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WM Phoenix Open

JASON ALDEAN AND ALEX RODRIGUEZ NEXT UP TO JOIN THE FIELD FOR THE POPULAR ANNEXUS PRO-AM AT THE 2023 WM PHOENIX OPEN

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Multi-PLATINUM country music star Jason Aldean and three-time Major League Baseball MVP and investor Alex Rodríguez are the latest additions to the star-studded list of entertainers and celebrities set to tee it up at the Annexus Pro-Am at the WM Phoenix Open on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course. This will be the first appearance for both of these celebrities at the Annexus Pro-Am.

Aldean has risen to fame as a widely popular country music star, amassing 27 No. 1 hits, 15 billion streams, and more than 20 million albums sold worldwide.  He has seven studio albums that have been certified Platinum and has the most Top-10 songs on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart (34), more than any other artists since he made his debut in 2005. The three-time ACM “Entertainer of the Year” is preparing for his upcoming “Rock N’ Roll Cowboy Tour” for his 10th studio album “Macon, Georgia” that features 20 new songs that showcase his southern roots and signature sound.

Rodriguez is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. The former shortstop and third baseman played 22 seasons in the MLB for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. During that span, Rodriguez put together historic statistical lines with a career .295 batting average, 696 home runs (5th all time), 2,086 RBI, 2,021 runs scored, 3,115 hits and 329 stolen bases. He was also a 14-time All-Star, won three American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, 10 Silver Slugger Awards, and two Gold Glove Awards. Rodriguez is currently the CEO of A-Rod Corp, a multi-faceted private equity and real estate firm, as well as part owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.

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. 7 on wmpodev.wpenginepowered.com/, along with a complete list of celebrities and PGA TOUR players in the field.

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 to acknowledge the tournament’s legendary status as one the most unique events in golf. The 2023 edition will mark the 88th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 14th with WM as title sponsor. For more information visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.

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 $176 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 (through the 2021 tournament). For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2023 WM Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.

2022 WM PHOENIX OPEN INJECTS MORE THAN $450 MILLION INTO ARIZONA’S ECONOMY

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An economic impact study conducted by Arizona State University found the 2022 WM Phoenix Open Presented by Taylor Morrison generated nearly a half billion dollars ($453.7 million) into the state of Arizona’s economy.  As part of the total economic impact, the study, commissioned by The Thunderbirds – hosts of the WM Phoenix Open – also reported a total State of Arizona GDP contribution of nearly $280 million ($276.8 million) and an annual employment impact of 4,290 jobs.

The study used an IMPLAN model to estimate economic impacts for the State of Arizona which is a commercially licensed input-output model developed and maintained by the Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc. (MIG) and widely used by professional economists to assess impacts of economic activities on a local economy.

““We’re proud to see our once small golf tournament in the middle of the desert grow into a crucial source for economic development and growth not only in the Phoenix area, but everywhere in Arizona,” said Michael Golding, 2022 WM Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman and current President of Thunderbirds Charities. “We take great pride in the positive experiences we provide our fans, and together with our corporate partners, we will continue to draw all types of visitors and businesses to the Valley.”

The study defined and estimated economic impact as the increase in spending and therefore economic vitality in a community as a result of the existence of an event or organization. For the WM Phoenix Open and surrounding events, this included the expenditures of visitors who identified the WM Phoenix Open as the key factor in visiting Arizona, media from outside Arizona who cover the event, the “organizational spending” by The Thunderbirds, media and event production companies, diverse organizations and businesses involved in operations, event production and activation of sponsorships, plus the indirect and induced multiplier effects.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”35771″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1675297573999{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The study focused on estimating the total gross economic impact (gross output) of the 2022 tournament, which includes the total amount of direct spending by out-of-town visitors and organizations in metro Phoenix, and indirect and induced impacts of those expenditures. For the purpose of the study, a visitor was defined as any individual who does not live in the metro Phoenix area for any portion of the year. As a result, no resident expenditure was used to generate the economic impact estimates. Dual-state residents were excluded from the study.

“The economic impact results reveal the power of professional sports and how a single event can have such a positive impact on a region,” said WM President and CEO Jim Fish. “WM is very proud of what we continue to accomplish together with The Thunderbirds through the WM Phoenix Open for the benefit of the community and the environment. Helping communities thrive and empowering people to live more sustainably is a key priority for WM.”

The Thunderbirds, the PGA TOUR and others associated with the tournament injected an additional $55.4 million in direct expenditures from staging and attending the tournament. These expenses are numerous and include tents and equipment, food and beverage, administration, signage, parking and security, hotel rooms leading up to and during the event for the players, caddies, PGA TOUR employees and out-of-town media, to name a few.

