By Rob Myers
Vice President, Communication Links
2013 Tournament Champion Phil Mickelson is back to defend his title after an exciting week where an incredible 20 tournament records were either tied or broken. Mickelson broke four records himself and tied eight others, including joining Arnold Palmer, Gene Littler and Mark Calcavecchia as three-time tournament champions. Mickelson’s remarkable 28-under par total also helped the field break the lowest scoring average record three times during the week – round 1 (69.015), round 4 (68.527) and the overall cumulative scoring average of (28.954). It all started during round one when Mickelson narrowly missed carding the sixth 59 in PGA TOUR history when he lipped out his birdie putt on his 18th hole to shoot 60 – the lowest opening round in tournament history.
It wasn’t all because of Phil, though. Thanks to the tremendous support from the local community, in addition to Mickelson’s record-setting performance, the tournament also set attendance records during Friday’s 2nd round (121,901) and Saturday’s 3rd round (179,022).
Mickelson will look to continue his great play from the 2013 season where he was one of only a handful of players with multiple wins including a major – the 2013 Open Championship. At the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open, look for Mickelson to defend his title against several the PGA TOUR stars such as Brandt Snedeker, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and many others as they battle it out for their share of the $6.1M purse.
On February 2, 2014 a new champion will raise the Waste Management Phoenix Open trophy, but he won’t be only winner of the event. The true winners each and every year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open are the local economy and the hundreds of Arizona charities the tournament supports.
The Waste Management Phoenix Open annually pumps more than $220 million into Arizona’s economy according to a 2012 economic impact study conducted by Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business. Economic impact in sports can be defined as the net change in an economy resulting from a sporting event. The impact comes from visitors’ spending, organizational spending, employment opportunities and tax revenue. For example, fans attending from out-of-town spent millions of dollars for lodging, food, entertainment and other types of goods and services during their stays in Arizona. Let’s also not forget the expenditures by The Thunderbirds, the PGA TOUR and other organizations required to stage the event which generated a demand for millions of dollars worth of various goods and services. Best yet, is the fact that the most recent economic impact report of more than $220 million represents a 23 percent increase from a similar study performed in 2007; a trend tournament officials hope will continue.
While the local economy gets a significant boost as a result of the tournament so do hundreds of local Arizona charities. Last year, the Waste Management Phoenix Open and its hosts, The Thunderbirds, distributed more than $6.2 million to local charities through proceeds raised from the 2013 event. Charities such as Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Homeward Bound, Special Olympics of Arizona, The First Tee of Phoenix and so on are just a few of the charities that have benefited over the years. While last year’s donation was a staggering number it’s only a small portion of the overall charitable contributions the tournament has made in its 79-year history. Since its inception dating back to 1932, the event has raised more than $85 million for charity with more than $57 million coming since October 2003 when the tournament first brought on a title sponsor. The event only happens one week a year, but the impact lasts a lifetime for the organizations it supports.
“Raising tens of millions of dollars for Arizona charities has been a tremendous benefit of hosting a professional golf tournament,” said Tom King, a member of The Thunderbirds and the 2014 tournament chairman of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “The community’s support of our nearly 80-year-old golf tournament is staggering. It is such an honor to be a part of something so worthwhile.”
So, what’s new at the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open? For starters, tournament officials plan to increase fan engagement opportunities via mobile devices while on property during tournament week. Last year was the second year in tournament history that cell phones and other PDA’s were allowed into the tournament. This year, spectators will enjoy several new ways in which they can interact among themselves and with the tournament. Most of the fan engagement opportunities can be found using either the tournament’s mobile website (visit www.wmphoenixopen.com on your mobile device to access the site) or by downloading the official Waste Management Phoenix Open App. The App developed by Scottsdale-based ABN Mobile Inc. is available for free download on both the Android and iPhone mobile devices by accessing the Android Marketplace or iPhone Store.
The tournament will also feature Tweet-to-Screen capabilities on several of the digital scoreboards positioned throughout the course. It’s here where fans can interact with the tournament via twitter and follow their dialogue live on site encouraging other fans to participate as well. And, don’t forget to get in on the action at the 16th hole as The Thunderbirds and Waste Management have a surprise up their sleeves they plan to announce shortly that will not only be available to those attending the event, but also to those watching the action unfold from the comfort of their homes.
Spectators will notice an increased amount of skyboxes on both the famous 16th hole and elsewhere on property. The 16th hole, for example, will now have a total of 197 skyboxes an increase of 20 skyboxes from the 2013 event. And speaking of hospitality, for the second year, tournament officials are planning a special venue for active and retired military personnel and their families affectionately called, The Patriots Outpost. Located just off the 18th fairway, The Patriots Outpost includes hosted food and beverages for the men and women (and their families) who selflessly protect our country.
And, when the sun sets at TPC Scottsdale the party heats up at the Coors Light Birds Nest. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 3:30-10 p.m. of tournament week, the Coors Light Birds Nest features new artists every year, and with past superstars like Dierks Bentley and O.A.R headlining the show, it’s always a good time. While the music each night may be different, one thing still remains the same – The Coors Light Birds Nest is THE PLACE TO BE in Scottsdale during the Waste Management Phoenix Open!
While the actual Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament will be played Thursday – Sunday (January 30-February 2), there will still be plenty of things to see and do at TPC Scottsdale all week long. Many of the PGA TOUR pros will play morning practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday of tournament week. There are also other special activities that will feature PGA TOUR professionals, including the Kyocera Pro-Am on Monday, the R.S. Hoyt Jr. Family Foundation Dream Day and CBS Outdoor Special Olympics Open on Tuesday and the ever-popular Annexus Pro-Am (formerly the Silver Pro-Am) on Wednesday. On Saturday, February 1, the tournament is inviting everyone to participate in the fourth annual GREEN OUT. Waste Management and The Thunderbirds encourage players and tournament attendees to wear green in support of the many green/sustainability initiatives that the company is doing to make the event not only the greenest tournament on the PGA TOUR, but one of the most charitable. For every person who wears green on Saturday, tournament host, The Thunderbirds, will donate “green” to three charities including Keep America Beautiful, Keep Phoenix Beautiful and Arizona Forward. The percentages given to each charity will be determined by an online voting promotion on the tournament’s Facebook page in the weeks leading up to the tournament.
In fact, in the three years since taking over as title sponsor, Waste Management has quickly turned the “Greatest Show on Grass” into the “Greenest Show on Grass” by incorporating a tournament-wide recycling and waste reduction program. Now in year three, Waste Management’s Zero Waste Challenge is aimed at controlling the materials brought into the event and educating vendors and patrons about the proper disposal of materials, so that eventually zero waste is sent to local landfills. During the program’s second year, the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open successfully diverted 100 percent of waste from local landfills – a feat that hasn’t been duplicated at any major sporting event.
January 27 through February 2 is the week and The Greatest and Greenest Show on Grass is the place to be. For more information or tickets to the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
