February 14, 2022 by Bogey Jones No Comments
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Why The WM is the Best Tournament in Golf

Why The WM is the Best Tournament in Golf
Why The WM is the Best Tournament in Golf

Now that the WM tournament is over, I think we can all agree that this event is what golf needs. Hundreds of thousands of people, rowdy fans, enough alcohol to get a platoon drunk, and high-quality golf in sunny Scottsdale.

As a fan, it’s unlike anything else. I’ve gone on several occasions and can say it’s a no-brainer, bucket list event for any avid golf fan.

If you want to appreciate the golf and not just the party, go earlier in the week. If you want to go for the greatest outdoor drinking experience, go on Saturday. Or, Sunday morning before the Super Bowl.

Even watching on TV, it’s an incredible experience and we should honor it. Here’s why this tournament is the most fun event on the PGA Tour schedule.




The Best Fans

Fans bring the energy to a normally quiet sport. Let’s face it, golf wasn’t nearly as much fun to watch in 2020 with no fans allowed. Then again, there are normal golf fans and then there are WM fans.

Hundreds of thousands of people show up every single day to this event. The better the weather, the more people come out. Upwards of 200,000+ people on Friday and Saturday which is unprecedented in the game of golf.

Fans even lined up as early as 230am on Saturday and the gates don’t even open until 7am!

They’re loud, rowdy, and they’re ready to cheer (and boo) everything they see. Even though half the crowd doesn’t realize golf is even happening, the energy is undeniable and contagious.

The Players

As a golfer and someone who’s been to the event, I have to give props to the guys out there playing. Golf isn’t easy when a circus is going on behind you and can’t stress how loud it is on almost every hole out there.

These guys are used to playing in very quiet, calm conditions with golf claps being the norm. So this is night and day, but the players embrace it.

Hole 16

The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale is not a super hard hole.

I’ve played it countless times on a normal day and it’s a short iron into the green. But I haven’t played it with 18,000 screaming fans and a triple-decker amphitheater surrounding it.

Honestly, it looks like you dropped this hole into the coliseum in Rome. You never see three-story structures that encompass the entire hole in golf. Which is one of the reasons it’s so great.

Players think about this shot the entire back nine.

An Epic Hole in One (and Another)

On Saturday’s round, the impossible happened – an ace on hole 16. It had been more than 2,800 shots since the last hole in one on that hole. As you can imagine, all hell broke loose as 18,000+ fans went out of their minds.

Fans sprayed fellow fans with their $9 beers and once they were empty, littered them on to the 16th green. The CBS announcers, Amanda Balionis and Colt Knost, also felt it and enjoyed a nice beer shower too. It was epic and then there was another hole in one on Sunday when the hole was nearly 180 yards.
 


 
Not everyone is as impressed as the rest of the world though.

Some haters, including Brandel Chamblee, looked like he was in a scene from Happy Gilmore. Others thought it was disrespectful to the game and probably imagined certain PGA legends rolling in their graves.

But honestly, golf needs it.

This is the only tournament on the PGA Tour where something like that would happen. I can’t tell you how many non-golf fans see this and decide to try out the sport too.




The Closing Stretch

More tournaments need an epic finish like TPC Scottsdale. Holes 15-18 are perfect for this event as so much can happen in the last few holes.

Take a look…

– Hole 15: A tough par 5 with water on the entire left side of the tee. Even if you do find the fairway, it’s a semi-island green that you have to hit a long iron or hybrid into. Plus, you know what’s coming up on the next hole.

– Hole 16: After walking off 15, you get to walk through the tunnel and into the stadium that is the 16th. A short but epic par 3 where magic can happen. Or, a three putt where people boo you the entire time. There is nothing like it in golf.

– Hole 17: As your adrenaline is still pumping, 17 is another risk-reward hole. It’s so short that every player can go with a driver or 3 wood. But there’s water all left of the green and the back pin they can have is terrifying. An eagle can happen, but a par is no guarantee either.

– Hole 18: A par 4 that you can make birdie but with a bad drive, bogey is very much in play. Water and tough fairway bunkers line the left side while missing right isn’t much better. Oh yeah, don’t forget the thousands of people too as you compete for more than a million dollars.

Such a great stretch of finishing holes!

Seriously, this tournament is needed on the PGA Tour. While I don’t think every event should be crazy like this one, it’s a staple in professional golf.

If you ever get a chance, make the trip out to Scottsdale, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Do you like watching the event or don’t think it’s good for the game?

Let us know in the comments!

Written by Michael Leonard

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