Waste Management Phoenix Open Chairman Plays Down Competition Of LIV Golf Las Vegas Event
Tournament chairman George Thimsen isn't worried about competition from LIV Golf Las Vegas taking place at the same time
The WM Phoenix Open is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the PGA Tour calendar, thanks largely to its famous party atmosphere, particularly on the stadium hole at TPC Scottsdale.
It’s not just the fans who contribute to its raucous atmosphere, either. For example two years ago, as well as a couple of aces at the hole, Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen went topless at the 16th, adding to the sense that the event is quite unlike any other on the circuit. The tournament also falls on the weekend of the Super Bowl, meaning it makes a big contribution to a huge sporting Sunday in the US.
This year, though, it has competition in the form of the LIV Golf Las Vegas event, which takes place in the same city as the NFL’s league championship game. However. despite the big-money rival heading to Sin City for the first time, it's not something WM Phoenix Open’s chairman George Thimsen has any concerns over.
In an exclusive interview with Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic via Golfweek, he said: “There’s nothing that touches - especially in golf but in a lot of sporting events - that touches what we do here.”
That’s in spite of the tournament not enjoying signature event status in 2023. Last year, many of the world’s best players were obliged to tee it up at the event thanks to its elevated standing, which meant it also offered an eye-catching $20m purse.
While the 2024 edition will have less than half that prize fund, at $8.8m, there will still be a strong field, including defending champion Scottie Scheffler, World No.4 Viktor Hovland, two-time Major winner Justin Thomas and US Open champion Wyndham Clark.
Thimsen thinks the field, combined with the event’s unique qualities, means it can more than hold its own against the $25m tournament taking place in Las Vegas.
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He said: “You’ve got some great players coming here and it’s really a testament to the community. And when we talk about [motto], ‘We Are The People’s Open,’ the players come back because of the history and the relationship that they have with us, the tournament and the fans here. And the fact that this is not like any other tournament.”
There will be one more thing working in the WM Pheonix Open’s favour. The LIV Golf event takes place over three days with a Saturday finish, leaving the action in Arizona to have the spotlight to itself during the final round before attention turns to the Super Bowl at the Allegiant Stadium.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
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