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Phoenix Open

Golf tournament held in Arizona, United States

Phoenix Open

Golf tournament held in Arizona, United States

FieldValue
nameWM Phoenix Open
imageWaste Management Phoenix Open (logo).png
image_size220
locationScottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
establishment1932
courseTPC Scottsdale
par71
yardage7261 yd
tourPGA Tour
orgThe Thunderbirds
formatStroke play
purse
month_playedFebruary
aggregate256 Mark Calcavecchia (2001)
256 Phil Mickelson (2013)
to-par−28 as above
current_championBEL Thomas Detry
coordinates
mapUSA#USA Arizona
map_labelTPC Scottsdale
map_captionLocation in the United States##Location in Arizona
map_reliefyes
map_size220

256 Phil Mickelson (2013) | to-par = −28 as above The Phoenix Open (branded as the WM Phoenix Open for sponsorship reasons) is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held in early February at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States.

The tournament was originally the Arizona Open but was known for most of its history as the Phoenix Open until the investment bank Friedman Billings Ramsey became the title sponsor in October 2003. For the next six editions, it was known as the FBR Open. Waste Management, Inc. began its sponsorship in 2010.

The event's relaxed atmosphere, raucous by professional golf standards, has earned it the nickname "The Greatest Show on Grass" and made it one of the most popular events on the PGA Tour calendar.

History

The Phoenix Open began in 1932 but was discontinued after the 1935 tournament. The rebirth of the Phoenix Open came in 1939 when Bob Goldwater Sr. convinced fellow Thunderbirds to help run the event. The Thunderbirds, a prominent civic organization in Phoenix, were less enthusiastic about running the event than he was, leaving Goldwater Sr. to do most of the work in getting a golf open started.

The event was played at the Phoenix Country Club in Phoenix (), both in its earlier incarnations and after Goldwater resuscitated it. Beginning in 1955, the Arizona Country Club (also in Phoenix) (), alternated as event host with Phoenix Country Club; this arrangement lasted until Phoenix Country Club took The Arizona Country Club's turn in 1975 and became the event's permanent home again.

The tournament moved in 1987 to its current home, the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, northeast of downtown Phoenix. The approximate average elevation of the course is 1530 ft above sea level.

The purse was $8.2 million in 2022, then increased over 140% to $20 million for 2023, with a winner's share of $3.6 million.

Logo from 2010 to 2020

Popularity

The five-day attendance of the tournament is usually around a half million, the best-attended event in golf. In 2016, it set a PGA Tour and Phoenix Open single-day attendance record with 201,003 fans on Saturday, February 6, and a tournament week attendance record of 618,365 fans.

The most popular location for spectators is the par-3 16th hole, nicknamed "The Coliseum." () One of the shortest holes on tour at 162 yd, it is enclosed by a temporary 20,000-seat grandstand. The hole could be described as "one big party," with many students from the nearby Arizona State University in Tempe in attendance. Poor shots at the 16th hole receive boos because the hole is straightforward by the PGA's standards. Good shots, however, are cheered loudly. Players who make holes in one at the 16th will cause the gallery to erupt, leading to beverages and other objects being tossed in celebrations; Tiger Woods (1997), Jarrod Lyle (2011), and Sam Ryder (2022) have each aced the hole on Saturday, creating raucous celebrations at the hole. The anger of a poor shot can lead to tempers flaring, as Justin Leonard gave obscene gestures to the gallery after a poor shot one year. After 2013, the PGA Tour banned the practice of caddies racing the 150 yd from the tee box to the green, citing injury concerns.

Former Arizona State players are very popular at the Phoenix Open, with many often wearing a Pat Tillman jersey when entering the 16th-hole stadium. Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm are popular there for that reason. In addition to golf, there is a concert/party held in the Scottsdale area called the Birds Nest, at which music artists like Huey Lewis and the News play.

The Thunderbirds are still highly active in organizing the tournament. The Thunderbirds use portions of the proceeds to fund Special Olympics activities in Phoenix.

Conflicts with the Super Bowl

Since 1973, the Phoenix Open has been played on the weekend of the Super Bowl. In 1976, coverage of the tournament's final round was joined in progress immediately after CBS's coverage of Super Bowl X. In 1996, it was played Wednesday through Saturday, as Super Bowl XXX was held at Sun Devil Stadium in nearby Tempe. In 2009, the tournament overlapped with Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida, when Kenny Perry and Charley Hoffman went to a playoff. That denied the spectators a chance to watch the beginning of the game on NBC, which featured the local Arizona Cardinals.

Because of the Super Bowl weekend status, the PGA Tour's television contracts with CBS and NBC include an alternating tournament. Usually, a CBS tournament occurs when NBC or Fox televises the Super Bowl, the Phoenix Open airs on NBC when CBS has the Super Bowl, and NBC's Honda Classic aired on CBS during the 2018 Winter Olympics.

