Was it the sand angel in the bunker? A fan fell from the audience seats? Players yelling at fans?
Whatever the breaking point is, the Waste Management Phoenix Open appears to have reached it.
Officials from the civic group Thunderbirds, which is currently hosting the controversial event, said: They said they are already looking for a way We are rescheduling the event due to the atmosphere getting out of control on Friday and Saturday.
This spot on the PGA Tour has long been known for its raucous fans, especially on the par-3 16th, but it crossed the line this year after some players became frustrated with the conditions. It is possible that
“I think you’re going to see a complete change in the way we operate Friday and Saturday, the whole week,” Thunderbirds executive director Chance Cosby told Golf Channel.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve built. I think we’ve won tournament of the year on the PGA Tour five times out of the last seven years. But what happened on Saturday… We don’t like what happened. Our players don’t like what happened on Saturday. Our fans don’t like what happened on Saturday, so there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Gates were closed and alcohol sales stopped on Saturday as fan behavior worsened and the track became overcrowded.
Cosby said the overcrowding problem was partly due to wet weather, which made navigating slippery, grassy hills difficult and caused traffic congestion in certain areas of the course.
“The real fine line was on Saturday when we felt like we were in a situation where fans weren’t able to travel around the golf course,” Cosby said. “And in that moment, the right thing to do was to take the steps that we took.”
Cosby said he and his team met Saturday for a lengthy brainstorming session to develop a “complete security plan.”
Sunday’s chaos seemed to have diminished considerably, but players were still frustrated as Zach Johnson, Billy Horschel and Jordan Spieth had issues with fans.
Johnson told The Arizona Republic that the event is “over and over,” so we may not see any changes to it next year.
“I don’t know what the boundaries are, but there are people falling from the rafters and there are fights in the stands,” Johnson told the newspaper.
“It’s already gotten to the point of how do you wind it up? It’s taking on a life of its own. I think maybe the Thunderbirds need to do something about it. They’re embarrassed. I think, because at some point, somebody’s going to either get really, really hurt or worse. There’s a woman falling six feet.”
