Phoenix Open
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| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Established | 1932 |
| Course(s) | TPC of Scottsdale |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,216 yards (6,598 m) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $6,100,000 |
| Month played | February |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 256 Mark Calcavecchia (2001) |
| To par | -28 Mark Calcavecchia (2001) |
| Current champion | |
The Waste Management Phoenix Open[1] is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held in early February at the Tournament Players Club (TPC) of Scottsdale, Arizona. The tournament was originally the Arizona Open, but was known for most of its history as the Phoenix Open until the investment bank Friedman Billings Ramsey became the title sponsor in October 2003, when it was known as the FBR Open.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Phoenix Open began in 1932 but was discontinued after the 1935 tournament. The rebirth of the Phoenix Open came in 1939 when Bob Goldwater, Sr. convinced fellow Thunderbirds to help run the event. The Thunderbirds, a prominent civic organization in Phoenix, were not as enthusiastic about running the event as he was, leaving Goldwater, Sr. to do most of the work in getting a golf open started. The event was played at the Phoenix Country Club in Phoenix, both in its earlier incarnations and after Goldwater resuscitated it. Beginning in 1955, the Arizona Country Club (also in Phoenix) alternated as event host with Phoenix Country Club; this arrangement lasted until Phoenix Country Club took The Arizona Country Club's turn in 1975 and became the event's permanent home again.
In 1987, the tournament was moved to its current home, the Stadium Course at TPC of Scottsdale.
The 4-day attendance of the tournament is usually around 500,000. The most popular hole for spectators to watch is the 16th hole due to the "Amphitheatre" atmosphere of the hole, created by the stands erected every year before the tournament. The hole could be described as "one big party", with many students from the nearby Arizona State University. Poor shots at the 16th hole receive boos, because the hole is very easy by the PGA's standards. Good shots, however, are cheered for loudly. Famous moments at the 16th include Tiger Woods' hole-in-one in 1997, which caused the gallery to erupt, throwing cups and other objects in celebration, and Justin Leonard giving the finger to the gallery after a poor shot. The most popular golfer at the open is unquestionably Phil Mickelson, an Arizona State alum. In addition to the golf, there is a concert/party held in the Scottsdale area called the Birds Nest, at which music artists like Huey Lewis and the News play. In 2011 Australian golfer Jarrod Lyle aced the hole, causing the stands to erupt in excitement.
It is the best-attended event in golf, and in 2008 the FBR Open set a PGA Tour single day attendance record with over 170,000 fans in attendance on Saturday, February 2, as well as a tournament week attendance record of 538,356 fans.
The Thunderbirds are still highly active in the organization of the tournament. Portions of the proceeds are used by the Thunderbirds to fund Special Olympics activities in Phoenix.
In recent years, the Phoenix Open has been played on Super Bowl Weekend. In 2009, the tournament overlapped with the Super Bowl when Kenny Perry and Charley Hoffman went to a playoff, subsequently denying the spectators a chance to watch the beginning of the game, featuring the local Arizona Cardinals.
[edit] Records – scoring and victories
The lowest 4-day score (72 holes) for the tournament was Mark Calcavecchia in 2001 with a total score of 256, which was an incredible 28 under par. In the second round he scored a 60, which was the lowest score in the history of the Phoenix Open tied with Grant Waite in 1996. Calcavecchia had 32 birdies in the tournament, which was also an all-time record.
There have been only two double eagles in the history of the FBR-Phoenix Open. Tom Pernice, Jr. made the first one on the 558-yard par-5 15th hole in 1990. Andrew Magee scored the second on the 332-yard par-4 17th hole in 2001. Magee's shot is believed to be the first-ever hole in one on a par-4 in PGA Tour history.
Mark Calcavecchia (1989, 1992 and 2001) shares the most wins record of three with Gene Littler (1955, 1959, and 1969) and Arnold Palmer (1961, 1962, and 1963).