Economic activity of more than $220 million was induced by visitors’ and organizations’ expenditures – up from $195 million in 2017. The total gross output associated with visiting media, PGA participants and all other organizational expenditures is up 68.8% from the previous study. This figure was calculated using the IMPLAN economic assessment software with Arizona specific multipliers. This number is additional impact due to what is referred to as the multiplier effect, or the spending and re-spending of money through the local economy. When the indirect impact is combined with the direct impact, out-of-town media expenditure ($1.7 million) and total organizational expenditure, the total economic impact becomes $453.7 million.

In addition, the economic activity spurred by the event created incremental state and local sales tax revenues. The direct sales tax revenue generated from out-of-state visitors, media, and PGA participants at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open is estimated at $17.6 million. Direct sales tax revenue was estimated to be $13 million, through combined direct fiscal impacts in the City of Scottsdale ($2.9 million), Maricopa County ($1.9 million) and the State of Arizona ($9.3 million).

DAVIS THOMPSON AND RICKY BARNES RECEIVE FINAL TWO SPONSOR EXEMPTIONS FOR 2023 WM PHOENIX OPEN

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Tournament Chairman Pat Williams announced today PGA TOUR rookie Davis Thompson and 19-year PGA TOUR veteran Ricky Barnes will receive the fourth and fifth available sponsor exemptions for 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], which is scheduled to be played February 6-12 at TPC Scottsdale.

The 2022-2023 season is Thompson’s first on TOUR and he is already off to a promising beginning to his rookie campaign. The 23-year-old has made seven cuts in eight starts and has notched two Top-10’s, including his runner-up finish earlier in January at The American Express.   He held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds and finished just one shot back of winner Jon Rahm.  During that run, he carded five eagles over the four days of play, becoming only the seventh player to make five eagles in a 72-hole event.  He currently ranks 20th in the FedExCup standings.

“Davis is a tremendous young talent and is already having an impressive rookie season, as we witnessed in his battle with Jon Rahm a few weeks ago in Palm Springs,” Williams said.  “He has put together a great stint so far on this West Coast Swing, we are excited to give him the chance to keep that going here at the WM Phoenix Open.”

Phoenix resident and University of Arizona alum Ricky Barnes has appeared in nine WM Phoenix Open’s, with a T-14 in his first ever start in 2004.  He has played in 335 events in his 19-year career on the PGA TOUR, notching 18 Top-10s, three third-place finishes and most notably, his runner-up outing in the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.  A four-time All-American at Arizona, Barnes won the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2002 and earned the Ben Hogan Award in 2003 as the country’s best college golfer.

“Ricky has been a huge supporter of this tournament, we are excited to have him back,” Williams said.  “We are thrilled to support one of our local TOUR players and we look forward to a great week for everyone in the field this year.”

The Thunderbirds and title sponsor WM had a total of five exemptions to award for the 2023 WM Phoenix Open. The first three sponsor exemptions were awarded to PGA TOUR veteran Charley Hoffman, two-time WM Phoenix Open champion J.B. Holmes, and rising star Taylor Montgomery.

The competitive WM Phoenix Open field will vie for the increased purse of $20 million, the $3,6 million first-place check and 500 FedExCup points. PGA TOUR members have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, 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 WM Phoenix Open. This year, the WM Phoenix Open is guaranteed to have the majority of the Top-20 players at its event thanks to the commitment from PGA TOUR players in the Player Impact Program. The 2023 WM Phoenix Open has been named one of the PGA TOUR’s “designated status” events.

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM FOR SCHEFFLER

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By the time Scottie Scheffler came to TPC Scottsdale’s 18th green for the third time during last year’s playoff at the WM Phoenix Open, he knew the putting surface as well as he does the menu at Opie’s, his favorite Texas BBQ restaurant near Austin. But at that moment it was a birdie, not brisket, on his mind after matching consecutive pars with opponent Patrick Cantlay.

“Patrick is obviously a phenomenal player, and I knew one of us was going to have to make a birdie,” said Scheffler, a University of Texas graduate. “Par wasn’t going to do it. This is a really hard tee ball (on 18) for me. It’s hard for me to get it in play, so I knew if I had an opportunity, I really had to take advantage of it.”

In just his third season on the PGA TOUR, Scheffler had quickly established himself as a rising star. He bounced back nicely from a missed cut in his first WM Phoenix Open appearance in 2020 with a tie for seventh in 2021, three shots behind winner Brooks Koepka. Add in 18 Top-10 finishes by the time he reached TPC Scottsdale last year, plus a singles win over Scottsdale resident Jon Rahm as a member of the 2020 Ryder Cup-winning U.S. team, and it was surely a matter of when he would get his first individual win, rather than if he could.

