PGA Tour 2024 - WM Phoenix Open

[FrogginBullfish]

1 hour ago, StrokerAce said:

name another tournament - anywhere - that this happens:

LIV Adelaide probably

[StrokerAce]

2 minutes ago, FrogginBullfish said:

LIV Adelaide probably

show me... these things actual happened, not probably happened.

[vandyland]

Personally, I don't think I would ever want to go to the WMPO but, they do have an identity. A lot of lower level tournaments would kill to have that kind of engagement (hate that word but there it is) and it seems to reach a lot of "non-golf fans." The flipside is this is what WMPO sets themselves up for. They basically want the biggest party they can get and it seems to get bigger every year. I think eventually the players might start to push back. 

[StrokerAce]

10 minutes ago, vandyland said:

Personally, I don't think I would ever want to go to the WMPO but, they do have an identity. A lot of lower level tournaments would kill to have that kind of engagement (hate that word but there it is) and it seems to reach a lot of "non-golf fans." The flipside is this is what WMPO sets themselves up for. They basically want the biggest party they can get and it seems to get bigger every year. I think eventually the players might start to push back. 

If I'm a player, I'm not going until they clean it up. There's a reason everyone calls it the Wasted Management Open - there are people that go who have no idea how golf even works. They are there for one reason and one reason only.

If you caught the videos of Zach J and Spieth and Billy Ho and probably a bunch of others it's just the tip of the iceberg.

But, the tour and local biz make a TON of $$$$$ from it so we know how that's going to go....

[jolter1]

Welcome to the new PGATour world.

[vandyland]

4 minutes ago, StrokerAce said:

If you caught the videos of Zach J and Spieth and Billy Ho and probably a bunch of others it's just the tip of the iceberg.

It's tricky but we all know how much power the players have. As someone who rarely, if ever, drinks...it is not my scene. On the other hand, for my friends that are not golfers, this is like the only non-major tournament they can name. I was at a super bowl watch party last night and one guy was like "I love the kickoff event for the PGA Tour in Phoenix" and I was like "they have already played like 5 events this year....

To expand this, the tour just got a big investment from Private Equity and this has become a very visible event for the tour. They are going to have to manage this carefully. Almost like a star player that keeps getting in trouble (Ja Morant maybe?). Again, I would HATE being at the WMPO but it gets eyeballs (though I am curious what their viewership was this year with the playoff getting pushed into the Super Bowl). Again, as an entertainment product, this delivers. As a golf competition/tournament, it has gotten WAAY out of control. Which is more important for the ultimate success of the tour? 

[ParGuy]

Way to go Nick Taylor You got the job done

[ClarkWGriswoldIII]

The players will eventually vote with their feet and just not play if its not brought under control and this will be relegated to the western equivalent of the Barbasol Championship.

[billpierce]

On 2/8/2024 at 5:29 PM, Splatt said:

That's terrible.

Sounds like something I'd do, haha

Uggh that is a bad day

[billpierce]

1 hour ago, FrogginBullfish said:

LIV Adelaide probably

I dont like it.  While I like the popularity up and fun up the amount of disrepsect and craziness goes to far. Including the booing.

[DiverDown]

I was on the edge of my seat watching Nick Taylor tie it up then win it.  I enjoyed it way more than the second half of the SB.  My financial guy played TPC Scottsdale last year. 

[ChuckZ]

On 2/8/2024 at 7:04 AM, Splatt said:

G’day Golfers,

Who’s ready to party??
Who’s ready to litter like an absolute mad-man if someone happens to even get close to the hole on a par 3??
Who’s ready for a million unnecessary comparisons to the LIV Party Zone (or whatever it’s called)?

That’s right!! It’s time for the WM Phoenix Open!!

The WM Phoenix Open is one of the biggest stop of the PGA Tour outside of the Majors and The Players Championship, so much has been made of it’s famous par-3 16th that it gets a mini-stadium built around it every year.

And rightly so, there’s some very famous shots on this hole.
A few here:

 

Before we get into the guts of this comp, an awful golf joke:

What do most golfers have to shoot to win their tournament?
*
The rest of the field!

 

The WM Phoenix Open is played in Phoenix, surprisingly, at TPC Scottsdale to be exact. TPC Scottsdale is a par-71, 7,261-yard Weiskopf designed course. It has been the host of the WM Phoenix Open every year since 1987!
If you’re wondering if that’s a long time, I was born around that time and my knees crack when I stand up and my back hurts, so yeah, that’s an old tournament.

