracked are public-safety security issues. The numbers show that arrests went from 18 to 54 from 2023 to 2024 and that ejections went from 102 to 211.
Security issues
2022
2023
2024
Calls for service
440
558
653
Arrests
0
18
54
Ejections
90
102
211
Trespass
14
41
73
Source: Arizona Department of Liquor License and Control
If last Saturday’s attendance was close to the 2018 mark of more than 200,000, then the 211 fans tossed out represents 0.1 percent and the 54 fans arrested is 0.03 percent of all the fans who attended.
Still, seeing those numbers double and triple, respectively, is a trend moving in the wrong direction.
The full operational audit will take time to complete but one distinct possibility is that fewer tickets will be sold on the popular days of Friday and Saturday in future years.
“I think that one thing you can definitely count on is that we’re going to make improvements and diagnose through our operational audit what makes the most sense for our tournament,” Thimsen said. “But if I were a betting man, I would say that likely there will be less people on a Friday and a Saturday at our event and that we would focus on quality over quantity.
“You know, we’re proud of the uniqueness and energy of the WMPOs. It is the People’s Open but we do understand that we need to make changes and not necessarily, you know, always bigger, but definitely always to get better.”
The Phoenix Open donated more than $14 million to charities after the 2023 event, bringing the lifetime total to close to $110 million.
“We’re hoping to be able to get to announce a number very similar because people are out there partying with a purpose,” Thimsen said. “I think that that’s really the main focus, that I hope people can rally around, which is, yes, there are some things out there that are fun to see on video and kind of scroll through when you’re on your social media but at the end of the day, we’re making a really big impact for our community here and that’s why we do what we do.”
New in 2024 are by far the most expensive seats in the house.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — You can enjoy the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open from the first-come, first-serve general admission bleachers, if you don’t mind waiting potentially three hours to get in.
There’s also about 16,000 seats in the triple-decker suites, if you’re lucky enough to score one.
New in 2024, though, are by far the most expensive seats in the house and they are mere feet away from the tee box.
“We call them teeside seats,” said Jock Holliman, a volunteer with the Thunderbirds who’s seen everything there is to see at 16. His first year with 16th hole duty was 1997, when he witnessed the famous Tiger Woods hole-in-one.
So who gets to sit in those premium seats?
“Patrons who pay a pretty penny,” he said. “It’s on their bucket list to come to 16 and see the players up close.”
A pretty penny is right. You got $24,000 laying around? Then you, too, can purchase one of these seats for the four days of tournament competition.
The seats near the tee box on the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale for the 2024 WM Phoenix Open. (Photo: Todd Kelly/Golfweek)
Robert Hughes and a co-worker, who were wearing oversized green hats and seemed to be in awe when the group of Scottie Scheffer, Hideki Matsuyama and Wyndham Clark came through, are two of the lucky few. Their company, Canyon State Electric, has been in business for 46 years and has had a suite on the 16th hole for years. This year, Canyon State also ponied up for two of these seats.
When asked if he knew the price tag, Hughes said sheepishly but with a smile, “We do, yes.”
There are 40 seats in all, and for three of the four rounds, they are positioned directly in front of where the players are teeing off at about 160 or so yards from the pin. The tee placement for Saturday’s third round is generally way up, as tournament organizers try to induce aces from about 105 yards away.
Thursday’s water-logged action made conditions less than ideal but that didn’t stop all the fans.
“Wednesday night two guys flew in from Virginia on the red-eye and they sat our here in the rain all day [Thursday],” Holliman said. “It was a bucket-list deal. They said ‘we gotta come do this.'”
There are often places on a golf course during a tournament when fans can be oh-so-close to a pro hitting his golf ball, but there’s nothing like this.
“Best seat in the house,” said Hughes. “This is the best hole in all of golf, it’s the best party. I’m more nervous than the players. I can’t imagine what they’re going through.”
Every time a player wins on the PGA Tour, the Thunderbirds make a donation to the charity of the winner’s choice.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Jordan Spieth asked for a donation to his personal foundation, which focuses on individuals with special needs, junior golf, military families and veterans, and pediatric cancer.
Gary Woodland chose Folds of Honor, a non-profit that awards college scholarships to the families of American military heroes.
And the list of charities that the Thunderbirds have made donations to on behalf of winners on the PGA Tour goes on and on.
“Those guys just do it right,” Woodland, who won the tournament in 2018, said of the Thunderbirds. “They gave me my first sponsor exemption in 2011 and I’ve gone back every year since. They throw a great party and like to have a good time, but they do a lot for their community and raise a boatload of money.”
Every week when a player wins on Tour, the Thunderbirds, the charitable organization that has hosted the WM Phoenix Open for 87 years, give back, making a donation to the charity of the winner’s choice.