In 2015, Super Bowl XLIX was held in Glendale at University of Phoenix Stadium in 2015 and broadcast by NBC; the network would use sister network Golf Channel (which broadcasts early-round coverage for PGA Tour events) to provide cross-promotional tie-ins for the Super Bowl.

Highlights

  • 1949: Ben Hogan loses in a playoff; driving home with his wife; he is involved in a near-fatal accident.
  • 1987: Paul Azinger wins the first edition of the Phoenix Open held at TPC Scottsdale.
  • 1990: Tom Pernice Jr. makes the first double eagle in tournament history on the par-5 15th hole.
  • 1996: Grant Waite sets the course record of 60 (−11). Phil Mickelson, an alumnus of nearby Arizona State University, wins the tournament for the first time.
  • 1997: Tiger Woods aces the par-3 16th hole in the third round on Saturday.
  • 2001: Andrew Magee makes the first ace on a par-4 in PGA Tour history on the par-4 17th hole. Mark Calcavecchia sets the tournament record for lowest aggregate score with 256 (−28), including a course record-tying 60 (−11) in the second round.
  • 2011: Jarrod Lyle aces the par-3 16th hole in the first round.
  • 2019: Amy Bockerstette, a golfer with Down syndrome, pars the par-3 16th hole during the pro-am in front of Gary Woodland, a moment that went viral on social media.
  • 2020: Woodland and Bockerstette reunite one year after their viral moment with a $25,000 contribution to the I Got This! Foundation, launched the previous year.
  • 2022: Sam Ryder aces on the par-3 16th hole during the third round on Saturday, then in the final round, Carlos Ortiz would have a hole in one at the same hole.
  • 2025: Thomas Detry becomes the first Belgian PGA Tour winner.

Records

The 17th hole during the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The tournament's lowest 72-hole score was set by Mark Calcavecchia in 2001 with 256 (–28), which was matched by Mickelson in 2013. In the second round Calcavecchia scored a 60 (–11), which equalled the lowest score at the Phoenix Open (by Grant Waite in 1996) and subsequently matched by Mickelson in 2005 and 2013. Calcavecchia had 32 birdies in the tournament, which was also an all-time record.

There have been only two double eagles in the history of the Phoenix Open. Tom Pernice Jr. made the first one on the 558 yd par-5 15th hole in 1990. Andrew Magee scored the second on the 332 yd par-4 17th hole in 2001, and was the first-ever ace on a par-4 in PGA Tour history.

