Tennis Buff Leads Golf Event Meet Steve Matteucci, Chair of the 2000 Phoenix OpenBy Joan C. Fudala, GolfArizona.com Staff Writer So how is it that the honcho of one of the world's largest golf events is better known as a tennis player than a golfer? It's leadership, business acumen, and community spirit that put Steve Matteucci at the top of the Phoenix Open leader board - and a healthy respect for his newly-acquired game, golf.As Chair of the 2000 Phoenix Open, Matteucci is about to orchestrate the best-attended golf tournament in the world. As in the past, the Open is expected to draw some 400,000 spectators, thousands of volunteers, hundreds of media, scores of celebrities, and over 100 of the best golfers in the world during its run at the Tournament Players Club Scottsdale Jan. 24-30. He follows in the footsteps of 64 previous Phoenix Thunderbirds - including father of the Phoenix Open Robert Goldwater -- in hosting the multi-event tournament, all in the name of charity. "For me, being able to have a meaningful impact on the community, and the responsibility that comes with trying to pull it off ably, is what it's all about," Matteucci said from his Phoenix Open headquarters. A native of Chicago, he spent his growing up years in Greenhills, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. There Matteucci was an Eagle Scout and played the trumpet in the school band. He served as captain of his high school tennis team, and only played golf a few times at his community's nine-hole, executive-length course. After college and law school, he practiced law at large law firms in Cincinnati, then Dallas. Matteucci came to the Phoenix area in 1987 to become general counsel for American Founders Life Insurance Company. It was here that he caught the "entrepreneurial" bug, and has been a business leader, investor, and corporate director ever since. His present venture is as partner and executive vice president of Seattle-based Double R Corporation, with former Cutter & Buck co-founder Joey Rodolfo, at the two-year-old sportswear company. Along the way, he has always considered community service as a top priority. Matteucci served 10 years on the Arizona Science Center board (including a stint as its chair); he is active in his church, his sons' scout troop, and, of course, the Phoenix Thunderbirds, sponsors of the Phoenix Open. He credits his Midwestern upbringing for giving him a solid value system, strong work ethic, accountability, and sense of community involvement. So how will Matteucci pull off an encore of previous years' successful tournaments?
He and his team of 55 active and 250 life Phoenix Thunderbirds have always kept the issue of crowd management and security as number one, and have had a remarkably positive record. However, to ensure continued success, they have tightened the rules on what spectators can bring onto the tournament grounds, as well as the rules regarding alcohol. On this point, Matteucci is very direct: "Public intoxication will not be tolerated, nor will inappropriate behavior." "I'm asking for cooperation and responsible behavior, especially responsible consumption of alcohol. If people understand and support this, we don't have to be the enforcers. For those who choose to cross the line, they won't enjoy the privilege of being there. It's too important to the charities that we support not to do this right." Matteucci points out several additions to this year's tournament. • Kierland Golf Course will be used as a venue for the first time, as host to the Xerox Women's Golf Invitational on Sun., Jan. 23. • The PGA Tour Wives Golf Classic is a brand new event, chaired by Kathy Triplett, wife of PGA player Kirk Triplett. • Oldsmobile is bringing back the 15th hole challenge. • The purse is up to $3.2 million this year. • A British television crew will join the CBS Sports telecast, expanding the worldwide viewing audience. • And - welcome news for many tournament attendees who have been caught in gridlock near the TPC Scottsdale - they have improved access to parking lots.
"It's a remarkable event, with so many people - thousands of volunteers - making it work. The Phoenix Open is a special treasure and we're just the guardians of it - it requires all of us to pull together and make it successful." To him, the goal is clear. "To maintain our sizable charitable contribution from the tournament, we need to make sure we're running this as a very prudent, successful business enterprise, while at the same time recognizing that it is a community event."
"Our (Thunderbirds) charter is to promote the Valley of the Sun to the world, to have the most widely attended golf tournament in the world, and to be one of the leading charitable donors." "We're the only significant tournament on the PGA Tour that keeps our name, the Phoenix Open, rather than going to a commercial name. What this means is that we do not garner the extra dollars that you can get for giving your tournament name to 'the a-b-c corp.' But we're successful because the community rallies around us." But what about the essence of Matteucci's tournament - golf? "Of the 55 active Phoenix Thunderbirds -- 85 percent of whom are very good, avid golfers - I'm one of the weaker players, but I have a healthy respect for the game. I intend to play in the Pro-Am next year, so when I have a little more time after this year's Open, I'm going to work on my game." |
During the past year, proceeds from the Phoenix Open have allowed
the Thunderbirds to donate a record $3.3 million to charity. In
fact, since moving the tournament to TPC of Scottsdale in 1987,
the Phoenix Open has raised $13.1 million for charity. 
Longbow Golf Club