A recruiting tactic? Perhaps in a subtle way, but only the most cynical among us would see that as the main objective. It’s just what the Thunderbirds do.
“We’re not big recruiters,” said Chance Cozby, executive director of the Thunderbirds. “I’ve never been comfortable walking up to a player at another tournament and trying to convince them to play in our event. If we have to convince them, they’re probably not going to play.”
The WM Phoenix Open will have its best field in history thanks in part to being selected as one of the 2022-23 designated events. It also doesn’t hurt that the purse grew to $20 million. In any event, Cozby didn’t have to do much recruiting this time because the stars were guaranteed to show up.
Jordan Spieth celebrates with caddie Michael Greller after making birdie at the 16th hole during the third round of the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Photo: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports)
But as Spieth pointed out, the Thunderbirds are “really good at the little things,” and exhibit A could be the congratulatory letter sent to all winners.
It’s a page right out of the Arnold Palmer playbook. For years, The King used to take time each week to write the winner of professional golf tournaments a note of congratulations. Players from Daniel Berger to Paula Creamer framed those letters. World Golf Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer has won more than 100 times around the world and said getting a letter from Palmer never got old.
“When I won a tournament, I was always wondering, do I get another letter from Arnie? And sure enough, it arrived,” Langer told Golfweek in 2021. “I was surprised when I got the first one because not everybody did that. I was very, very surprised, and very grateful and thankful.
“And they kept coming.”
The Thunderbirds instituted its letter-writing campaign in 2016, the same year of Palmer’s death. Dan Mahoney, the WMPO tournament chairman that year, conceived the Tour tournament winner donation program. Every winner has received a congratulatory letter from the current tournament chairman and a promise to donate $2,500 to the charity of the player’s choice. Win one of the four majors and the donation doubles to $5,000. Total donations through the program have grown to $556,000.
“We don’t talk about it and it’s not individually a massive amount of money but it’s every week,” said Cozby. “Hopefully, players know that we aren’t just thinking about them seven days a year.”
Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute monies raised through the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament. Last year, the Thunderbirds raised more than $10 million to be awarded to Arizona charities. That marked the fifth time in tournament history that the organization and the WM Phoenix Open have generated more than $10 million in charitable dollars in a single tournament and the 2022 sum was more than double what it raised 10 years ago.
It’s more of the same for the Thunderbirds, who have topped more than $110 million through the Tour’s annual visit to the Valley of the Sun since 2010 when WM was named title sponsor, and in its history has raised more than $176 million for Arizona charities.
“It’s really cool what they do,” said Spieth, a 13-time Tour winner, who last got a letter from the Thunderbirds after winning the 2022 RBC Heritage in April. “The first time I got the letter I was like, ‘Wow. That’s pretty special. These guys really get it.’ ”
Traffic was bad, the course was crowded, and the 16th hole was raucous and rocking.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Traffic was bad, the course was crowded and the 16th hole was raucous and rocking. The WM Phoenix Open felt like its usual, pre-pandemic self.
“We don’t keep track of the attendance,” tournament chairman Michael Golding said, “but it certainly feels like a Thursday.”
Only it was Wednesday, the day of the Annexus Pro-Am, one day before the tournament begins in earnest and two days before crowds historically have swelled.
For anyone who walked the course at TPC Scottsdale, the size and mood of the proceedings left little doubt that this week’s event has a chance to serve, at best, as a marker of a Valley-wide return to normalcy — or, perhaps more modestly, as at least a momentary reprieve following nearly two years of pandemic restrictions.
Unlike last year, the timing of the event worked out well for organizers. A year ago, with vaccines still not fully available, the tournament proceeded with caution, limiting attendance numbers. Though things looked dicey when the Omicron variant was surging a month ago, numbers have come down — and the thinking about how to proceed seems to be shifting as well.
Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Biden administration’s top medical advisor for COVID-19, indicated his belief that the country soon could be exiting the “full-blown” pandemic phase. States across the country are further easing restrictions.
On the course on Wednesday, there were few indications the virus was on anyone’s mind. The weather was beautiful, drinks were flowing and masks were few and far between, mostly seen in the form of straps peeking out of jacket pockets.
“Look at everybody partying,” said Mark Golub, 75, of Scottsdale, motioning toward a crowded area along the 18th fairway. “It’s like the old days. I wonder what Saturday is going to be like. That’ll be the test.”
Golub would know. He had come to the Phoenix Open for 16 consecutive years before opting out last year. It had been an annual tradition for him to bring his grandkids to the event on Sunday, the tournament’s final day. He is planning to resume the tradition this year.
Photo by Cheryl Evans | The Republic
If the weekend is anything like it used to be, crowds could approach 200,000 on Friday and Saturday.