On Sunday last year, however, both the pesky 18th hole and the formidable Cantlay stood in the way of Scheffler’s effort to snag his first PGA TOUR title.

“I think you have to be aggressive off the tee there because if you hit that fairway, you’re going to have a short wedge to a gettable pin,” he said. “So, anytime you get it in the fairway, you’re going to be at a real big advantage. I was doing everything I could to get in the fairway, but that’s a tough one for me because I like to fade it and it’s a draw shot. It was seeing who would take the first punch and fortunately I was able to do that.”

One catch though – the final hole does not set up well for Scheffler’s ball flight.

“Honestly in the playoff I would prefer a hole that would go left to right because Patrick likes to draw the ball off the tee and I like to fade it, so I would have liked for it to have been a different hole,” he said.

And then during that third attempt in the playoff, Scheffler’s drive ended up in a fairway bunker.

“Any time I’m hitting a wedge out of a fairway bunker it’s very challenging,” he said. “You’ve got to catch the ball really clean, especially off an upslope like I was on in the playoff. That was definitely a challenging shot even with the situation.”

He succeeded, reaching the green and leaving himself a 25-foot birdie putt. Unlike during the final round, though, when he missed a 5-footer for the win in regulation, Scheffler did not miss this time, draining the 25-footer. He then watched as Cantlay’s 11-foot birdie putt slid by the right edge of the hole, giving the then 25-year-old Scheffler a much sought-after first win after 71 starts on the PGA TOUR. Doing so made him the 13th player to accomplish that feat at the WM Phoenix Open.

“Definitely nice to get my first win under the belt, and I think the first one is probably always the hardest,” Scheffler said afterwards.

One key to his victory was taking advantage of holes 13 through 18, where Scheffler finished 11-under for the tournament.

“I think it’s one of the more scorable stretches on TOUR, but there’s a lot of risk/reward with 17 being drivable but with water, and 15 having a lot of water but being a reachable par 5,” he said. “13 is also a really hard tee shot, but another one where if you hit a good drive, you can take advantage of it. So definitely a lot of scoring, but also a tough stretch because you have to hit a lot of good shots in order to score.”

Another integral part came on the greens, where Scheffler ranked second in putting for the week. “That was the real key to the win,” he said. “Obviously the putt in the playoff (to win), but I had to make a lot of putts on the back nine to kind of stay in the tournament.”

The victory kicked off an epic run matched by few, if any, WM Phoenix champions. Scheffler would go on to win three more times last season in a period spanning six starts over eight weeks, including his first major win at The Masters, raking in just over $14 million in prize money. The overall performance enabled him to win the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA TOUR Player of the Year. But the scorching stretch surprised even him.

“No, I never really considered winning that many times,” he admitted. “I’ve always gone into events just trying to do my best and go from there. I don’t look too far ahead. When it comes to winning on TOUR I’m just trying to do my best each week and hopefully be there at the end. Fortunately, I was able to win a few times last year.”

One factor each win had in common was that he took at least a week off before each of them.

“I would say that’s a coincidence. It is definitely nice to be rested going into events, but I also play well in stretches, so it’s good for me when I’m kind of playing a lot. But there is definitely a value to rest when competing late on Sundays.”

But that streak and wildly successful season all started here at the WM Phoenix Open.

“I think it’s a pretty fun event,” said Scheffler. “It’s definitely different than a lot of the other events we play out here, but it’s certainly a lot of fun. I think if it was like this every week, it would be pretty draining. But to have it a couple times a year would be pretty fun. I think with the stadium hole at (TPC) Sawgrass, the 16th here, I think the Byron Nelson at home (at TPC Craig Ranch) is trying to do a little something with the 17th hole there. The environment is really fun to be around.”

What’s in store for Scheffler in 2023?  Can he become the 9th player to win back-to-back at TPC Scottsdale?  Can he match his Player of the Year stats from 2022?  Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

THE THUNDERBIRDS ONCE AGAIN OFFER FREE ADMISSION TO FIRST RESPONDERS, MILITARY MEMBERS AND VETERANS TO THE 2023 WM PHOENIX OPEN

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1675102378022{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]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 21st year that the tournament host Thunderbirds have extended this free invitation as a small gesture of thanks to our nation’s heroes.

