WM Phoenix Open

The Thunderbirds are once again inviting active First Responders as well as Active, Reserve, Veterans and Retired U.S. Military personnel and one accompanying individual to be their guest at the 2023 [geoswitch][geoswitch_case country_code=”US” state_code=”AZ”]WM Phoenix Open Presented by Taylor Morrison[/geoswitch_case][geoswitch_case]WM Phoenix Open[/geoswitch_case][/geoswitch]. This is the 20th year that the tournament host Thunderbirds have extended this free invitation as a small gesture of thanks for all these heroes do for our country.

To take advantage of the free admission offer, First Responders and Active, Reserve, Veterans and Retired U.S. Military must first register through the GovX verification program ($5.50 processing fee applies). Once qualified, they will receive a link as well as a unique one-time passcode to secure their mobile tickets. Tickets are limited to two per day, per qualifying applicant. A mobile ticket will be required to enter the tournament. Additional information can be found HERE.

Additionally, the Birdies for the Brave Patriots’ Outpost will be open Wednesday through Sunday during tournament week and available to all Active, Reserve, Veterans and Retired U.S. military from all five branches of the Armed Forces. Located in a prime spot near the 18th tee, Patriots’ Outpost is a great venue where military personnel (+ one guest) can enjoy great food and drinks (complimentary) and watch PGA TOUR golf action in a relaxed and comfortable setting.

In order for all of our military heroes to get the chance to experience the Birdies for the Brave Patriots Outpost, official military ID’s will be required to gain access, and the one-guest maximum guideline will be enforced to help keep the crowds and wait times down.

The 2023 WM Phoenix Open will take place Feb. 6-12 at TPC Scottsdale. “The People’s Open” has been named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR four times in the past seven years (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019) to acknowledge the tournament’s legendary status as one the most unique events in golf. The 2023 edition will mark the 87th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 13th with WM as title sponsor.

Tournament Chairman Dr. Michael Golding announced today Major champion and five-time PGA TOUR winner Jason Dufner will receive the second of five available sponsor exemptions for the 2022 [geoswitch][geoswitch_case country_code=”US” state_code=”AZ”]WM Phoenix Open Presented by Taylor Morrison[/geoswitch_case][geoswitch_case]WM Phoenix Open[/geoswitch_case][/geoswitch], which is scheduled to be tee it up Feb. 7-13 at TPC Scottsdale.   The first 2022 WM Phoenix Open sponsor exemption went to Arizona State University freshman standout Preston Summerhays. The remaining three invites will be announced leading up to the tournament.

Dufner has racked up five PGA TOUR victories since turning professional in 2000 including the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the HP Byron Nelson Championship in 2012, the 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge and the 2017 Memorial Tournament. His Major victory came at the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hills Country Club’s East Course which he won by two strokes over Jim Furyk. He has two Top-10 finishes in seven starts at the WM Phoenix Open, including a runner-up finish in a playoff loss to Mark Wilson in 2011.  Dufner also represented the United States in the Ryder Cup in 2012 and was part of the winning U.S. Presidents Cup team in 2013.

A field of 132 players will vie for the $8.2 million purse, the $1,476,000 first-place check, and 500 FedExCup points.  PGA TOUR members have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, to commit to play in the WM Phoenix Open. Eligible players are assigned one of 34 PGA TOUR priority ranking categories based on their past performance on TOUR. The field will continue to change as players with higher priority rankings commit to play in the Open.

The 2022 WM Phoenix Open will take place Feb. 7-13 at TPC Scottsdale. “The People’s Open” has been named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR four times in the past seven years (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019) to acknowledge the tournament’s legendary status as one the most unique events in golf. The 2022 edition will mark the 87th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 13^th with WM as title sponsor.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 280 “life” members who have helped the tournament eclipse $165 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 (through the 2021 tournament).  For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, visit thunderbirdscharities.org.

Arizona Cardinals all-time leading receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Golf Channel correspondent Alexandra O’Laughlin, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith and actor/comedian Rob Riggle are among the early list of celebrities who will be playing in the Annexus Pro-Am at the [geoswitch][geoswitch_case country_code="US" state_code="AZ"]WM Phoenix Open Presented by Taylor Morrison[/geoswitch_case][geoswitch_case]WM Phoenix Open[/geoswitch_case][/geoswitch] on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.

A routine fixture at the Annexus Pro-am, Fitzgerald played 17 seasons in the NFL – all with the Arizona Cardinals. During that time, Fitzgerald was named to 11 Pro Bowls, one First Team All-Pro (2008), twice led the NFL in receptions (2005, 2016), twice led the NFL in receiving touchdowns (2008, 2009), won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2016 and is currently ranked second all-time in NFL receiving yards with 17,492.