With the event taking place on a 200-acre course with spectators either outdoors or in open-air enclosures, several attendees on Wednesday said they didn’t feel like they were taking health risks.
“Nothing is actually enclosed,” said Phoenix resident Denisse Sandoval, 25. “It’s made it feel safe to be here. Everything is outside. It depends on everyone’s views, but for me it feels back to normal.”
“I feel safe to the extent that we’re all outdoors,” said Dave Mrocek, 76, of Sun City West. “My theory is that we’re all going to get it. I’ve been vaccinated; I try to do all the right things. But I know we’re going to get it eventually. If we get it out here, at least we got it in good company.”
Tournament organizers are encouraged by what they have seen already this week, with anecdotal evidence supporting the idea that attendance could return to pre-pandemic levels.
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“I’m very excited for the weekend,” Golding said. “When we’re busy like this, it means we’re going to give a lot of money back to the community.”
In 2019, the event generated a record $14.2 million for local charities and organizations. Last year, that number fell to $3.8 million. Golding expects the number to be at least $10 million — and it could be larger, at least if Wednesday’s crowd is an indication of what’s to come.
“We’re back,” Golding said. “It’s good to be back.”
The Waste Management Phoenix Open will have fans on site, one of the few PGA Tour events to welcome spectators during the global pandemic.
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The Greenest Show on Grass is also the Rowdiest Outdoor Party Where Sometimes Fans Actually Stop To Watch Golf.
Officially, it’s the Waste Management Phoenix Open and it’s back this week, although in a decidedly toned-down form.
Always the most highly attended PGA Tour event of the season, there are typically an estimated 200,000 fans who pass through the turnstiles just for Saturday’s third round, always the busiest day of the party… err, tournament. The crowds usually swell well north of 700,000 for the entire week.
But the world ain’t what it used to be and that goes for the Phoenix Open.
“It’s going to feel like nothing,” said Jon Rahm ahead of the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego last week. Rahm is always a crowd favorite at TPC Scottsdale because he went to nearby Arizona State.
“Relative to how the tournament normally plays, I think it will feel like there’s no one out there,” said Xander Schauffele before the Farmers.
Spectators have been scarce since the Tour returned to action last summer. The Vivint Houston Open in November had about 2,000 fans per day on site. The Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico also had some fans on site. Expectations are that there will be about 5,000 fans per day at the Phoenix Open, although Waste Management Phoenix Open Tournament Director Scott Jenkins said they’re not committing to a specific number.
“Last week in Abu Dhabi there was some fans. It wasn’t 5,000 but there was about 100 out there and it felt good,” said Rory McIlroy at Torrey Pines last Wednesday, a few days after he played in the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. “It felt good to hit a good shot and get a clap and get a reaction. I’m looking forward to welcoming fans back.”
Most of the Phoenix Open’s VIP suites and grandstands were not erected this year but the 16th hole “coliseum” was constructed once again to enclose the craziest par 3 in golf. Normally big enough to hold as many fans as an NBA arena, it will house far fewer this year.
“Normally our 16th hole is three stories and houses 16,000 people. This year it’s one story, still yet to determine how many people we’re going to have in there, but obviously much reduced,” Jenkins said.
A view of the 16th hole in mid-January during the build out at the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, the site of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Photo by Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic
Per COVID protocols, all fans will have their temperature checked upon entry. Masks will be mandatory and the policy will be enforced, said Jenkins. The seating areas will be spaced out. “It’s a 192-acre golf course,” he said. “We think it’s very conducive to social distancing.”
So whether it is indeed 5,000 fans allowed in each day or something close, it’ll have to do this time around.
“We’re entertainers, so when you have the feedback from the crowd, it’s a lot more enjoyable,” Rahm said. “We’re going to miss the usual atmosphere in Phoenix. It’s a very unique event, it’s a very fun event and everybody will be missed, but 5,000 is better than nothing.”
After Phoenix, the Tour goes back to California for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am and the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles. Neither event will have fans. After that, it’s time for the Florida swing with tournaments that will have fans but not a lot of them.
“It’s going to be gradual, I don’t think anything’s going to be at capacity or 100 percent for a while, but the fact that Phoenix is going to have 5,000, maybe the Florida events might have a little bit more that,” McIlroy said. “Gradually welcoming people back as the vaccine gets rolled out and we try to get back into a more normal world, I think it’s a good thing.”
As for the Phoenix Open’s Bird’s Nest, the normally packed concert venue that is the golf tournament’s nightly after-party Wednesday through Saturday, it’s off this year. Look for it to return in all its glory in 2022.
This year, the Phoenix Open will be distilled down to a quaint event with all the focus on the golf.