All eyes are on Scottie Scheffler this year as he has won this event 2 years in a row and he becomes the latest in a fairly short list to attempt the three-peat at the Phoenix Open.
With a win this weekend he would become the first player to successfully defend a PGA Tour event since Steve Stricker at the John Deere between 2009 & 2011, and he’ll also become the first player to do it at the WM Phoenix Open since Arnold Palmer between 1961 & 1963. Hideki Matsuyama came close back in 2018 after winning the previous 2 years, but he was forced to withdraw with an injury.

Field Highlights

·         Scotty Scheffler – a highlight most weeks, but especially so this week given the three-peat opportunity. Scheffler has yet to put a foot wrong this year (if you exclude his putting), with 11 rounds of golf under his belt he’s only shot over 70 twice. Just actually sit back and imagine if your last 11 rounds of golf you broke par every time, but only failed to break 70 twice. That is consistency that is going to lead to many victories this year, if he can keep it up.
 

·         Wyndham Clark – Last weeks winner, even though it will forever have an asterisk, a win is a win. Clark has 3 professional wins in his career and all have come in the last 25 starts, including at Major win at last years U.S Open and last weeks Pebble Beach Pro-AM. To say he’s on an upward trajectory is a bit of an understatement at this point.
 

·         Justin Thomas – Speaking of upward trajectories; JT is here and he’s here to play. Of the 2 events he’s played this year he’s finished in the top 10 both times. But, that doesn’t tell the whole story, for that we have to go back to the tail end of last year. JT had been having a pretty poor season, he missed the cut at the Masters and the U.S Open, and after that finished T-60 at the Genesis Scottish Open, then went on to miss the cut at The Open and the 3M Open. After this he picked his game up finishing T-12 at the Wyndham, solo-5th at the Fortinet, and then solo-3rd at the Hero. JT’s stock is rising, are you on board?
 

·         Brian Harman – Anyone who’s listened to the No Laying Up podcast with Brian Harman will know how great a guy he is. Harman won once last season but it happened to be The Open Championship. I’m sure most pro golfers would take one win a year if the win was a major. Since then Brian has been on a bit of a roll with not missing a cut and racking up a few more top 10’s. This year he’s continued his run this year with 3 events played, he’s not missed a cut and racked up 2 top-25 finishes.

 

The rest of the field can be found here.

 

My next golf joke is really bad, like really really bad. It’s so bad, that I’m gunna leave it right to the end of the preview.

It should be a very entertaining week at the WM Phoenix Open, just like every year. All eyes will be on that famous par 3, and if anyone does happen to score a hole-in-one, may the golf-gods help the clean up crew and also that pros social media team.

If you’re a part of the MGS Pick ‘EM comp, this is your very last warning to put your picks in.

 

Alright joke time. I hope you’re ready.

Why didn’t the golfer say anything before he hit the ball off the tee?
*
He was at a loss FORE words.

I told you it was terrible.

 

SPLATT

Let's call it what it is,  The TPC of Scottsdale - Stadium Course.  Been there done that.  But not on the day of all the craziness.  

[JaySavay]

I mean in all reality, after watching this whole weekend and squeezing in a pretty slow Super Bowl… is this the tournament that’s supposed to be rivaling what LIV is? I don’t know if y’all saw the hole in one with blasted music but I guess it’s still a “newer” type of golf style.

 

[SDunne]

I've always thought this event had a lot of personality but I feel it's now gone a bit too far. When you have the players telling spectators to be quiet it's a bad look. Fully onboard with making things fun but there needs to be some work put in by the course and the event staff to look after patrons a bit more. In Australia, the RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) can go a bit far at times but certainly would have snuffed out a fair bit of the silly behaviour (hopefully). 

I love the stands, the cheering (after shots) and celebrations but the course invasions etc need to stop and respect the players a bit more. 

[CrazyGolfNut]

The last time I went to Phoenix Open was 2011.  We sat in the bleachers on 16 for several hours and had a great time.  Sure fan cheered and there were boos but it was not out of control.  We walked around and the rest of the course was normal golf. Dont think I want to go back in this day and age. 

Edited February 13 by CrazyGolfNut

[Brian6965]

I was really pulling for Charlie Hoffman.  I had a bad feeling after he hit the drive on 17 and turned out I was right!