No More Fun of ANY KIND!

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

So, it appears Dean Vernon Wormer is now running the show at the Waste Management Phoenix Open...

 

No fun in Phoenix? Tourney bans tosses to crowd

By

Will Gray

 

The rowdiest stage in golf will become a little less fun this year.

A PGA Tour spokesman confirmed to GolfChannel.com Tuesday that players and caddies will no longer be allowed to throw or kick items into the stands on the 16th hole at theWaste Management Phoenix Open, citing safety concerns.

The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale has grown in both stature and sheer volume in recent years, with players now surrounded by thousands of fans who scream once the ball leaves the tee on the par 3.

After receiving cheers - or jeers - from the gallery, many players opt to hand out items to the crowd. Some like Rickie Fowler have been known to distribute hats, while Phil Mickelson took the unconventional route of tossing a few footballs into the stands last year. 

This will be the second consecutive year that an entertaining element was removed from the raucous hole, as last year the Tour banned the popular tee-to-green caddie races, citing safety concerns.

Of course, security awareness may be heightened this year at TPC Scottsdale, where record-breaking crowds are expected. Super Bowl XLIX will be played in nearby Glendale shortly after the final round concludes, and Tiger Woods will be making his first appearance at the event since 2001.

 

 

 

 

 

[JBones]

This may be the lamest thing I've heard in quite a while.  

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

This isn't over...

 

 

Patrick Reed to the rescue...

[Blade]

What a bunch of idiots. A perfect way to attract attention to golf and make a small step in dispelling the perception that it's a boring game for old farts; and the boring old farts have to take away the fun of the races and now even tossing souvenirs into the crowd? What the hell is wrong with them? Way to grow the game Morons.

 

Imagine if a baseball stadium decided no more shooting tee shirts into the crowd, or tossing a bag of peanuts down the row for the same lame excuse. Imbeciles....

[markb]

The Phoenix Waste Management open was the ONLY stop on tour headed in the right direction.   Golf needs more of it, not less.   To quote another 80's icon, their attitude now seems to be....

 

[KCLeo12]

Wow that's a little ridiculous. And I was planning on heading out there for the tournament guess I won't now. Have they had people get hurt from any of this? At least this would give them a reason.

[Blade]

I literally just typed out the following email to TPC Scottsdale.  I hope it gets there.

 

I hear and read all the time anymore about the game of golf being in trouble with lack of interest from younger people, fewer rounds played, etc.  It's hard to attract younger people to the game anymore.  There are too many options to take their time that are far more exciting for them.  The perception about golf is that it's a boring, slow dull game for old farts. 

 

Your tournament is in a unique position to to chip away at that perception.  The Stadium Course!  Cheering crowds!  Excitement in the air!  Racing caddies!  Pros tossing souvenirs to the crowd!

 

Oh wait, scratch that... The boring, slow, dull old farts say NO caddie races anymore! "We can't have people getting excited over GOLF!!!!"  Wait again!  The boring, slow, dull old farts say NO to pros tossing gifts to the crowd!  "We can't have people getting excited over golf after-all."  "A safety concern."  How ridiculous!  Can you imagine a baseball stadium saying no more shooting tee shirts into the audience stating safety concerns?  For that matter, the players better not run to the bases anymore, they could get hurt.  Wait a minute, that swinging bat is dangerous.  No more batting.  Where does it end?  

 

This is absolute stupidity.  Spectators, caddies and players at a golf tournament have a lot more risk from a stray golf ball than any imagined risk for them from a football or hat being tossed to them or caddies having a good time on a special hole racing to the green.

 

What better way to grow the game of golf than to show it's about having fun!  It's a blast, all televised so even people with that perception of golf might get to see some excitement associated with the game and have second thoughts about their opinion.

 

But no, apparently the stuffy, boring, slow, dull old farts can't see past the nose on their face and instead listen to overpaid attorneys "protecting" their "interests".  Funny, how their "interests" apparently don't include the game itself.

 

How PATHETIC.

 

 

I hope they get more emails and letters to that effect.  What nonsense.

[SPY ZINGER]

Blade you should send it to Waste Management as well as the tour.