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victoryRunner(s)-upPurse
($)Winner's
share ($)WM Phoenix OpenWaste Management Phoenix OpenFBR OpenPhoenix OpenPhoenix Open InvitationalPhoenix OpenBen Hogan OpenPhoenix OpenArizona Open
2025BEL Thomas Detry260−247 strokesUSA Daniel Berger
USA Michael Kim9,200,0001,656,000
2024CAN Nick Taylor263−21PlayoffUSA Charley Hoffman8,800,0001,584,000
2023USA Scottie Scheffler (2)265−192 strokesCAN Nick Taylor20,000,0003,600,000
2022USA Scottie Scheffler268−16PlayoffUSA Patrick Cantlay8,200,0001,476,000
2021USA Brooks Koepka (2)265−191 strokeKOR Lee Kyoung-hoon
USA Xander Schauffele7,300,0001,314,000
2020USA Webb Simpson267−17PlayoffUSA Tony Finau7,300,0001,314,000
2019USA Rickie Fowler267−172 strokesZAF Branden Grace7,100,0001,278,000
2018USA Gary Woodland266−18PlayoffUSA Chez Reavie6,900,0001,242,000
2017JPN Hideki Matsuyama (2)267−17PlayoffUSA Webb Simpson6,700,0001,206,000
2016JPN Hideki Matsuyama270−14PlayoffUSA Rickie Fowler6,500,0001,170,000
2015USA Brooks Koepka269−151 strokeJPN Hideki Matsuyama
USA Ryan Palmer
USA Bubba Watson6,300,0001,134,000
2014USA Kevin Stadler268−161 strokeCAN Graham DeLaet
USA Bubba Watson6,200,0001,116,000
2013USA Phil Mickelson (3)256−284 strokesUSA Brandt Snedeker6,200,0001,116,000
2012USA Kyle Stanley269−151 strokeUSA Ben Crane6,100,0001,098,000
2011USA Mark Wilson266−18PlayoffUSA Jason Dufner6,100,0001,098,000
2010USA Hunter Mahan268−161 strokeUSA Rickie Fowler6,000,0001,080,000
2009USA Kenny Perry270−14PlayoffUSA Charley Hoffman6,000,0001,080,000
2008USA J. B. Holmes (2)270−14PlayoffUSA Phil Mickelson6,000,0001,080,000
2007AUS Aaron Baddeley263−211 strokeUSA John Rollins6,000,0001,080,000
2006USA J. B. Holmes263−217 strokesUSA J. J. Henry
USA Steve Lowery
USA Ryan Palmer
USA Scott Verplank
COL Camilo Villegas5,200,000936,000
2005USA Phil Mickelson (2)267−175 strokesUSA Scott McCarron
USA Kevin Na5,200,000936,000
2004USA Jonathan Kaye266−182 strokesUSA Chris DiMarco5,200,000936,000
2003FIJ Vijay Singh (2)261−233 strokesUSA John Huston4,000,000720,000
2002USA Chris DiMarco267−171 strokeUSA Kenny Perry
JPN Kaname Yokoo4,000,000720,000
2001USA Mark Calcavecchia (3)256−288 strokesUSA Rocco Mediate4,000,000720,000
2000USA Tom Lehman270−141 strokeAUS Robert Allenby
USA Rocco Mediate3,200,000576,000
1999USA Rocco Mediate273−112 strokesUSA Justin Leonard3,000,000540,000
1998SWE Jesper Parnevik269−153 strokesUSA Tommy Armour III
USA Brent Geiberger
USA Steve Pate
USA Tom Watson2,500,000450,000
1997USA Steve Jones258−2611 strokesSWE Jesper Parnevik1,500,000270,000
1996USA Phil Mickelson269−15PlayoffUSA Justin Leonard1,300,000234,000
1995FIJ Vijay Singh269−15PlayoffUSA Billy Mayfair1,300,000234,000
1994USA Bill Glasson268−163 strokesUSA Bob Estes1,200,000216,000
1993USA Lee Janzen273−112 strokesUSA Andrew Magee1,000,000180,000
1992USA Mark Calcavecchia (2)264−205 strokesUSA Duffy Waldorf1,000,000180,000
1991USA Nolan Henke268−161 strokeUSA Gil Morgan
USA Curtis Strange
USA Tom Watson1,000,000180,000
1990USA Tommy Armour III267−175 strokesUSA Jim Thorpe900,000162,000
1989USA Mark Calcavecchia263−217 strokesUSA Chip Beck700,000126,000
1988SCO Sandy Lyle269−15PlayoffUSA Fred Couples650,000117,000
1987USA Paul Azinger268−161 strokeUSA Hal Sutton600,000108,000
1986USA Hal Sutton267−172 strokesUSA Calvin Peete
USA Tony Sills500,00090,000
1985USA Calvin Peete270−142 strokesUSA Morris Hatalsky
USA Doug Tewell450,00081,000
1984USA Tom Purtzer268−161 strokeUSA Corey Pavin400,00072,000
1983USA Bob Gilder (2)271−13PlayoffUSA Rex Caldwell
USA Johnny Miller
USA Mark O'Meara350,00063,000
1982USA Lanny Wadkins263−216 strokesUSA Jerry Pate300,00054,000
1981USA David Graham268−161 strokeUSA Lon Hinkle300,00054,000
1980USA Jeff Mitchell272−124 strokesUSA Rik Massengale300,00054,000
1979USA Ben Crenshaw199−141 strokeUSA Jay Haas250,00033,750
1978USA Miller Barber272−121 strokeUSA Jerry Pate
USA Lee Trevino200,00040,000
1977USA Jerry Pate277−7PlayoffUSA Dave Stockton200,00040,000
1976USA Bob Gilder268−162 strokesUSA Roger Maltbie200,00040,000
1975USA Johnny Miller (2)260−2414 strokesUSA Jerry Heard150,00030,000
1974USA Johnny Miller271−131 strokeUSA Lanny Wadkins150,00030,000
1973AUS Bruce Crampton268−121 strokeUSA Steve Melnyk
USA Lanny Wadkins150,00030,000
1972USA Homero Blancas273−11PlayoffUSA Lanny Wadkins125,00025,000
1971USA Miller Barber261−232 strokesUSA Billy Casper
USA Dan Sikes125,00025,000
1970USA Dale Douglass271−131 strokeUSA Howie Johnson
USA Gene Littler100,00020,000
1969USA Gene Littler (3)263−212 strokesUSA Miller Barber
USA Don January
USA Billy Maxwell100,00020,000
1968CAN George Knudson272−123 strokesUSA Julius Boros
USA Sam Carmichael
USA Jack Montgomery100,00020,000
1967USA Julius Boros272−121 strokeUSA Ken Still70,00014,000
1966USA Dudley Wysong278−61 strokeUSA Gardner Dickinson60,0009,000
1965USA Rod Funseth274−143 strokesUSA Bert Yancey65,00010,500
1964USA Jack Nicklaus271−133 strokesUSA Bob Brue50,0007,500
1963USA Arnold Palmer (3)273−151 strokeZAF Gary Player35,0005,300
1962USA Arnold Palmer (2)269−1512 strokesUSA Billy Casper
USA Don Fairfield
USA Bob McCallister
USA Jack Nicklaus35,0005,300
1961USA Arnold Palmer270−10PlayoffUSA Doug Sanders30,0004,300
1960USA Jack Fleck273−11PlayoffUSA Bill Collins22,5003,150
1959USA Gene Littler (2)268−121 strokeUSA Art Wall Jr.20,0002,400
1958USA Ken Venturi274−101 strokeUSA Walter Burkemo
USA Jay Hebert15,0002,000
1957USA Billy Casper271−93 strokesUSA Cary Middlecoff
USA Mike Souchak15,0002,000
1956USA Cary Middlecoff276−83 strokesUSA Mike Souchak15,0002,400
1955USA Gene Littler275−51 strokeUSA Billy Maxwell
USA Johnny Palmer15,0002,400
1954USA Ed Furgol272−12PlayoffUSA Cary Middlecoff10,0002,000
1953USA Lloyd Mangrum (2)272−126 strokesUSA Johnny Bulla
USA Ted Kroll
USA Bo Wininger10,0002,000
1952USA Lloyd Mangrum274−105 strokesUSA Dutch Harrison10,0002,000
1951USA Lew Worsham272−121 strokeUSA Lawson Little10,0002,000
1950USA Jimmy Demaret (2)269−151 strokeUSA Sam Snead10,0002,000
1949USA Jimmy Demaret278−6PlayoffUSA Ben Hogan10,0002,000
1948ZAF Bobby Locke268−161 strokeUSA Jimmy Demaret10,0002,000
1947USA Ben Hogan (2)270−147 strokesUSA Lloyd Mangrum
USA Ed Oliver10,0002,000
1946USA Ben Hogan273−11PlayoffUSA Herman Keiser7,5001,500
1945USA Byron Nelson (2)274−102 strokesUSA Denny Shute5,0001,000
1944USA Jug McSpaden273−11PlayoffUSA Byron Nelson5,0001,000
1941–1943: No tournament
1940USA Ed Oliver205−81 strokeUSA Ben Hogan3,000700
1939USA Byron Nelson198−1512 strokesUSA Ben Hogan3,000700
1936–1938: No tournament
1935USA Ky Laffoon281−34 strokesUSA Craig Wood2,500500
1934No tournament
1933USA Harry Cooper281−32 strokesUSA Ray Mangrum
USA Horton Smith1,500400
1932USA Ralph Guldahl285−15 strokesUSA John Perelli2,500600

