Phoenix Open

The Phoenix Open began 90 years ago 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 not as enthusiastic about running the event as 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 (33.48°N 112.06°W / 33.48; -112.06),[2] both in its earlier incarnations and after Goldwater resuscitated it. Beginning in 1955, the Arizona Country Club (also in Phoenix) (33.49°N 111.96°W / 33.49; -111.96),[3] 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 35 years ago in 1987 to its current home, the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, northeast of downtown Phoenix. The approximate average elevation of the course is 1,530 feet (465 m) above sea level.

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 in attendance on Saturday, February 6 and set a tournament week attendance record of 618,365 fans.[4]

The most popular location for spectators is the par-3 16th hole, nicknamed "The Coliseum." (33.64°N 111.91°W / 33.64; -111.91) One of the shortest holes on tour at 162 yards (148 m), 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 very easy 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),[5] Jarrod Lyle (2011), and Sam Ryder (2022) have each aced the hole on Saturday, creating raucous celebrations at the hole."Watch: Sam Ryder makes an ace on 16 at WM Phoenix Open, coliseum nearly explodes and beer cans come raining down". Golfweek. February 12, 2022.</ref> 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 yards (140 m) from the tee box to the green, citing injury concerns.[6]

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 the 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 the organization of the tournament. Portions of the proceeds are used by the Thunderbirds to fund Special Olympics activities in Phoenix.

Since 1973,[7] the Phoenix Open has been played on the weekend of the Super Bowl. In 1976, coverage of the tournament aired immediately after CBS's coverage of Super Bowl X.[8] In 1996, it was played Wednesday through Saturday, as Super Bowl XXX was held at Sun Devil Stadium in nearby Tempe.[9] 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, the Phoenix Open airs on NBC when CBS has the Super Bowl, and NBC's Honda Classic airs on CBS in Winter Olympic years.

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-yard (510 m) par-5 15th hole in 1990. Andrew Magee scored the second on the 332-yard (304 m) par-4 17th hole in 2001, and was the first-ever ace on a par-4 in PGA Tour history.[10]