O’Laughlin joined Golf Channel in 2017 as a reporter and correspondent focusing on digital and social coverage of PGA TOUR events. She has done an increasing number of travel pieces for the network including “Go Around with Alexandra O’Laughlin”, a regular segment in which O’Laughlin travels the world uncovering fun and interesting things about the game of golf.  O’Laughlin also competed in and won last year’s Shot at Glory.

Smith retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards during his 15-year career with the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. During that time, Smith won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys (1992, 1993, 1995), was named first-team All-Pro four times (1992-1995) and was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1993. This marks Smith’s fourth appearance at the Annexus Pro-Am (2016, 2018, 2019). Smith won the Phoenix Suns Charities Shot at Glory closest-to-the-pin contest in 2016.

Riggle is an American actor, comedian and former United States Marine Officer best known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 2006 to 2008. Riggle also was as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2004 to 2005, and cast as a recurring character Gil Thorpe on the sitcom Modern Family. Riggle also had a role in comedic films such as “The Hangover”, “The Other Guys”, “Let's Be Cops”, “Dumb & Dumber Two”, “21 Jump Street”, “22 Jump Street”, “The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard”, and “Step Brothers”.

Tee times for the Annexus Pro-Am will range from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.  Exact tee times for participants will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 8 on wmpodev.wpenginepowered.com/, along with a complete list of celebrities and PGA TOUR players in the field.

The 2022 [geoswitch][geoswitch_case country_code="US" state_code="AZ"]WM Phoenix Open Presented by Taylor Morrison[/geoswitch_case][geoswitch_case]WM Phoenix Open[/geoswitch_case][/geoswitch] will take place Feb. 7-13 at TPC Scottsdale. “The People’s Open” has been named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR four times in the past eight years (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019) to acknowledge the tournament’s legendary status as one the most unique events in golf. The 2022 edition will mark the 87th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 13^th with WM as title sponsor.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 280 “life” members who have helped the tournament eclipse $165 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 (through the 2021 tournament).  For more information on The Thunderbirds, visit thunderbirdscharities.org.

FIELD NOW BOASTS 5 OF THE TOP-10, 11 OF TOP-20 PLAYERS IN THE WORLD

“The People’s Open” field continues to get stronger as World Top-10s Viktor Hovland (5) and Xander Schauffele (7) have committed to play in the 2022 [geoswitch][geoswitch_case country_code=”US” state_code=”AZ”]WM Phoenix Open Presented by Taylor Morrison[/geoswitch_case][geoswitch_case]WM Phoenix Open[/geoswitch_case][/geoswitch], which is set to tee it up Feb. 7-13 at TPC Scottsdale.   The field now includes five players ranked in the Top-10 and 11 of the Top-20 in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).

Hovland has three PGA TOUR wins under his belt since turning pro in 2019, including a victory at the Worldwide Technology Championship at Mayakoba last November.  The Norwegian is coming off a stellar 2020-21 season where he earned a win (Mayakoba Golf Classic), two runner-up finishes, two third place finishes and a T5 at the season-ending TOUR Championship to finish fifth overall in the final FedExCup standings.  This will be Hovland’s second appearance at the WM Phoenix Open.

Schauffele, the gold medal winner at the 2021 Olympic Games, also had a spectacular 2020-21 season, notching three runner-up finishes, four Top-5’s, eight top-10s and a matching T5 with Hovland at the TOUR Championship to tie him for fifth in the final FedExCup standings.  His outstanding season was capped with that Gold Medal in Tokyo and a win as a member of the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team.  He has finished inside the Top-20 in all four WM Phoenix Open appearances, including his runner-up finish in 2021.

The star-studded field now features 22 players ranked in the Top-50 of the Official World Golf Rankings, led by Jon Rahm who sits first in the standings and followed closely by Hovland at 5th. The other top-ranked players include Justin Thomas (6), Schauffele (7), Hideki Matsuyama (10), Sam Burns (13), Jordan Spieth (14), Scottie Scheffler (15), Tony Finau (16), Brooks Koepka (17), Abraham Ancer (19), Jason Kokrak (21), Billy Horschel (23), Matt Fitzpatrick (25), Webb Simpson (29), Talor Gooch (32), Max Homa (35), Kevin Kisner (37), Russell Henley (39), Corey Conners (40), Lucas Herbert (44) and Seamus Power (47).

