Not a major, just major excitement
PGA Tour mainstay provided all the excitement that Super Bowl LV didn't
The Phoenix Open has been a PGA Tour mainstay since 1932 when Bob Goldwater and the Thunderbirds, a local civic organization, started hosting a tournament to promote Phoenix and its business community. Contested in January or February during the West Coast swing, the Phoenix Open’s perpetual trophy is an eye-popping history lesson of golf’s many Hall of Famers and wellknown talents. Three-time winners in Phoenix include Arnold
Palmer, Gene Littler, Mark Calcavecchia and Phil Mickelson, all major champions. Two-time winners are just as historically impressive with such names on the trophy as Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret, Lloyd Mangrum, Miller Barber, Vijay Singh and now Brooks Koepka.
True, the Phoenix Open is played in the desert on courses that promote birdies and eagles, and yet there are not a lot of one-hit wonders who’ve taken home the Phoenix Open trophy. During the course of the last decade, the champs at Phoenix have been Phil, Webb Simpson, Hideki Matsuyama (backto-back), Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler and Brooks.
With Steve Stricker, Brooks Koepka and James Hahn of Alameda standing on the 17th tee on Sunday afternoon, just one hour prior to the Super Bowl kickoff, there were 10 golfers on the leader board who were all within one stroke of each other. Koepka, Carlos Ortiz and K.H. Lee were all at 17-under-par. Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Steve Stricker, Scottie Scheffler, Andrew Putnam, Michael Smith and James Hahn were one stroke back at 16-under-par. The back nine featured two relatively easy par-5s while the short par-4 17th was drivable at 334 yards. Last Sunday’s Phoenix Open looked like it would have all the drama that the follow-up Super Bowl LV wouldn’t.
There were golfers among the top 10 who were making big moves while others were leaking oil badly. Xander Schauffle and Jordan Spieth were over par for their rounds on Sunday. Carlos Ortiz was in the clubhouse following a 7-under-par 64. Matthew NeSmith was charging up the leader board and would end up shooting 65. James Hahn had the lead after 10 holes after a front-nine 30, but would find the water twice, make a bad chip, and bogey four of his last eight holes. Four-time major champion Brooks Koepka, who was recovering from knee injuries, got himself into the hunt by making birdies on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes. And the possible feel-good story of the Phoenix Open revolved around Steve Stricker. If the current Ryder Cup captain was able to prevail, he would eclipse Sam Snead’s mark and become the oldest golfer in PGA Tour history to win a regular tour event. Stricker turns 54 in another week, his wife was his caddie, and he was in the process of hitting every green in regulation throughout the day while carding five birdies on the back nine.