[edit] Winners
| Year | Player | Country | Score | To par | 1st Prize ($) | Purse ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waste Management Phoenix Open | ||||||
| 2012 | Kyle Stanley | 269 | -15 | 1,098,000 | 6,100,000 | |
| 2011 | Mark Wilson | 266 | -18 | 1,098,000 | 6,100,000 | |
| 2010 | Hunter Mahan | 268 | -16 | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 | |
| FBR Open | ||||||
| 2009 | Kenny Perry | 270 | -14 | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 | |
| 2008 | J. B. Holmes (2) | 270 | -14 | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 | |
| 2007 | Aaron Baddeley | 263 | -21 | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 | |
| 2006 | J. B. Holmes | 263 | -21 | 936,000 | 5,200,000 | |
| 2005 | Phil Mickelson (2) | 267 | -17 | 936,000 | 5,200,000 | |
| 2004 | Jonathan Kaye | 266 | -18 | 936,000 | 5,200,000 | |
| Phoenix Open | ||||||
| 2003 | Vijay Singh (2) | 261 | -23 | 720,000 | 4,000,000 | |
| 2002 | Chris DiMarco | 267 | -17 | 720,000 | 4,000,000 | |
| 2001 | Mark Calcavecchia (3) | 256 | -28 | 720,000 | 4,000,000 | |
| 2000 | Tom Lehman | 270 | -14 | 576,000 | 3,200,000 | |
| 1999 | Rocco Mediate | 273 | -11 | 540,000 | 3,000,000 | |
| 1998 | Jesper Parnevik | 269 | -15 | 450,000 | 2,500,000 | |
| 1997 | Steve Jones | 258 | -26 | 270,000 | 1,500,000 | |
| 1996 | Phil Mickelson | 269 | -15 | 234,000 | 1,300,000 | |
| 1995 | Vijay Singh | 269 | -15 | 234,000 | 1,300,000 | |
| 1994 | Bill Glasson | 268 | -16 | 216,000 | 1,200,000 | |
| 1993 | Lee Janzen | 273 | -11 | 180,000 | 1,000,000 | |
| 1992 | Mark Calcavecchia (2) | 264 | -20 | 180,000 | 1,000,000 | |
| 1991 | Nolan Henke | 268 | -16 | 180,000 | 1,000,000 | |
| 1990 | Tommy Armour III | 267 | -17 | 162,000 | 900,000 | |
| 1989 | Mark Calcavecchia | 263 | -21 | 126,000 | 700,000 | |
| 1988 | Sandy Lyle | 269 | -15 | 117,000 | 650,000 | |
| 1987 | Paul Azinger | 268 | -16 | 108,000 | 600,000 | |
| 1986 | Hal Sutton | 267 | -21 | 90,000 | 500,000 | |
| 1985 | Calvin Peete | 270 | -14 | 81,000 | 450,000 | |
| 1984 | Tom Purtzer | 268 | -16 | 72,000 | 400,000 | |
| 1983 | Bob Gilder (2) | 271 | -13 | 63,000 | 350,000 | |
| 1982 | Lanny Wadkins | 263 | -21 | 54,000 | 300,000 | |
| 1981 | David Graham | 268 | -16 | 54,000 | 300,000 | |
| 1980 | Jeff Mitchell | 272 | -12 | 54,000 | 300,000 | |
| 1979 | Ben Crenshaw | 199* | -14 | 33,750 | 250,000 | |
| 1978 | Miller Barber | 272 | -12 | 40,000 | 200,000 | |
| 1977 | Jerry Pate | 277 | -7 | 40,000 | 200,000 | |
| 1976 | Bob Gilder | 268 | -16 | 40,000 | 200,000 | |
| 1975 | Johnny Miller (2) | 260 | -24 | 30,000 | 150,000 | |
| 1974 | Johnny Miller | 271 | -13 | 30,000 | 150,000 | |
| 1973 | Bruce Crampton | 268 | -12 | 30,000 | 150,000 | |
| 1972 | Homero Blancas | 273 | -11 | 25,000 | 125,000 | |
| Phoenix Open Invitational | ||||||
| 1971 | Miller Barber | 261 | -23 | 25,000 | 125,000 | |
| 1970 | Dale Douglass | 271 | -13 | 20,000 | 100,000 | |