A field of 132 players will vie for the $8.2 million purse, the $1,476,000 first-place check, and 500 FedExCup points.  PGA TOUR members have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, to commit to play in the WM Phoenix Open. Eligible players are assigned one of 34 PGA TOUR priority ranking categories based on their past performance on TOUR. The field will continue to change as players with higher priority rankings commit to play in the Open.

The 2022 WM Phoenix Open will take place Feb. 7-13 at TPC Scottsdale. “The People’s Open” has been named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR four times in the past seven years (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019) to acknowledge the tournament’s legendary status as one the most unique events in golf. The 2022 edition will mark the 87th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 13^th with WM as title sponsor.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 280 “life” members who have helped the tournament eclipse $165 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 (through the 2021 tournament).  For more information on The Thunderbirds, visit thunderbirdscharities.org.  [vc_empty_space][mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”medium” url=”/whos-in-the-field/” align=”center” fullwidth=”true” bg_color=”#66ad28″]Click Here for 2022 WM Phoenix Open Field List[/mk_button]

FIELD NOW BOASTS NINE OF TOP-20 IN THE WORLD

“The People’s Open” field continues to grow as three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth and six-time PGA TOUR winner Billy Horschel are the latest to commit to play in the 2022 [geoswitch][geoswitch_case country_code=”US” state_code=”AZ”]WM Phoenix Open Presented by Taylor Morrison[/geoswitch_case][geoswitch_case]WM Phoenix Open[/geoswitch_case][/geoswitch], which is set to tee it up Feb. 7-13 at TPC Scottsdale.   The field now includes nine players ranked in the Top-20 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).

Spieth’s storied career began in 2013 where he was awarded PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year honors, and just two years later in 2015, the Texas native put together one of the greatest PGA TOUR seasons of all time.  That year Spieth won five times including two Major titles (2015 Masters, 2015 U.S. Open) and the season-ending TOUR Championship on his way to a FedExCup title, and PGA of America and PGA TOUR Player of the Year honors.  Spieth has 12 total PGA TOUR victories and three Major championship titles under his belt, was part of the victorious 2013, 2015, and 2017 U.S. Presidents Cup teams as well as being a member on four U.S. Ryder Cup teams (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020).

Spieth had it rolling in 2021, earning his 12^th win (Valero Texas Open), a runner-up finish at The Open Championship, a third-place finish at The Masters and nine Top-10s overall.  He will be making his sixth WM Phoenix Open appearance, with his best outing coming last year when he finished T-4. He currently sits at No. 15 in the OWGR.

Horschel is coming off an outstanding 2021 campaign, picking up his 6^th PGA TOUR victory at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and carding six Top-10 finishes overall including a T2 finish at the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession. His best season on TOUR came in 2014 when he won two-straight FedExCup playoff events (BMW Championship and TOUR Championship) holding off Jim Furyk and Rory McIlroy by three strokes in the final event of the season to take home the 2014 FedExCup Championship. Horschel will make his ninth start at the WM Phoenix Open, with his best outing a ninth-place finish in 2020.   He currently ranks 23^rd in the OWGR.

The updated field has 20 players ranked in the Top-50 of the Official World Golf Rankings, led by Jon Rahm who sits first in the standings and followed closely by Justin Thomas at 5th. The other top-ranked players include Hideki Matsuyama (10), Sam Burns (13), Scottie Scheffler (14), Spieth (15), Tony Finau (17), Brooks Koepka (18), Abraham Ancer (20), Jason Kokrak (21), Horschel (23), Matt Fitzpatrick (24), Webb Simpson (29), Talor Gooch (31), Max Homa (34), Kevin Kisner (36), Corey Conners (38), Russell Henley (40), Lucas Herbert (43) and Seamus Power (49).

A field of 132 players will vie for the $8.2 million purse, the $1,476,000 first-place check, and 500 FedExCup points.  PGA TOUR members have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, to commit to play in the WM Phoenix Open. Eligible players are assigned one of 34 PGA TOUR priority ranking categories based on their past performance on TOUR. The field will continue to change as players with higher priority rankings commit to play in the Open.

The 2022 WM Phoenix Open will take place Feb. 7-13 at TPC Scottsdale. “The People’s Open” has been named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR four times in the past seven years (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019) to acknowledge the tournament’s legendary status as one the most unique events in golf. The 2022 edition will mark the 87th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 13^th with WM as title sponsor.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 280 “life” members who have helped the tournament eclipse $165 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 (through the 2021 tournament).  For more information on The Thunderbirds, visit thunderbirdscharities.org.[vc_empty_space][mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”medium” url=”/whos-in-the-field/” align=”center” fullwidth=”true” bg_color=”#66ad28″]Click Here for 2022 WM Phoenix Open Field List[/mk_button]