Your Guide to Watching the Phoenix Open

By Scott Behmer, Southern Arizona Bureau Chief

Scottsdale, AZ - A trip to the Phoenix Open is a unique experience that can be a highlight on your annual sporting calendar. Or it can be a hotter version of sitting in rush-hour traffic on a Friday afternoon. Here is a guide that will allow you to watch your favorite players while planning ahead so you're not stuck in the traffic jam known as #16.

A fan-friendly feature of the TPC of Scottsdale is that the opening two holes lie in opposite directions of each other bringing the players back to the clubhouse for #3. This allows you to watch your favorite players complete the two par 4's without having to walk a mile back to watch the leaders tee off.

But the walking path around #1 and #2 is narrow, so if you are following the leaders or Tiger Woods then you may get caught up in the pack and miss the action. To avoid this problem watch the leaders tee off on #1, then move to the adjacent #2 green for their return.

#3 is a 554-yard par 5 where the spectators are far away from the players. The best shot here is to watch from the tee, then follow the group down the fairway to watch their second shots to the green. Very few players can hit the uphill green in two, but it'll be fun to watch Tiger, Sergio Garcia, and John Daly go for it.

If you're looking for a rest on the front side head over to one of the par 3's. At the 150-yard #4 you can sit on the side of the hill and see both the tee and the green without a problem. Then, you can check out a long iron on the 215-yard #7. The lush, green shade trees cover the gallery, keeping them cool from the hot sun. This may be the most comfortable hole to watch from on the course.

• Phoenix Open purse increased to $3.2M • Recent GolfArizona.com course reviews • Past articles by Scott Behmer

An excellent place to take in the leaders as they make the turn is at the #10 green. This 403-yard, dogleg right par 4 should have pin-seeking approach shots coming in, creating excitement for the start of the back nine.

Last year, though, another type of excitement occurred when an elderly lady suffered a heart attack behind the green. Luckily, PGA pro Jonathan Kaye's father, who is a doctor, was greenside and attended to her because it took the paramedics over five minutes to respond.

On the 469-yard, par 4 #11 the gallery is very distant from the players. Instead, head over to the 193-yard, par 3 #12. Water surrounds the back portion of the green, putting a great deal of pressure on the players.

The ultimate pin is back right, where a shot right of the green goes in the water and an overprotective shot left splashes in the sand, forcing a bunker shot back towards the water. This par 3 also has a very steep viewing hill creating ample, excellent views for everyone.

#13 and #14 are longer versions of #1 and #2, where one takes you out and the other brings you back. Most spectators move on to #15. This creates a smaller gallery for these two, but with the exciting #15 within a hundred yards you'll probably want to check out the action there.

#15 is 501 yards and reachable by everyone in the field. The exciting part comes on the second shot where the players hit to an island green. The surrounding water turns this gimmie birdie into a hole that can knock a player out of contention.

Then, we come to the drunken mess that is #16. In previous years, over 50,000 smashed fans created an atmosphere seen only at the Phoenix Open. From the moment a player begins his backswing, fans are screaming "Get in the hole."

Ironically, the most memorable event in Phoenix Open history was in 1997 when Tiger Woods made an ace. Tiger's fist pumping, the crowd's screaming, and the bombardment of beer cups on the tee boxes has left an indelible image of #16. If you want to join in, you'll probably have a good time; however, if you're just passing through plan on it taking two to three groups worth of time.

#17 is a driveable par 4 measuring 332 yards on the scorecard, but on Sunday it measures around 300 yards. It's interesting to note that more birdies are made by players who lay up than by those who go for the green.

Tiger Woods

Finally, we come to the 438-yard, dogleg left, par 4 #18. The gallery actually has about 600 yards to walk. However, this does provide easy viewing of the players. The fairway is a good place to watch, except behind the bunker where it's nearly impossible to see over.

Right of the green is a large hillside, ideal for thousands of fans. There are no bleachers here so you'll have to watch from the grass.

The Phoenix Open has a long history of exciting finishes, and one can be sure that with a field which may include Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, and David Duval, another is in the making.