[BIG STU]

Good e mail Blade. I agree with you 100% This seems to be headed in a typical knee jerk reaction people and organizations afraid of being sued. No wonder we have more lawyers per capita than any nation on earth

[revkev]

Blade it's not likely the course's decision. Hit the sponsor and copy the tour. This is so ridiculous that I thought it must be about the USGA.

 

I hope Gary McCord takes a run at this one.

[Jmikecpa]

What a bunch of idiots. A perfect way to attract attention to golf and make a small step in dispelling the perception that it's a boring game for old farts; and the boring old farts have to take away the fun of the races and now even tossing souvenirs into the crowd? What the hell is wrong with them? Way to grow the game Morons.

 

Imagine if a baseball stadium decided no more shooting tee shirts into the crowd, or tossing a bag of peanuts down the row for the same lame excuse. Imbeciles....

MLB did that for a few years.....and guess what???  It is back in full force.

[Blade]

The address I found was

 

[email protected]

 

Thought that would cover it. Does that sound right? I don't think that goes to the course. Not sure Waste Management will get it though.

[Jmikecpa]

Notice that there is no safety concern over the people that get there at 8 AM and drink Miller Lite all darn day....not that there is anything wrong with that.  

 

Seems to me that they are trying to limit liability (which I understand to a point) in areas that do not make direct profit for the tournament.

[Jmikecpa]

Notice that there is no safety concern over the people that get there at 8 AM and drink Miller Lite all darn day....not that there is anything wrong with that.  

 

Seems to me that they are trying to limit liability (which I understand to a point) in areas that do not make direct profit for the tournament.

[Blade]

MLB did that for a few years.....and guess what??? It is back in full force.

Did they really? I didn't know that.

[wbealsd]

Sadly, "Waste Management" seem only too appropriate a description in this case...

[hckymeyer]

Well written email, I think we should all copy and paste it and then send it off. Maybe add a link to this thread as well.

[Jmikecpa]

Did they really? I didn't know that.

Yep. In the mid 90's they banned throwing peanuts and it really did hurt the overall experience at places like Wrigley. Not sure if it ever really went public but it was there.

[whiskey golf]

Like everyone here has said, this is lame.

[mbrodeur86]

Wow really sad they are doing this. It's totally a 180 from what they should be doing. 

[GolfSpy Dave]

Maybe they were worried about hats being lethal… (@1:05)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65nNcNiwJHM

 

or maybe they are just asshats 

[wbealsd]

Maybe they were worried about hats being lethal… (@1:05)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65nNcNiwJHM

 

or maybe they are just asshats 

[Kor.A.Door]

It hurst golf, if you want your product (golf) to be fun and exciting, then you have to have fun and exciting things with it, this used to be one of the funnest tourney's to watch, or even go to, but it's now turning into just another tourney that no one will care about, it's sad

[jmwils81]

That is by far the best tournament on tour. From the group of people that research each player so they can interact with them on a completely different level. The smiles on the Pros faces as they take a lashing when they dump one in the sand or miss a three footer for par. It is great for the game and Waste Management is trying to ruin that . It is as iconic as 17 at the players, Once you tee off on 1 you start thinking of and hearing 16.

[hckymeyer]

From the sounds of it players/caddies are still allowed to pass out items by handing them to the crowd, they just aren't allowed to throw them.

 

(From Zinger's Twitter feed)

 

Well posting the image isn't working, but you can check it out from Zinger...

 

www.twitter.com/spyzinger

[BK in TEXAS]

I have 2 kids under 10....both them said it was "the coolest golf they ever saw" while they watched the caddie races and players throwing crap into the crowd, not to mention James Hahn's "gangnam" birdie dance.  Both begged me to take them.  Way to screw up a good thing PGA.  Dumb a$$e$.

[ACcustomX]

Ruining the best hole in golf! It's half the reason I watch this tournament! Just to see who's going to through out what! Who's caddie is going to take a nose dive during a caddie race! What players will race! etc.... Golf needs this hole and all that happens there.

[Mr_Theoo]

I wouldn't be surprised if we still see people throwing things to fans and the sponsors paying the fines.