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share ($)	Purse ($)
WM Phoenix Open
2022	Scottie Scheffler	268	−16	Playoff	Patrick Cantlay	1,476,000	8,200,000
Waste Management Phoenix Open
2021	Brooks Koepka (2)	265	−19	1 stroke	Lee Kyoung-hoon Xander Schauffele	1,314,000	7,300,000
2020	Webb Simpson	267	−17	Playoff	Tony Finau	1,314,000	7,300,000
2019	Rickie Fowler	267	−17	2 strokes	Branden Grace	1,278,000	7,100,000
2018	Gary Woodland	266	−18	Playoff	Chez Reavie	1,242,000	6,900,000
2017	Hideki Matsuyama (2)	267	−17	Playoff	Webb Simpson	1,206,000	6,700,000
2016	Hideki Matsuyama	270	−14	Playoff	Rickie Fowler	1,170,000	6,500,000
2015	Brooks Koepka	269	−15	1 stroke	Hideki Matsuyama Ryan Palmer Bubba Watson	1,134,000	6,300,000
2014	Kevin Stadler	268	−16	1 stroke	Graham DeLaet Bubba Watson	1,116,000	6,200,000
2013	Phil Mickelson (3)	256	−28	4 strokes	Brandt Snedeker	1,116,000	6,200,000
2012	Kyle Stanley	269	−15	1 stroke	Ben Crane	1,098,000	6,100,000
2011	Mark Wilson	266	−18	Playoff	Jason Dufner	1,098,000	6,100,000
2010	Hunter Mahan	268	−16	1 stroke	Rickie Fowler	1,080,000	6,000,000
FBR Open
2009	Kenny Perry	270	−14	Playoff	Charley Hoffman	1,080,000	6,000,000
2008	J. B. Holmes (2)	270	−14	Playoff	Phil Mickelson	1,080,000	6,000,000
2007	Aaron Baddeley	263	−21	1 stroke	John Rollins	1,080,000	6,000,000
2006	J. B. Holmes	263	−21	7 strokes	J. J. Henry Steve Lowery Ryan Palmer Scott Verplank Camilo Villegas	936,000	5,200,000
2005	Phil Mickelson (2)	267	−17	5 strokes	Scott McCarron Kevin Na	936,000	5,200,000
2004	Jonathan Kaye	266	−18	2 strokes	Chris DiMarco	936,000	5,200,000
Phoenix Open
2003	Vijay Singh (2)	261	−23	3 strokes	John Huston	720,000	4,000,000
2002	Chris DiMarco	267	−17	1 stroke	Kenny Perry Kaname Yokoo	720,000	4,000,000
2001	Mark Calcavecchia (3)	256	−28	8 strokes	Rocco Mediate	720,000	4,000,000
2000	Tom Lehman	270	−14	1 stroke	Robert Allenby Rocco Mediate	576,000	3,200,000
1999	Rocco Mediate	273	−11	2 strokes	Justin Leonard	540,000	3,000,000
1998	Jesper Parnevik	269	−15	3 strokes	Tommy Armour III Brent Geiberger Steve Pate Tom Watson	450,000	2,500,000
1997	Steve Jones	258	−26	11 strokes	Jesper Parnevik	270,000	1,500,000
1996	Phil Mickelson	269	−15	Playoff	Justin Leonard	234,000	1,300,000
1995	Vijay Singh	269	−15	Playoff	Billy Mayfair	234,000	1,300,000
1994	Bill Glasson	268	−16	3 strokes	Bob Estes	216,000	1,200,000
1993	Lee Janzen	273	−11	2 strokes	Andrew Magee	180,000	1,000,000
1992	Mark Calcavecchia (2)	264	−20	5 strokes	Duffy Waldorf	180,000	1,000,000
1991	Nolan Henke	268	−16	1 stroke	Gil Morgan Curtis Strange Tom Watson	180,000	1,000,000
1990	Tommy Armour III	267	−17	5 strokes	Jim Thorpe	162,000	900,000
1989	Mark Calcavecchia	263	−21	7 strokes	Chip Beck	126,000	700,000
1988	Sandy Lyle	269	−15	Playoff	Fred Couples	117,000	650,000
1987	Paul Azinger	268	−16	1 stroke	Hal Sutton	108,000	600,000
1986	Hal Sutton	267	−17	2 strokes	Calvin Peete Tony Sills	90,000	500,000
1985	Calvin Peete	270	−14	2 strokes	Morris Hatalsky Doug Tewell	81,000	450,000
1984	Tom Purtzer	268	−16	1 stroke	Corey Pavin	72,000	400,000
1983	Bob Gilder (2)	271	−13	Playoff	Rex Caldwell Johnny Miller Mark O'Meara	63,000	350,000
1982	Lanny Wadkins	263	−21	6 strokes	Jerry Pate	54,000	300,000
1981	David Graham	268	−16	1 stroke	Lon Hinkle	54,000	300,000
1980	Jeff Mitchell	272	−12	4 strokes	Rik Massengale	54,000	300,000
1979	Ben Crenshaw	199[lower-alpha 1]	−14	1 stroke	Jay Haas	33,750	250,000
1978	Miller Barber	272	−12	1 stroke	Jerry Pate Lee Trevino	40,000	200,000
1977	Jerry Pate	277	−7	Playoff	Dave Stockton	40,000	200,000
