Golf enthusiasts and Arizona locals who were left disappointed and confused about why they were denied entry into the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Saturday have now been given a reason why.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Thunderbirds, the organizers of the PGA Tour event at TPC Scottsdale, claim due to corroding course conditions and large crowds, they felt gating off further patrons was the best decision for public safety.
Via a post on X (formerly Twitter), they released a full statement of what happened.
“The stadium-style course layout at TPC Scottsdale which features large banks for crowds to stand and sit, were soggy and unusable. This pushed patrons who would normally congregate in those areas into high-foot-traffic areas causing severe congestion at key points on event grounds including the entrance and exit.”
— WM Phoenix Open (@WMPhoenixOpen) February 11, 2024
Across the Valley, heavy rainfall hit to help with the Arizona drought over the past week.
Due to the amount of water landing on the course, the impact did enough damage to alter normal protocols.
“After consulting with event partners and officials, we made the decision to temporarily close the tournament entrance to alleviate crowding in those areas in the interest of public safety.”
The Thunderbirds are still collecting information, and discussing next steps on what to do.
“We know that fans with Saturday tickets were turned away. The Thunderbirds as an organization are gathering more details and discussing options on how to remedy their concerns.”
Massive crowds were voicing their displeasure for not joining in on the excitement of what this event has to offer prior to this announcement.
As for the golf itself, it resumes Super Bowl Sunday, the last day currently on the schedule for the Phoenix Open.
If more information comes out of this situation, Burn City Sports will keep you up-to-date.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Arizona Coyotes, Cardinals and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
