Phoenix Open
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Phoenix Open (FBR Open)
The Phoenix Open is a nationally televised golf tournament held at the Tournament Players Club (TPC) in Scottsdale, Arizona around the last weekend in January. The tournament was renamed the FBR Open in October 2003.
History
The Phoenix Open began in 1932 but was discontinued after the 1935 tournament. The rebirth of the Phoenix Open came in 1939 when the vision of a dedicated golfer, Bob Goldwater Sr. convinced fellow Thunderbirds into running the event. The Thunderbirds were not enthusiastic about running the event as he was as he did most of the work in getting a golf open started. He obtained use of the Phoenix Country Club for the 1939 tournament. The tournament has been held every year since then except 1943 due to wartime travel restrictions. The Arizona Country Club was used as the tournament site in 1955, and the site alternated between the Phoenix Country Club and the Arizona Country Club. In 1987 the tournament was moved to the TPC of Scottsdale.
In 1939 the total payout was $3000 and has increased dramatically with $4,000,000 being the total payout now. The winner of the tournament receives $720,000 of that money. The winner of the 2004 FBR Phoenix Open was Jonathan Kaye. Other major winners in recent years included Vijay Singh in 2003 and 1995, Chris DiMarco in 2002, Mark Calcavecchia in 2001, 1992, and 1989, and Phil Mickelson in 1996.
Records of the Phoenix Open
The lowest 4-day score (72 holes) for the tournament was Mark Calcavecchia in 2001 with a total score of 256, which was an incredible 28 under par. One of the days of the tournament he scored a 60, which was the lowest score in the history of the Phoenix Open tied with Grant Waite in 1996. Calcavecchia had 32 birdies in the tournament, which was also an all-time record. He was among three 3-time winners of the Phoenix Open. The other two were Gene Littler in 1955, 1959, and 1969 and Arnold Palmer in 1961, 1962, and 1963. There has been only one double eagle in the history of the Phoenix Open by Tom Pernice Jr. on the 15th hole in 1990.
Other facts
The 4-day attendance of the tournament is around 500,000. The most popular hole for spectators to watch is the 16th hole due to the easiness of the hole. People want to see players get hole-in-ones, and they are more likely to do that if the spectator is watching an easier hole. The people at the 16th hole will yell things at the players coming out like nicknames such as "Lefty" for Phil Mickelson. In addition to the golf, there is a concert held at the tournament called the Birds Nest, in which music artists like Huey Lewis and the News play.
The FBR Open is the opportunity to see the best golfers in this nationally televised event that gives the City of Scottsdale more name recognition across the U.S.
Winners
FBR Open
- 2005 Phil Mickelson
- 2004 Jonathan Kaye
Phoenix Open
- 2003 Vijay Singh
- 2002 Chris DiMarco
- 2001 Mark Calcavecchia
- 2000 Tom Lehman
- 1999 Rocco Mediate
- 1998 Jesper Parnevik
- 1997 Steve Jones
- 1996 Phil Mickelson
- 1995 Vijay Singh
- 1994 Bill Glasson
- 1993 Lee Janzen
- 1992 Mark Calcavecchia
- 1991 Nolan Henke
- 1990 Tommy Armour III
- 1989 Mark Calcavecchia
- 1988 Sandy Lyle
- 1987 Paul Azinger
- 1986 Hal Sutton
- 1985 Calvin Peete
- 1984 Tom Purtzer
- 1983 Bob Gilder
- 1982 Lanny Wadkins
- 1981 David Graham
- 1980 Jeff Mitchell
- 1979 Ben Crenshaw
- 1978 Miller Barber
- 1977 Jerry Pate
- 1976 Bob Gilder
- 1975 Johnny Miller
- 1974 Johnny Miller
- 1973 Bruce Crampton
- 1972 Homero Blancas
Phoenix Open Invitiational
- 1971 Miller Barber
- 1970 Dave Douglass
- 1969 Gene Littler
- 1968 George Knudson
- 1967 Julian Boros
- 1966 Dudley Wysong
- 1965 Rod Funseth
- 1964 Jack Nicklaus
- 1963 Arnold Palmer
- 1962 Arnold Palmer
- 1961 Arnold Palmer
- 1960 Jack Fleck
- 1959 Gene Littler
- 1958 Ken Venturi
- 1957 Billy Casper
Phoenix Open
- 1956 Cary Middlecoff
- 1955 Gene Littler
- 1954 Ed Furgol
- 1953 Lloyd Mangrum
- 1952 Lloyd Mangrum
- 1951 Lew Worsham
Ben Hogan Open
- 1950 Jimmy Demaret
Phoenix Open
- 1949 Jimmy Demaret
- 1948 Bobby Locke
- 1947 Ben Hogan
- 1946 Ben Hogan
- 1945 Byron Nelson
- 1944 Harold McSpaden
- 1941–43 No event
- 1940 Ed Oliver
- 1939 Byron Nelson
- 1936–38 No event
- 1935 Ky Laffooon
- 1934 No event
Arizona Open
- 1933 Harry Cooper
- 1932 Ralph Guldahl
Categories: PGA TOUR events | Phoenix sports