MONDAY AT THE 2025 WM PHOENIX OPEN

It’s official. The People’s Open is back, and we’re officially underway at the 90th edition of the WM Phoenix Open. Monday brought the Carlisle Pro-Am featuring PGA TOUR professionals fine-tuning their game in practice rounds alongside community leaders and VIPs.

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THUNDERBIRDS CHARITIES DONATES MORE THAN $4.8 MILLION TO VALLEY CHARITIES DURING FALL FUNDING CYCLE

Thunderbirds Charities, the charitable giving arm of The Thunderbirds – hosts of the WM Phoenix Open – awarded more than $4.8 million in grants to 70 Valley charities during its 2024 Fall funding cycle. Some of the largest grants include $1 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, $500,000 to The Phoenix Zoo, $200,000 to Barrow Neurological Foundation, and $200,000 to A New Leaf.  Additionally, eight grants of more than $100,000 were awarded during this cycle and went to United Cerebral Palsy Association of Central Arizona ($200,000), UMOM New Day Centers ($200,000), St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance ($170,000), Valleywise Health Foundation ($125,000), Zion Institute ($100,000), Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA) ($100,000), ICAN: Positive Programs for Youth and Brighter Way Institute ($100,000).

With the 2024 Fall funding cycle complete, Thunderbirds Charities has now opened its 2025 Spring funding cycle. Information about the Spring funding cycle can be found at www.ThunderbirdsCharities.org.

“We are beyond thrilled and deeply proud to have contributed over $4.8 million to local Valley charities during this funding cycle,” said George Thimsen, Big Chief of The Thunderbirds. “Supporting our communities and neighborhoods is central to The Thunderbirds’ mission, and we are truly honored to make a difference in such a meaningful way.”

The $1 million grant to Boys & Girls Club of the Valley will be directed to its Thunderbirds Charities Leadership Academy. The Thunderbirds Charities Leadership Academy is a three-day camp for low-income, high-risk middle school boys to help them develop personal life skills.  This was highlighted during a special check presentation ceremony during last night’s Concert in the Coliseum with Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur4ZBz7AzAw&feature=youtu.be.

The $500,000 grant to The Phoenix Zoo will provide funding and aid to building a new Veterinary Medical Center Laboratory.

Barrow Neurological Foundation will use the $200,000 grant to go towards its Barrow Neuro-Robotics Rehabilitation Program. New technologies are harnessing the power of neuroplasticity and enabling people to get more out of their rehabilitation. People with neurological injuries are reaching a level of function and independence they never thought possible.

A New Leaf was awarded $200,000 from Thunderbirds Charities to support their highly impactful Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. Through shelter, legal advocacy, and comprehensive support services, A New Leaf works to provide any survivor of domestic violence with the choice and ability to safely leave.

70 Awards Granted During 2024 Fall Funding Cycle

ARIZONA HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPION FRANKIE CAPAN III RECEIVES SECOND SPONSOR EXEMPTION FOR 2025 WM PHOENIX OPEN

Tournament Chairman Matt Mooney announced today PGA TOUR rookie and Arizona High School State Champion Frankie Capan III will receive the second of five sponsor exemptions for the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, scheduled for February 3–9 at TPC Scottsdale. The Florida Gulf Coast and Alabama Crimson Tide alum clinched a Top-30 spot on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List to earn his 2025 PGA TOUR card.

“We are beyond excited to welcome Frankie Capan III back to the Valley as a sponsor exemption to the 2025 WM Phoenix Open,” Mooney said.  “Frankie’s journey from winning back-to-back Arizona High School State Championships right here in Phoenix to earning his PGA TOUR card with standout performances is truly incredible. His recent T12 finish at The American Express shows he’s ready to compete at the highest level, and we can’t wait to see him take on the field at TPC Scottsdale.”

Capan III earned his PGA TOUR card by finishing third on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour points list, highlighted by a KFT playoff victory at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. He closed that event with a stellar performance, securing a two-shot win and cementing his spot among the Korn Ferry Tour’s top graduates. Earlier in the 2024 season, Capan III etched his name in history by shooting a 13-under 58 at the Veritex Bank Championship, setting a course record and tying the second-lowest round ever on the Korn Ferry Tour. His consistent play throughout the KFT season included 11 Top-25 finishes.

Capan III’s path to the PGA TOUR began with a standout amateur and collegiate career. After his back-to-back Arizona High School State Championships at Northwest Christian School in Phoenix (shot 59 in the final round to clinch his second title), he played his freshman year at the University of Alabama before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast University. As an amateur, Capan III gained recognition by winning the 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship alongside Shuai Ming Wong.

Capan III currently ranks 42nd in the FedExCup standings thanks to his T12 at The American Express in La Quinta. The Junior Golf Association of Arizona alum served as a standard bearer during the 2012 WM Phoenix Open and will be making his first playing appearance at “The People’s Open.”