1976	Bob Gilder	268	−16	2 strokes	Roger Maltbie	40,000	200,000
1975	Johnny Miller (2)	260	−24	14 strokes	Jerry Heard	30,000	150,000
1974	Johnny Miller	271	−13	1 stroke	Lanny Wadkins	30,000	150,000
1973	Bruce Crampton	268	−12	1 stroke	Steve Melnyk Lanny Wadkins	30,000	150,000
1972	Homero Blancas	273	−11	Playoff	Lanny Wadkins	25,000	125,000
Phoenix Open Invitational
1971	Miller Barber	261	−23	2 strokes	Billy Casper Dan Sikes	25,000	125,000
1970	Dale Douglass	271	−13	1 stroke	Howie Johnson Gene Littler	20,000	100,000
1969	Gene Littler (3)	263	−21	2 strokes	Miller Barber Don January Billy Maxwell	20,000	100,000
1968	George Knudson	272	−12	3 strokes	Julius Boros Sam Carmichael Jack Montgomery	20,000	100,000
1967	Julius Boros	272	−12	1 stroke	Ken Still	14,000	70,000
1966	Dudley Wysong	278	−6	1 stroke	Gardner Dickinson	9,000	60,000
1965	Rod Funseth	274	−14	3 strokes	Bert Yancey	10,500	65,000
1964	Jack Nicklaus	271	−13	3 strokes	Bob Brue	7,500	50,000
1963	Arnold Palmer (3)	273	−15	1 stroke	Gary Player	5,300	35,000
1962	Arnold Palmer (2)	269	−15	12 strokes	Billy Casper Don Fairfield Bob McCallister Jack Nicklaus	5,300	35,000
1961	Arnold Palmer	270	−10	Playoff	Doug Sanders	4,300	30,000
1960	Jack Fleck	273	−11	Playoff	Bill Collins	3,150	22,500
1959	Gene Littler (2)	268	−12	1 stroke	Art Wall Jr.	2,400	20,000
1958	Ken Venturi	274	−10	1 stroke	Walter Burkemo Jay Hebert	2,000	15,000
1957	Billy Casper	271	−9	3 strokes	Cary Middlecoff Mike Souchak	2,000	15,000
Phoenix Open
1956	Cary Middlecoff	276	−8	3 strokes	Mike Souchak	2,400	15,000
1955	Gene Littler	275	−5	1 stroke	Billy Maxwell Johnny Palmer	2,400	15,000
1954	Ed Furgol	272	−12	Playoff	Cary Middlecoff	2,000	10,000
1953	Lloyd Mangrum (2)	272	−12	6 strokes	Johnny Bulla Ted Kroll Bo Wininger	2,000	10,000
1952	Lloyd Mangrum	274	−10	5 strokes	Dutch Harrison	2,000	10,000
1951	Lew Worsham	272	−12	1 stroke	Lawson Little	2,000	10,000
Ben Hogan Open
1950	Jimmy Demaret (2)	269	−15	1 stroke	Sam Snead	2,000	10,000
Phoenix Open
1949	Jimmy Demaret	278	−6	Playoff	Ben Hogan	2,000	10,000
1948	Bobby Locke	268	−16	1 stroke	Jimmy Demaret	2,000	10,000
1947	Ben Hogan (2)	270	−14	7 strokes	Lloyd Mangrum Ed Oliver	2,000	10,000
1946	Ben Hogan	273	−11	Playoff	Herman Keiser	1,500	7,500
1945	Byron Nelson (2)	274	−10	2 strokes	Denny Shute	1,000	5,000
1944	Jug McSpaden	273	−11	Playoff	Byron Nelson	1,000	5,000
1941–1943: No tournament
1940	Ed Oliver	205	−8	1 stroke	Ben Hogan	700	3,000
1939	Byron Nelson	198	−15	12 strokes	Ben Hogan	700	3,000
1936–1938: No tournament
1935	Ky Laffoon	281	−3	4 strokes	Craig Wood	500	2,500
1934	No tournament
Arizona Open
1933	Harry Cooper	281	−3	2 strokes	Ray Mangrum Horton Smith	400	1,500
1932	Ralph Guldahl	285	−1	5 strokes	John Perelli	600	2,500

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources[11][12][13]

Fifteen men have won this tournament more than once.

• 3 wins
  • Arnold Palmer: 1961, 1962, 1963 (consecutive)[14][15]
  • Gene Littler: 1955, 1959, 1969
  • Mark Calcavecchia: 1989, 1992, 2001
  • Phil Mickelson: 1996, 2005, 2013
• 2 wins
  • Byron Nelson: 1939, 1945
  • Ben Hogan: 1946, 1947 (consecutive)[16][17]
  • Jimmy Demaret: 1949, 1950 (consecutive)[18]
  • Lloyd Mangrum: 1952, 1953
  • Johnny Miller: 1974, 1975 (consecutive)[19][20]
  • Miller Barber: 1971, 1978
  • Bob Gilder: 1976, 1983
  • Vijay Singh: 1995, 2003
  • J. B. Holmes: 2006, 2008
  • Hideki Matsuyama: 2016, 2017 (consecutive)
  • Brooks Koepka: 2015, 2021

• Official website
• Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site