FIELD NOW BOASTS 6 OF TOP-10, 15 OF TOP-20 PLAYERS IN THE WORLD

“The People’s Open” welcomes another top-ranked golfer with the addition of World No. 19 Daniel Berger to the field at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, which is set to tee it up Feb. 7-13 at TPC Scottsdale.  The stellar field now includes a total of six players ranked in the Top-10 and 15 players in the Top-20 of the Official World Golf Rankings.

In addition to Berger, Patrick Rodgers and Austin Eckroat were offered the final two sponsor exemptions, while Ben Silverman, Etienne Papineau and Jeffrey Kang earned the last three spots in the tournament through the Monday qualifier.

“The Thunderbirds take tremendous pride in hosting a world-class field and this year is shaping up to be one of the best ever,” said 2022 Tournament Chairman Dr. Michael Golding. “We’re excited to welcome not only more than half of the Top-10 players in the world and half of the Top-50, but also former WM Phoenix Open champions, Major winners, FedExCup champions and, of course, the next crop of young PGA TOUR superstars in the making. We’re extremely excited to see what they can do at TPC Scottsdale.”

A WM Phoenix Open veteran, Berger will make his eighth consecutive start at TPC Scottsdale. He has finished in the Top-10 of “the People’s Open” three times, with his highest finish coming in 2017 (T-7). The American turned pro in 2013 at age 20 and has won four PGA TOUR events in his career. His first TOUR wins came in 2016 and 2017 when he earned back-to-back titles at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. In the 2019-20 season, Berger had a streak of 33 consecutive rounds at par or better, tied for the sixth-longest streak on the PGA TOUR. That year, Berger added another TOUR victory to his resume after winning the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge.   Most recently, Berger won the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and helped the U.S. claim victory in the 2021 Ryder Cup.

The star-studded field now features 25 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 Viktor Hovland at 3rd. The other top-ranked players include Patrick Cantlay (4), Justin Thomas (7), Xander Schauffele (8), Hideki Matsuyama (10), Louis Oosthuizen (12), Jordan Spieth (13), Sam Burns (14), Scottie Scheffler (15), Harris English (16), Abraham Ancer (17), Tony Finau (18), Berger (19), Brooks Koepka (20), Billy Horschel (22), Matt Fitzpatrick (25), Webb Simpson (30), Talor Gooch (33), Kevin Kisner (36), Max Homa (37), Russell Henley (40), Corey Conners (42), Lucas Herbert (44), Seamus Power (46) and Adam Scott (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.

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 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.