Golf has a reputation around the sporting world as one of the most boring and serious sports out there. However, the fans at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona beg to differ. There is nothing in golf quite like this tournament, which takes place every year around the end of January. It is appropriately appraised as “the greatest show on grass,” with some going as far as describing it as a four-day party, featuring some golf in between.
The tournament’s atmosphere and traditions are unmatched by any other competition on the PGA Tour. Much of the excitement results from the newly renovated par-three, 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. While there are many famous par-three holes in the United States, the course’s 16th is neither challenging nor beautiful. However, it is the only fully enclosed hole on Tour. During the Phoenix Open, the hole becomes a stadium filled with 20,000 wild and enthusiastic golf fans, giving it the well-deserved name of the loudest stop on the PGA tour. Fans let the players know when they’ve made good tee shots, as rowdy cheers and chants erupt from the stands. In 1997, when Tiger Woods made his famous hole-in-one, the spectators were sent into a frenzy as Woods made his way to the green. Tiger eventually responded with a subtle “raise the roof” move.
However, the players do not always appreciate the rowdy crowd. When a player hits a bad shot, the crowd mercilessly heckles and boos—a behaviour that is frowned upon in any other tournament on the Tour. If players fail to hit the green, they are required to throw out souvenirs to the fans as they walk to the green. Then, the boos turn to cheers, as players toss hats, footballs, and the like, into the crowd. The 16th hole also features the famous caddy race tradition, from the tee to the green. They run, they tackle, block, trick, somersault, and ultimately dive onto the green to beat the other caddy to the putting surface.
While this hole adds a fun, exciting dimension to golf, some players dread it. Many compare their experience to a gladiator entering the Roman Coliseum, where they are expected to perform well and satisfy the fans’ expectations. As a result, many young players refuse to play here, as the environment and atmosphere can be too much to handle. Three-time tour winner John Rollins said, “It’s the most nerve-racking short iron you’ll ever hit.”
Some other golf traditionalists are not fully supportive of the hole’s atmosphere, as it ruins the sport’s pristine image as a quiet ‘gentlemanly game.’
On the other hand, some players make sure to include this tournament on their bucket list, since there is nothing that matches its atmosphere. Hopefully the Phoenix Open will continue to bring in more enthused fans, and give golf a fresher, younger, and more energetic reputation. Think golf is boring? Watch this tournament and think again.
