Nick Zeller-Singh and Jack Johnson Cronkite News At PGA Tour events, golf fans are typically expected to be calm and respectful. However, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is breaking that standard on TPC Scottsdale’s famous – and infamous – 16th hole.Access was restricted in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction of the grandstands is underway as tournament officials and the sponsoring Thunderbirds Organization prepare TPC Scottsdale’s stadium course for the event. The Thunderbirds are the non-profit organization founded in 1986 to administer the tournament and distribute funds to charities in Arizona. Though the crews are busy, Chance Cozby, executive director of Thunderbirds said there are challenges in setting up the venue at TPC Scottsdale. “We took a year off with COVID and didn’t build much in 2020,” Cozby said. “We’re just trying to get everyone back on track and get back into the rhythm of setting up the biggest and greenest show on grass.” The temporary stadium on the 16th hole has to be set up before the tournament and dismantled again after it has ended . It seats almost 20,000 spectators, which is around 6-10% of the tournament attendance on Saturday, the busiest day of the event. As part of the build, there are also 275 skyboxes overlooking the loch, each with HD TVs, couches, and food and drink services. People also read … The iconic hole is surrounded by mounds of grass before the stadium blows up and became the fan favorite when Arizona State University students moved there to watch former Sun Devils star Phil Mickelson play to watch. The PGA Tour and tournament officials had to decide whether to try to tone down or accept the noisy atmosphere. Since then, tournament organizers have kept adding new folds over the years, first bleachers growing into grandstands and finally skyboxes, and then a tunnel entrance for players leaving the 15th and entering the stadium on the 16th. Tournament Chairman Michael Golding said there is more new stuff for 2022, including what organizers have referred to as a “Concert at the Colosseum” a brand new event that I’m looking forward to, “said Golding. “On February 5th we are holding a concert with Old Dominion and Thomas Rhett on the 16th hole. We’re going to drop a stage in the middle of the fairway and Old Dominion will open to Thomas Rhett appealing to the average golf fanatic for a look at another part of the course. “We have 36,000 feet of structure for the 12th hole fairway house,” said Golding. “A general admission fan can come out and enjoy four holes from our highest point on the golf course.” The Thunderbirds can enjoy the crowds returning, as can the fans on the course. Since 2010, the Thunderbirds have paid out more than $ 45 million from the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “We’re bringing people and energy back to town this time of year,” Cozby said. “The most important thing for us is that we give something back. We gave away $ 14 million in waste management in 2020. ”That number fell to about $ 3.8 million last year, and Cozby is excited about the opportunity the tournament can return to normal in 2022. Tournament week runs from February 7th to 13th, including pro-ams, practice rounds, and charity events. The PGA Tour Event runs February 10-13 at TPC Scottsdale. Get Local News in Your Inbox!
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