This time a year ago, the Phoenix Open had everything to prove.
The 2024 event was somewhere between a wake-up call and a full-blown disaster. With a rare spate of inclement weather battering TPC Scottsdale, chaos reigned. The lasting images from that week were of drunk, shirtless fans sliding down muddy hills — and more drunk fans cheering them on.
Even the players who have long praised the tournament’s unique atmosphere called for change. A line had been crossed.
So for the tournament organizers, 2025 was a testing ground. They added an entrance, widened walkways, increased ticket prices and tied tickets to specific days.
All of it worked as envisioned. Across the board — from players to fans — the changes were seen as a massive success.
Thomas Detry is sprayed by fellow golfer Matt Wallace after winning the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on Feb. 9, 2025.
So now, a year later, the goal is simpler: Keep the good times going.
“2025 went unbelievably well based on a lot of the changes we made on the 2024 Open,” tournament chairman Jason Eisenberg said. “… So we're gonna continue all those. We've made a lot of adjustments to those to make those more efficient. So we're hopeful that year over year over year, we can just continue to have a better tournament.”
Compared to 2025, this year’s tweaks are relatively minor. The organizers rerouted some pathways to help with pinch points, added a new family care center behind the 11th tee box and revamped the food and beverage program, bringing in new vendors such as Novel Ice Cream.
The biggest change was to the stadium structure surrounding the 16th hole. The new structure has half as many columns, higher ceilings and clear glass.
“The viewing experience should be much better,” Eisenberg said.
There’s also a new, 500-seat club section next to the green in an area that previously did not have any seating.
“We're really proud of all the changes we've made to this structure,” Eisenberg said. “And really continued the evolution of this hole.”
But for the most part, the ambition this year is simply to replicate the success of 2025.
Fans goof around on the 18th hole during the final round of the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on Feb. 9, 2025.
Scheffler headlines another strong field
The Phoenix Open is not among the PGA Tour’s eight signature events in 2026. Those limited-field events have increased prize money and FedEx Cup points while featuring the strongest fields outside of major tournaments.
But that diminished status — the tournament was a signature event back in 2023 — has not prevented another elite field.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler once again headlines the field. His first-ever PGA Tour win came at TPC Scottsdale in 2022, jumpstarting a career that has since placed him on a remarkable trajectory. With a win at last week’s American Express, Scheffler became the third player ever with 20 PGA Tour wins and four major titles before his 30th birthday.
The Phoenix Open will also be the second tournament back on tour for five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, who recently became the first player to return to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf.
Further down the field, the Phoenix Open has also drawn commitments from world No. 6 Xander Schauffele, No. 7 J.J. Spaun, No. 8 Ben Griffin and No. 14 Viktor Hovland. Former Phoenix Open champions Ricky Fowler, Nick Taylor, Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland are also in the field.
“If you look at our attendance, we're the largest attended event on tour,” Eisenberg said. “If you look at our TV ratings, they're top three or four. I think if you look at our revenue generated, it's top in the field. So I think we are the marquee event on tour.”
Arizona Cardinals stars among pro-am field
The start of the Phoenix Open will, as usual, be preceded by the celebrity Pro-Am on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The event features local and national celebrities playing 18 holes alongside Phoenix Open participants, who typically play just nine holes as they prepare for the start of the tournament.
Adam Hadwin is greeted by swimming legend Michael Phelps on the 16th hole during the final round of the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on Feb. 9, 2025.
Both Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowlers, tight end Trey McBride and safety Budda Baker, are set to participate in the event, as is edge rusher Zaven Collins, their first-round pick in 2021. So too is Kansas City Chiefs tight end and future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce.
It’s not just active athletes, either. Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald, former U.S. women’s national team star Carli Lloyd and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith are also among the pro-am headliners.
“The Annexus Pro-Am has become a destination for legendary competitors across the sports world,” Eisenberg said in a statement. “Bringing together athletes like Larry, Carli and Emmitt captures the spirit of the WM Phoenix Open — elite competition, larger-than-life personalities and an unforgettable experience for fans, partners and players alike.”
General admission tickets to the Pro-Am are $75, as are tickets on Thursday and Sunday of the tournament.
Friday and Saturday tickets are $125, while tickets to Monday's and Tuesday's practice rounds are free.
All of those ticket prices are unchanged from a year ago, when the tournament drastically increased prices to cut down on the chaos of 2024.
Closest-to-pin returns
Each year, the centerpiece of the Phoenix Open experience is the famous 16th hole. It’s why fans line up in the early-morning hours, securing a spot outside the TPC Scottsdale gates — all with the hopes of sprinting to that hole when the gates open for prime positioning.
Players respond by leaning into the theatrics, often wearing sports jerseys or throwing souvenirs into the frenzied crowd.
Fans watch golfers on the 16th hole during the final round of the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on Feb. 9, 2025.
And, in recent years, the tournament has upped the ante, introducing a closest-to-the-pin competition. The player who hits his tee shots closest to the hole across the first two rounds of the tournament (adding both distances together) wins $10,000 for a local nonprofit of his choice, sponsored by Ford. Each year, the check is presented to the winner on Saturday, the day that draws the largest crowds to the tournament.
“As the official vehicle of the WM Phoenix Open, we are looking for ways to heighten the excitement at the iconic 16th hole while also benefiting a deserving nonprofit organization,” Tim Hovik, chairman of the Arizona Ford Dealers, said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to our ninth annual contest and donating $10,000 to a lucky Arizona charity.”
Last year, Justin Thomas won the competition for the second time, with an aggregate distance of 15 feet, 3 inches.
