At PGA Tour events, golf fans are typically expected to be calm and respectful. However, the Waste Management Phoenix Open breaks that standard at TPC Scottsdale’s famous – and infamous – 16th hole. The noisy par-3 stadium hole, surrounded by bleachers and skyboxes, will return to full capacity and decibel levels for the 2022 event after fan 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 a non-profit organization that was founded in 1986 to administer the tournament and distribute the money it raised to charities in Arizona. Although the crews are busy, Chance Cozby, executive director of Thunderbirds, said there are challenges in setting up the venue at TPC Scottsdale. ALSO READ: Arizona Ranking: Top 10 Golf Courses for 2021 “We had 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 building the biggest and greenest show on grass.” . It seats almost 20,000 spectators, which is around 6-10% of the tournament attendance on Saturday, the busiest day of the event. There are also 275 skyboxes overlooking the loch as part of the construction, each with HD TVs, couches, and food and drink service. The iconic hole is surrounded by mounds of grass before the stadium goes up and turned out to be the most popular spot for fans on the pitch when Arizona State University students moved there to watch former Sun Devils star Phil Mickelson play. The PGA Tour and tournament officials had to decide whether to try to soften the noisy atmosphere or to accept it. You hugged it. Since then, tournament organizers have continued to add new folds over the years, first bleachers that became grandstands and finally skyboxes, and then a tunnel entrance for the players entering the 15th and 16th stadiums. Tournament chairman Michael Golding said there are more new items for 2022, including what organizers have dubbed a “concert at the Colosseum”. “The Waste Management Phoenix Open has 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. ”Golding said DraftKings, the sports betting company, will also be part of the 2022 tournament, and home builder Taylor Morrison will sponsor a new feature that will appeal to the average golf fanatic and offers a view of another part of the square. “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 may be as excited to see spectators return as the fans to return to 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,” says Cozby. “The most important thing for us is that we give something back. We gave away $ 14 million on waste management in 2020. ”That number fell to about $ 3.8 million last year, and Cozby is excited about the opportunity for the tournament to return to normal in 2022. Tournament week runs February 7-13, including pro-ams, training rounds, and charity events. The PGA Tour Event runs February 10-13 at TPC Scottsdale.
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