| 1969 | Gene Littler (3) | 263 | -21 | 20,000 | 100,000 | |
| 1968 | George Knudson | 272 | -12 | 20,000 | 100,000 | |
| 1967 | Julius Boros | 272 | -12 | 14,000 | 70,000 | |
| 1966 | Dudley Wysong | 278 | -6 | 9,000 | 60,000 | |
| 1965 | Rod Funseth | 274 | -14 | 10,500 | 65,000 | |
| 1964 | Jack Nicklaus | 271 | -17 | 7,500 | 50,000 | |
| 1963 | Arnold Palmer (3) | 273 | -15 | 5,300 | 35,000 | |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer (2) | 269 | -15 | 5,300 | 35,000 | |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer | 270 | -10 | 4,300 | 30,000 | |
| 1960 | Jack Fleck | 273 | -11 | 3,150 | 22,500 | |
| 1959 | Gene Littler (2) | 268 | -12 | 2,400 | 20,000 | |
| 1958 | Ken Venturi | 274 | -10 | 2,000 | 15,000 | |
| 1957 | Billy Casper | 271 | -9 | 2,000 | 15,000 | |
| Phoenix Open | ||||||
| 1956 | Cary Middlecoff | 276 | -8 | 2,400 | 15,000 | |
| 1955 | Gene Littler | 275 | -5 | 2,400 | 15,000 | |
| 1954 | Ed Furgol | 272 | -12 | 2,000 | 10,000 | |
| 1953 | Lloyd Mangrum (2) | 272 | -12 | 2,000 | 10,000 | |
| 1952 | Lloyd Mangrum | 274 | -10 | 2,000 | 10,000 | |
| 1951 | Lew Worsham | 272 | -12 | 2,000 | 10,000 | |
| Ben Hogan Open | ||||||
| 1950 | Jimmy Demaret (2) | 269 | -15 | 2,000 | 10,000 | |
| Phoenix Open | ||||||
| 1949 | Jimmy Demaret | 278 | -6 | 2,000 | 10,000 | |
| 1948 | Bobby Locke | 268 | -16 | 2,000 | 10,000 | |
| 1947 | Ben Hogan (2) | 270 | -14 | 2,000 | 10,000 | |
| 1946 | Ben Hogan | 273 | -11 | 1,500 | 7,500 | |
| 1945 | Byron Nelson (2) | 274 | -10 | 1,000 | 5,000 | |
| 1944 | Harold "Jug" McSpaden | 273 | -11 | 1,000 | 5,000 | |
| 1943 | No tournament | |||||
| 1942 | No tournament - hosted Western Open | |||||
| 1941 | ||||||
| 1940 | Ed Oliver | 205^ | -8 | 700 | 3,000 | |
| 1939 | Byron Nelson | 198^ | -15 | 700 | 3,000 | |
| 1938 | No tournament | |||||
| 1937 | ||||||
| 1936 | ||||||
| 1935 | Ky Laffoon | 281 | -3 | 500 | 2,500 | |
| 1934 | No tournament | |||||
| Arizona Open | ||||||
| 1933 | Harry Cooper | 281 | -3 | 400 | 1,500 | |
| 1932 | Ralph Guldahl | 285 | -1 | 600 | 2,500 | |
- * rain-shortened to 54 holes
- ^ scheduled 54 holes
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources[2][3][4]
[edit] Multiple winners
Thirteen men have won this tournament more than once.
- 3 wins
- Mark Calcavecchia: 1989, 1992, 2001
- Gene Littler: 1955, 1959, 1969
- Arnold Palmer: 1961, 1962, 1963
- 2 wins
- J. B. Holmes: 2006, 2008
- Phil Mickelson: 1996, 2005
- Vijay Singh: 1995, 2003
- Bob Gilder: 1976, 1983
- Miller Barber: 1971, 1978
- Johnny Miller: 1974, 1975
- Lloyd Mangrum: 1952, 1953
- Jimmy Demaret: 1949, 1950
- Ben Hogan: 1946, 1947
- Byron Nelson: 1939, 1945
[edit] References
- ^ Waste Management to sponsor Phoenix Open
- ^ FBR Open - Year-by-year Top Finishers - at www.fbropen.com
- ^ FBR Open - Winners - at www.pgatour.com
- ^ FBR Open - Winners - at golfobserver.com
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site
- Results since 1970 - Winners, Finishers, Scores and Earnings