Scottsdale, Ariz. – It's 9am in TPC Scottsdale, and cool nighttime temperatures falling over the desert are beginning to give way to the heat radiated from the abundant daytime sunlight. The course is beginning to warm up, and the famous scene on hole 16 is similarly a 145-yard par-3 surrounded by over 20,000 stadiums.
Countless fans were already there for hours. They line up at the front gate as early as 4:30am, and as soon as the entrance officially opens at 7am, they race on hole 16. However, 9am marks a special occasion. – Unlike when the player closes the approach.
General admission is similar to the stands at Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium, with dozens of vendors selling beer, seltzers and the very important oceans in the stands. Golf fans don't have to leave their seats to buy drinks, making the 16th scene as convenient as possible.
“Gooooooood morning!” shouts a seller.
“Whoooooose drinks are ready!”
An immeasurable roar followed, and this vendor soon becomes Arizona's busiest man. He receives multiple requests at once Pour the bottle and can In a green plastic cup.
For the first time this year, fans can only consume alcoholic beverages from these cups, similar to the famous cups they received at Augusta National. These green reusable cups have “We Are The People's Open” labeled on their side, reminding everyone that this is in fact the same as other golf tournaments. However, tournament officials have enacted this policy for two important reasons. First, it brings absolute confusion and requires a long cleanup, as fans don't want to throw bottles or cans in the green. But even more importantly, the WM Phoenix opening is prideful that it is a zero waste event. Its sustainability is incredibly amazing, and using reusable cups makes it easier in the environment than handing out endless amounts of cans.
The GA beer vendor is now 16 years old. Like Yankee Stadium. It's already quite lively.
“Gooooood morning!! Who's ready for the beer?” asks the vendor. pic.twitter.com/ybcebidew0
– Jack Milko (@jack_milko) February 6, 2025
By 9:15, most of the people in the stands were being looked after, and the first few groups of the day are heading their paths. The cheers and jeer echo quickly throughout the stadium, with fans celebrating the good shots while celebrating the bad shots. Shots that missed the green are booed, just like short putts that don't fall into the hole.
“It's a lot of fun here for me as a player,” Tom Kim said.
However, it is not the easiest hole.
“It's a situation where you're in. A lot of people are screaming on your backswing, and they want you to miss the green,” explained Emiliano Grillo. “There's been a lot of bets going on. If the pins are longer or the left is shorter, especially if the pins are long, it's not an easy hole.”
The pin location on Friday was located in the green right corner, one of the more accessible locations, and the Grillo was made the most out of its. he Slam Dunk Hole-in-Onecreated a scene that will be memorable for all involved. The crowd went wild, but so did Grillo.
“Every time you step into it, you're trying to make it. It was a good number. My first thought was to hit a nine iron, and we had a little wind in it. I thought so, but we went with a left-to-right wind, so it was the perfect pitching wedge,” Grillo said.
“It was noisy. It was very loud. It was a lot of emotion. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to do. A lot of things were going on. Watching beer go green. I loved it. That's what I enjoyed.”
Fans were forced to throw plastic cups on the green, and to the frustration of tournament organizers, they have produced scenes from the 2025 edition so far. However, volunteers, staff and other staff quickly cleaned up what proved how impressive the maintenance of the tournament was.
Thanks to the Arizonathan afternoon, the greenery and surrounding area were dry with afternoon waves. However, the picturesque perfect weather has quenched many fans' thirst, leading some to generate hilarious, yet outrageous comments. You never know what you'll hear on hole 16, especially later that day.
“It's hard not to listen to what they're saying just because some of them are so loud,” said Alex Smalley. “I try not to pay too much attention to it, but sometimes you just have to pay attention to it and can't help.”
Still, there are no days that can rival Saturday. The third round of the WM Phoenix Open is pioneering the biggest party the PGA Tour sees all year round, featuring a wealth of cheers, jealousy and beer. Authorities also install holes in the same way each year. The traditional hole is located on the front left side, with a front tee being used. The 16th will be flipping for just 125 yards and the entire field. However, the short shot is quickly under pressure as fans reach another stratosphere on Saturday. They raise it even further to create a scene that rivals Cameron Indoor Stadium or Allen Field House. The players feel that too. As the geese spin their spines up and down, the worst thoughts enter their minds.
“You step up to that tee, and you don't shank it, don't chunk it,” Peter Marnaty said.
“Amazing. He's really cool.”
It's something that every fan should experience at least once, unlike the rest of the golf game. Certainly, many golfers don't appreciate, or rather, associate, party-like atmosphere. I understand that perspective, but I encourage those individuals to try soaking in hole 16 for at least 10 minutes in the morning. Perhaps it will change their feelings about it.
Anyway, the WM Phoenix Open is a bucket list item for all golf fans. If you have the opportunity to go, do it. You will never regret it.
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
