Will WM Phoenix Open still be golf's biggest party? Why PGA Tour event made changes

Will WM Phoenix Open still be golf’s biggest party? Why PGA Tour event made changes

Posted by author February 5, 2025 Golf

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The party didn’t go as planned last year at the WM Phoenix Open.

Inclement weather led to muddy conditions on the hills of TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course typically used by spectators, which then led to an overcrowded and overserved gallery of fans, which in turn exacerbated and exposed some of the risks inherent in throwing the rowdiest golf event on the calendar each year.

The festive scene that had become one of the major selling points of the PGA Tour’s early season schedule instead resulted in a chaotic and congested mess, particularly during Saturday’s third round. Entrances were closed and alcohol sales were shut down at one point. Golfers got into shouting matches with fans. “It’s crossed the line a little bit the last couple years,” said PGA Tour golfer Billy Horschel, who was captured on video telling a group of unruly patrons to “shut the hell up” last year.

“Saturday at the WM Phoenix Open in 2024 is going to end up being a turning point for our tournament and our organization to make our event better,” tournament director Chance Cozby told Golf Channel in the tournament’s aftermath.

Event officials called it a perfect storm of events that has now led to a series of changes to ensure the 2025 WM Phoenix Open goes more smoothly. Here’s a look at how this tournament transformed into golf’s biggest party and what’s planned this week with round one action set to tee off on Thursday:

WM Phoenix Open history

The first Phoenix Open was played in 1932 and then revived in 1939 by Bob Goldwater and the Thunderbirds, a civic organization tied to the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. The tournament has been played annually since 1944 under various names such as the Western Open, the Arizona Open, the Ben Hogan Invitational, the Phoenix Open, the FBR Open, the Waste Management Phoenix Open and now the WM Phoenix Open.

TPC Scottsdale has been the home course of the tournament since 1987. The Phoenix Country Club and Arizona Country Club previously served as host of the event. Previous winners have included Byron Nelson (1939, 1945), Ben Hogan (1946, 1947), Arnold Palmer (1961, 1962, 1963), Jack Nicklaus (1964), Phil Mickelson (1996, 2005, 2013), Brooks Koepka (2015, 2021) and Scottie Scheffler (2022, 2023).

WM Phoenix Open 16th hole

The WM Phoenix Open has turned into an event with the biggest crowds on the PGA Tour, attendance numbers that soared to new heights in 2018 with a single-day crowd of 216,818 for Saturday’s third round and an overall mark of 719,179 fans for the week. That’s the last year tournament organizers released official figures.

This surging popularity was due, in large part, to the spectacle on the par-3 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course. For tournament week, temporary grandstands and suites surround the entire hole with as many as 20,000 fans. It’s been dubbed “The Coliseum,” and features a tee shot that will either lead to thunderous cheers or loud boos from the party-like atmosphere taking place around the golf shots.

A hole-in-one by Tiger Woods in 1997 is credited with making No. 16 the memorable scene it is today, as Woods’ raucous celebration with the delirious crowd became part of tournament lore. Jarrod Lyle (2011) and Sam Ryder (2022) have also carded an ace at No. 16 during Saturday’s third round of the WM Phoenix Open, when the gallery is usually its biggest (and most boisterous).

“Not only are you battling the golf course, but there can be a pretty hectic crowd out there,” Scheffler said this week. “It’s cool to be able to get in that environment and have people cheering for you. The cheers for you immediately stop if you miss the green or don’t make birdie, so that part is a little bit tough. At the end of the day, it’s a lot of fun. It’s really cool to be able to play in front of our fans, and this is a week when we get to play in front of a lot of them. As a player, I think it’s a special week. It’s a lot of fun.”

What did WM Phoenix Open change this year?

The Thunderbirds announced in October several changes instituted for this week’s WM Phoenix Open in response to what happened at TPC Scottsdale in 2024.

The tournament has most notably added a new entrance near the tee box at No. 18 to enhance the flow of foot traffic, particularly on Friday and Saturday when the crowds on the course are at their largest. It’s also turning to all-digital ticketing and instituting a policy in which fans can only buy tickets for specific days, as opposed to a “good any day” ticket option that was available previously, to combat the overcrowding that occurred during Saturday’s round last year.

WM Phoenix Open organizers also widened pathways, upgraded concessions and added other fan features to other parts of the course. Police and security will crack down on unruly or over-indulging fans outside the ropes.

“We expect a zero tolerance across the course every year but one benefit of the digital general admission tickets is fans will be required to click on the fan code of conduct,” said WMC Phoenix Open tournament chairman Matt Mooney. “We do intend to enforce it.”

But Mooney noted the Thunderbirds still want this to be considered “the People’s Open” and the PGA Tour’s party of the year.

“While we are making changes, we are also being careful not to over-correct because this event generates half a billion dollars in economic impact to the area each year and we just passed $200 million in charitable giving since the inception of this event,” Mooney said. “We’re going to make sure that we continue to improve the event for fans and for players.”

2025 WM Phoenix Open: TV, streaming, how to watch PGA Tour event

The WM Phoenix Open will be carried live by Golf Channel all four days. CBS will then pick up live coverage of the third and final rounds.

There is streaming on ESPN+ and Paramount+ as well as the NBC sports app and CBS sports app. The 2025 WM Open can also be streamed via Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Watch 2025 WM Phoenix Open with Fubo

Thursday, Feb. 6

First round

9:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
4-8 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
4-8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app

Friday, Feb. 7

Second round

9:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
4-8 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
4-8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app

Saturday, Feb. 8

Third round

11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
1-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
1-3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
3-6:30 p.m. ET, CBS
3-6:30 p.m. ET, Paramount+, CBS Sports app

Sunday, Feb. 9

Final round

10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET, ESPN+
1-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
1-3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
3-6 p.m. ET, CBS
3-6 p.m. ET, Paramount+, CBS Sports app

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