To take advantage of the free admission offer, First Responders and Active, Reserve, Veterans and Retired U.S. Military must first go to https://auth.govx.com/tickets/entertainer-events/a412f690-987f-ec11-8a0d-000d3ac50276/?display=popup to register through the GovX verification program.[/vc_column_text][mk_button corner_style=”rounded” size=”medium” url=”https://auth.govx.com/tickets/entertainer-events/a412f690-987f-ec11-8a0d-000d3ac50276/?display=popup” target=”_blank” align=”center” fullwidth=”true”]REGISTER HERE[/mk_button][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1674846736679{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]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 at https://wmphoenixopen.com/spectator-info/military-and-emergency-services-personnel/.

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) while watching 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.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

TWO-TIME WM PHOENIX OPEN CHAMP HIDEKI MATSUYAMA JOINS PATRICK CANTLAY, MATT FITZPATRICK AND VIKTOR HOVLAND AS LATEST COMMITS TO STAR-STUDDED FIELD FOR WM PHOENIX OPEN

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Tournament Chairman Pat Williams announced today two-time WM Phoenix Open champion Hideki Matsuyama, 2021 Player of the Year Patrick Cantlay, 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick and world No. 11 Viktor Hovland have all committed to play in 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], which is scheduled to be played February 6-12 at TPC Scottsdale.

“As we get closer to ‘The People’s Open’, the field is shaping up to be one of the best ever,” said 2023 Tournament Chairman Pat Williams. “We’re extremely excited to add four more Top-20 players in the world, and thrilled to welcome back Hideki, a two-time WM Phoenix Open champion.  We are looking forward to that first day of play at TPC Scottsdale.”

Matsuyama’s stellar career includes 20 worldwide wins, including the 2021 Masters at Augusta National where he became the first Japanese born player to win a Major. The eight-time PGA TOUR winner – and two-time WM Phoenix Open champion – is one of only seven players to successfully defend their WM Phoenix Open title the following year. Matsuyama also is the second-leading money winner at the WM Phoenix Open, earning more than $3.6 million in just nine starts.  Last year he finished T11 in the final FedExCup standings thanks to six Top-10s and 10 Top-25s, and he currently ranks No. 20 in the Official World Golf Rankings. This will be Matsuyama’s 10th appearance at “The People’s Open” where, including his two wins, has four Top-5’s and five Top-10 finishes.

During his 11-year professional career, Cantlay has pocketed eight PGA TOUR victories, half of which came in a whirlwind 2020-2021 where he picked up four of those eight wins, including back-to-back FedExCup playoff wins (BMW Championship, TOUR Championship), a subsequent FedExCup Title and a $15 million season-long bonus. The incredible run landed him 2021 PGA TOUR Player of the Year honors as well. He picked up two more wins in the 2021-2022 season, first at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans before successfully defending his BMW Championship title. Cantlay is currently ranked No. 5 in the Official World Golf Rankings and will make his second appearance at the WM Phoenix Open in 2023 after his runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler last year.

Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick has eight DP World Tour wins to his name during his nine-year professional career, but his most impressive professional season came last year in which he won the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline. Fitzpatrick picked up nine additional Top-10 finishes in only 20 events last season on his way to a T15 finish in the 2022 FedExCup standings. Fitzpatrick is currently ranked No. 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings and will make his second WM Phoenix Open appearance in 2023 (finished solo 10th in 2022).

Hovland has three PGA TOUR wins under his belt since turning pro in 2019, including a victory at the Worldwide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in 2021.  The Norwegian is coming off a stellar 2021-22 season where he successfully defended his Mayakoba title, finished T2 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and carded three additional Top-10s on his way to finishing T15 in the final FedExCup standings. Hovland is currently ranked No. 11 in the Official World Golf Rankings and will make his third appearance at the WM Phoenix Open in 2023.

The field now features eight of the Top-10 and 16 of the Top-20 players in the world including World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, defending WM Phoenix Open champ Scottie Scheffler (2), Cantlay (5), Xander Schauffele (6), Will Zalatoris (7), Justin Thomas (8), Collin Morikawa (9), Matt Fitzpatrick (10), Viktor Hovland (11), Tony Finau (12), Sam Burns (14), Max Homa (15), Cameron Young (17), Billy Horschel (18), Sungjae Im (19), and Matsuyama (20).

The competitive WM Phoenix Open field will vie for the increased purse of $20 million, the $3.6 million first-place check and 500 FedExCup points. PGA TOUR members have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, 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 WM Phoenix Open. This year, the WM Phoenix Open is guaranteed to have the majority of the Top-20 players at its event thanks to the commitment from PGA TOUR players in the Player Impact Program. The 2023 WM Phoenix Open has been named one of the PGA TOUR’s “designated status” events.