I guess we all saw this coming.
Having attended a Waste Management Open, that it reached a point this last weekend where the tournament people had to cut off alcohol sales, is of little of surprise.
I have written about it before, the WMO that is played at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium course, is a blend of a PGA Tour event, a frat party, and Mardi Gras.
The par 3, 16th hole has become the most iconic hole on the PGA Tour with stadium seating encircling the hole. The golfers enter the arena like warriors heading into the Coliseum to do battle.
It’s the time you will see no silence around a golf hole. It’s a constant buzz which is manageable for a golfer.
And I love it – to a point!
In fact, I think other tournaments need to move away from just a golf tournament to a social event that has a golf tournament in the middle of everything else.
The former Safeway Open at the Silverado Resort and Spa certainly took it to heart and did a wonderful job. The Fortinet Championship, now the tournament sponsor, has continued with the way they approach the fans, with a couple twists.
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am had a bit of the feeling on Saturday when the A list celebrities were on hand at Pebble. It was certainly not as raucous as the WMO but there were areas it was fun-loving, more so that the staid Pebble Beach elitist probably liked.
Of course, with the AT&T being a new PGA Tour “designated tournament,” the celebrities have been diminished and limited to just Thursday and Friday, the Saturday party atmosphere was stopped.
Back to what happened last weekend at the WMO. It is the same as so many things in life where it takes just a handful of people that can alter things for the masses.
The one video that went viral and shows the heavily intoxicated patron staggering then falling face first into the mud repeatedly, all to cheers of the crowd, paints a brutal portrait the all the fans.
There were videos of the person jumping onto the course at the 16th hole, then jumping into the sand trap for a few snow angels before trying to run away. He was arrested shortly thereafter.
A couple of photos that showed some bloodied up guys and a few people sleeping on muddy hills, which is enough to make a crowd of 200,000 – yes 200,000 in one day at a golf tournament – look like everyone is acting that way.
I 100 percent agree that that type of drunkenness has no place at any public event. At the same time, I need to be very clear that is not how the vast majority of fans act.
There must be a change to make those types of behavior avoidable.
This year was the perfect storm of events to lead to the debacle that happened.
The weather was a major contributor, as rain created mud on the hills surrounding the course. The Stadium course has berms throughout the course, create great viewing points. With the rain they became “slip-and-slides.”
Because of a frost delay earlier in the tournament, the second round did not finish until Saturday morning. There was a 90-minute break until the start of the third round, and that is a lot of time with nothing to do for everyone looking for a party, but to party.
There were just too many people let into the tournament on Saturday, and combined with the muddy areas, made for narrow passageways. Tournament organizers were forced to cut some security fences for better navigation for the masses.
Finally, I have seen reports that said more people were allowed into the 16th above the 17,000 seated capacity. If so, that’s a bad move.
It turned out to be a black eye for the tournament, as well as Thunderbird Charities, the group that runs the tournament.
It is the Thunderbirds I feel the most sorry for the group that was created by the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce to manage and distribute profits from what was known as the Phoenix Open that has turned into the WMO.
Recently celebrating their 79th anniversary, the Thunderbirds are a wonderful group that has done so much for so many groups in the Greater Phoenix area.
I think in this case they got blinded that they get in over 500,000 people through the gates during the tournament which is just an insane number of fans for a PGA Tour stop.
I have no doubt this amazing group of people will make the changes to dial things back a bit but at the same time keep the vibe for the tournament.
Be sure, until this year the players love the tournament.
For every Zach Johnson who said, “This tournament has been inappropriate and crossed the line since I’ve been on tour, and this is my 21st year,” there are many more who love the tournament. It has been voted multiple times as the Favorite stop of the year by the PGA Tour players.
Although it stunk that Johnson was severely heckled by a fan on the weekend, his comparison to Adam Sandler’s movie Happy Gilmore was pretty funny – and this year it sounds pretty accurate.
But Zach if it bothers you take the tournament off. No one is making you play, and golfers take tournaments off all the time.
Here are my thoughts on possible changes that could help dial it back:
*Make all the seats in the stands surrounding the 16th hole reserved seats. Now with some general admission you have people lining up in the wee hours of the outside for a chance to sprint in and get a seat. And be sure that these people are not drinking coffee or tea as they wait to get inside.
*Maybe delay the time alcohol is allowed to be sold. And put a cap on it, perhaps when the final pairing makes the turn. Limit the time alcohol is for sale and you limit the intake.
*Make sure the patrons are not drunk when they enter the tournament. Stopping them from getting a head start would certainly help with the conduct.
*Get rid of a drunk person as soon as possible and ban them from the tournament for at least a year if not longer. I know arrests were made this year but being even more diligent earlier would help. That ties in to my previous idea.
In any event, the best thing for golf, in terms of fan engagement is to keep the Waste Management Open a fun-loving tour stop for the fans and the players. Just make it a little less of a frat party and little less Mardi Gras.
By Dennis Miller