Looking ahead to Saturday’s round
Branden Grace has yet to experience a Saturday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, but he’s certainly heard about them. It’s still had for him to truly fathom.
“I tell you, I can’t really imagine it being completely different than today. It was pretty hectic out there,” said Grace, who is competing in the tournament for the first time. “Last time I saw crowds queuing up like that to get into a stand, geez, it was maybe like a U.S. Open or maybe Augusta. I mean, that’s it. You never see people queuing up — maybe one or two lines, but not four, five lines deeps.
“So I’m sure it’s going to be awesome. If it’s anything like to today, it’s going to be another fantastic day out in Scottsdale.”
Grace has extra reason to be excited. He’ll enter Saturday tied for third, two strokes behind, aided by a hole-in-one on 7. Rickie Fowler holds the lead at 13under, and Justin Thomas is right behind at 12-under.
Even though a winner won’t be declared until Sunday, Saturday remains the crescendo of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and it reverberates the loudest inside the 16th.
The first competition of the day is a foot race, as frenzied fans high-tail from the main entrance to hole 16 when the gates open at 7 a.m. If you’re fast you can get one of the coveted front-row seats spots at the famed stadium. But you’ve got to be really fast. Because you’ve got a lot of competition.
Last year, the tournament saw 216,818 people on Saturday alone. While the Thunderbirds are not releasing attendance numbers this year, they are expecting a similar crowd. Tournament chairman Chance Cozby said they are encouraging people to carpool or rideshare to get to the massive party.
“Saturday, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is is a magic day, and we’re ready and excited and want everybody to have a good fan experience,” Cozby said.
And the 16th? “I think it’ll be electric.” The first tee time Saturday is at 8:45 a.m., so fans who sprint to the stadium will have to wait hours before the first golfers come through the tunnel. Luckily, the Thunderbirds will be bringing back their breakfast club, where they pass out burritos to the stands, which will hopefully be splashed in green.
Saturday has been the tournament’s green-out day since 2011. However big the crowd swells, it’ll be sure to be loud, rowdy and brimming with eclectic outfits. For golfers like Bubba Watson, that’s part of the fun.
“Look at all the people that are here supporting this tournament, all the people around this area, they’re golf nerds and nuts and they love the game of golf. I wouldn’t mind booing some people, too, when they 3-putt and miss some shots, so it’s always fun around here,” he said.
“You just got to take it in stride, but you know it’s all in good fun; nobody out there really hates you, it’s just you got a dollar bet on it, you got to boo them, you know?”
The field should keep the crowd extra energized as the day goes on.
Tournament roommates Fowler and Thomas are also fan favorites. Matt Kuchar and Watson are in the top 10. Jon Rahm, who often wears an Arizona State Pat Tillman No. 42 jersey on Saturdays, finished tied for 11th.
NBC broadcaster Johnny Miller, who will retire after Saturday, knows it’s one of the most unique environments in sports.
“I don’t know what they have got going here, but it’s amazing, isn’t it?” Miller mused. “I mean a lot of the tournaments are copying this technique of having musical groups and big gallery stands and trying to copy this formula, because it’s fantastic.”
If other tournaments are to copy the Phoenix Open, they’ll need to make sure their fans are up to the task of sleuthing. The fans on 16 aren’t just loud; those who lead the cheers are wildly specific and thoroughly researched.
“My first year playing in the tournament, I was probably three weeks into dating my girlfriend, and I hadn’t posted anything on social media,” Thomas said. “But somehow, they knew her name, and they were chanting it before I was hitting, so they definitely do their homework.
“It’s pretty impressive. It’s a little scary, actually.”
Thomas is more prepared this time. Fowler is ready for anything — except a surprise.
“I mean I don’t know if there’s anything that we haven’t heard,” Fowler said.