The Thunderbirds and WM have a total of five exemptions to award for the 2025 WM Phoenix Open. The remaining three exemptions will be announced leading up to the tournament.

GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING DJ AND PRODUCER TIËSTO TO REPLACE SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA FOR FINAL NIGHT OF COORS LIGHT BIRDS NEST

WM Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman Matt Mooney announced today that GRAMMY-Award winning DJ/Producer Tiësto has been added to the 2025 Coors Light Birds Nest lineup, taking over for Swedish House Mafia, who unfortunately had to cancel due to personal matters. Tiësto and Special Guest GORDO will take to the stage on Saturday, Feb. 8, capping off four great nights of music at the Coors Light Birds Nest. Tickets for the Saturday show can be purchased at  CoorsLightBirdsNest.com.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Tiësto step in as our Saturday night headliner at the Coors Light Birds Nest,” Mooney said. “While of course Swedish House Mafia will be missed, Tiësto is an absolute legend in the world of electronic music and will undoubtedly bring an unforgettable energy to close out an incredible week.”

For fans who have already purchased tickets for the Saturday show, those tickets are still valid.   For fans who purchased Saturday tickets through the official tournament websites at www.WMPhoenixOpen.com or www.CoorsLightBirdsNest.com  (after the lineup was announced on Nov. 11th)  that would like to cancel their tickets and request a refund, they may do so by emailing Orders@WMPhoenixOpen.com. No refunds will be issued after Saturday’s show on February 8.  No ticket exchanges allowed. Tickets purchased through third parties or unofficial websites are not eligible for refunds through Orders@WMPhoenixOpen.com.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN REFUND INQUIRY

General admission tickets for Tiësto and GORDO will start at $125. VIP tickets and elevated experiences are available starting at $350 each and provide exclusive access to an enhanced VIP area where guests are treated to complimentary food and drinks and access to a premium viewing area for the shows.  Organizers encourage fans to buy their tickets early as ticket prices will increase as the event draws closer.

Limited tickets still remain for the Jelly Roll show on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and Friday’s Nickelback show (Feb. 7).  The Luke Bryan and Nate Smith show on Thursday is completely sold out.

Tiësto is a pillar in electronic music and an artist that transcends beyond that – Tiësto is an experience. When you hear the name and hear his signature sound on the dance floor, you know you’re about to have the best night of your life. Throughout his unparalleled career, the GRAMMY® Award-winning, Platinum-certified, international icon has brought electronic music to the masses, first rising out of the underground scene to become one of the biggest and most influential DJ/producers of all time. He’s played the mainstage of every major international dance music festival and created the template for Las Vegas DJ residencies.

Meanwhile, he’s sold more than 36M albums, clocked six Billboard “Hot 100” hits and aggregated an incredible 11B+ worldwide streams. But the truth is, Tiësto is just now getting started. A leading figure of the global Dance Music movement, he helped forge the bridge between electronic and pop, evolving the sound of mainstream music itself in the process. The artist born Tijs Verwest has found a particular sweet spot in this crossover realm, gaining critical acclaim and millions of new fans with a litany of hits. His new LP, Drive, finds the artist at the height of his powers. Named for the perpetual momentum of his career and the physical movement his work continues to inspire, Drive makes the thrill of the dance floor available whenever, and wherever, listeners turn it on.

GORDO is a new house music alias from the artist previously known as Carnage. More than that, it is a new way of life and a new way of thinking for Diamanté. With this renewed sense of energy comes his essential new house sound. It is a passionate, heartfelt new beginning for GORDO that will redefine house music for the next generation.

Off to a quick start, his world tour has seen him perform at iconic venues such as Hï Ibiza, Green Valley, Shalvata Tel Aviv, Lollapalooza, Fiction Canberra, Savaya Bali, and more. Meanwhile, GORDO continues to curate his own event series; TARAKA, a brand which has been taking over the world, popping up in places like San Francisco, Miami, Tulum, Mykonos, Medellin, Amsterdam, Acapulco, New York, Bulgaria, and Detroit.

His quest for this new sound has led to releases such as ‘KTM’, which became an instant Top 10 hit on the Beatport Main Chart, TARAKA, which was named after his own event series, the techno-infused speaker-rattling ‘Leaving Earth’ with KAS:ST, the widely acclaimed ‘RIZZLA’; GORDO’s first release with The Martinez Brothers, and house anthem ‘R U 4REAL’. Diamanté solidified his name as GORDO as he broke ground with 6 production on Drake’s latest dance-infused album ‘Honestly Nevermind’ and got crowned #1 producer on Billboard’s Hot 100 producers and #1 Hispanic DJ in the DJ Mag Top 100.