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.

Sources:

Notes

References

References

  1. (December 9, 2009). "Waste Management to sponsor Phoenix Open". PGA Tour.
  2. "Golf". Phoenix Country Club.
  3. "Golf". Arizona Country Club.
  4. (February 7, 2016). "Waste Management Phoenix Open attendance records". AZ Central.
  5. (January 26, 1997). "Jones maintains Phoenix lead; Woods records ace on No. 16". Victoria Advocate.
  6. (February 12, 2022). "Watch: Sam Ryder makes an ace on 16 at WM Phoenix Open, coliseum nearly explodes and beer cans come raining down".
  7. "PGA Tour Bans Popular Caddie Races at TPC Scottsdale, Colonial {{!}} Golf Channel".
  8. (January 15, 1973). "Crampton's birdie nets Phoenix win". Wilmington Morning Star.
  9. (12 November 2021). "NBC's Post-Super Bowl LVI Show Will Be the Winter Olympics".
  10. (January 28, 1996). "Mickelson grinds out another win". Eugene Register-Guard.
  11. "NBCU's 'Big Event' Game Plan in Play for Super Bowl".
  12. Schwartz, Larry. "Hogan majored in courage". ESPN.
  13. Kelley, Brent. "The Amazing Story of the Only Par-4 Hole-in-One in PGA Tour History".
  14. [http://wmphoenixopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015-Full-Media-Guide-.pdf 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open Media Guide – Section 14: Top Finishers 1932–2014] – at wmphoenixopen.com
  15. [http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/waste-management-phoenix-open/past-winners.html Phoenix Open – Winners] {{webarchive. link. (2014-06-01 – at www.pgatour.com)
  16. [http://www.golfobserver.com/new/golfstats.php?style=&tour=PGA&name=&year=&tournament=FBR+Open&in=Search Phoenix Open – Winners] – at golfobserver.com
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