This week the PGA Tour makes its annual stop in Scottsdale Arizona for the WM Phoenix Open. 2023 is one of the years where the golf tournament runs a few miles away from the Super Bowl. It is one of the bucket list items for any sports fan. And the WM Phoenix Open is unlike any tournament on the PGA Tour. More specifically, the 16th hole is unlike any hole on the tour. But why is the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale unlike anything in sports? It comes down to one word: atmosphere. Up to 17,000 fans pack the grand stands that surrounds the tee box to green. It has a feel of the Roman Coliseum meeting a college football tailgate on a golf course. And to the PGA Tours credit, they have embraced the chaos.
This is not your typical hole on tour. There are no polite golf claps here. When a player steps up and hits an absolute dart, the crowd will go wild. Step up and miss the green, and get ready for the boo birds. Go out and knock it in the hole in one and pandemonium ensues. The festive atmosphere doesn’t stop with the actual golf. Caddy races have become a fun sport in itself. And the caddies are starting to pick up on the gig. There’s no telling how much money has been lost between buddies betting on which caddy steps foot on the green first. In a time where the sport is divided between PGA Tour and LIV Golf, it will be nice to just sit back and watch one of the best spectacles in the game of golf. So, why is the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale unlike anything in sports? Take a look.