As most of the sports world was focused on the Super Bowl, the PGA Tour held its annual Waste Management Phoenix Open. Just as the Super Bowl started, Nick Taylor made a putt on the 18th green to force a playoff with Charley Hoffman. The two golfers remained tied after the first playoff hole, but Nick Taylor soon won the tournament by birding the 18th hole for the third time that day. Taylor’s come from behind win was impressive, but the real story happened the day before.
At “The People’s Open,” Saturday is the most rowdy day of the tournament. The normally hushed and quiet crowds that accompany the PGA’s other tournaments are notoriously absent from the Waste Management Open. The tournament is infamous for excessive alcohol consumption and wild fan behavior; but this year’s crowd was over the top. [1] A woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries after falling twenty feet from the stadium encircling the 16th hole. [2] Another spectator ran across the 16th green and was eventually tackled by security after he backflipped and did “sand-angels” in a greenside bunker. [3] Throughout the tournament, the number of arrests tripled and the number of ejections doubled from 2023 to 2024. [4] In all, there were over 650 calls for emergency service. [5]
These emergency calls were also caused by the tournament’s massive crowd. Due to the heavy rains that suspended the first day of the tournament, the course experienced widespread mud, which made any attempt to move around the course nearly impossible. When combined with a crowd that totaled over 220,000 people, the mud left people stuck and fearing the possibility of being trampled. [6] At points, people collapsed and were almost crushed in crowded areas, which led to fences being cut open so that the massive crowds could have extra space to move. [7] The crowd was so big that Jordan Speith’s return to the course was delayed because the tournament needed extra space to accommodate it. [8]
Spieth, however, was not the only golfer that was inconvenienced during the tournament. Comparing the tournament to the equally rambunctious crowds in Happy Gilmore, golfer Zach Johnson said that he may not play the tournament again. [9] Johnson said that the crowd’s behavior throughout the tournament “crossed a line”, and that the directors need to do something about it before someone gets really hurt, or worse. [10] In addition to Johnson, Billy Horschel and Jordan Speith were also heckled while they were playing. [11] In response to this, Horschel said that players may not choose to attend the tournament if the crowd continues to escalate its rowdy behavior. [12]
In response to the crowds’ unruly nature, the Waste Management Open suspended alcohol sales—a first for the tournament—and closed the gates to limit the number of spectators. [13] Tournament directors plan to completely change its operations and rethink how it manages its security plan for next year’s event. To them, “nothing is off the table.” [14]
The Waste Management’s crowd is unique and should continue to be – but not at the cost of spectator safety or to the annoyance of the players. To gain fans, LIV Golf replicates Waste Management Open’s rambunctious atmosphere for its tournaments by creating a “party hole” for its spectators. [15] Tournament directors in both leagues, however, must strike a balance between creating a fun spectator experience and safety. Safety for both its spectators and players should be the tournament’s primary goal. Hopefully, the tournament directors can learn from this experience and create a safe, fun environment—for both the fans and the players— at next year’s tournament.
[3] https://golf.com/news/phoenix-open-rogers-report-gates-closed/
[5] See id.
[6] https://golf.com/news/phoenix-open-rogers-report-gates-closed/
[7] See id.
[10] See id.
[11] See id.
[12] See id.
[13] https://golf.com/news/phoenix-open-rogers-report-gates-closed/
[15] https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/liv-golf-party-hole-to-return-at-this-weeks-las-vegas-debut
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