SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The executive director of the nonprofit that runs the Waste Management Phoenix Open said the golf tournament will undergo improvements next year.
“We’ve got 356 days to fix this,” Chance Cozby, tournament chairman of the open, told the Golf Channel on Monday.
The 89th annual golf tournament featured more than just the usual color, costumes and rowdy 16th hole.
According to Scottsdale police, unruly behavior by fans kept them busier than usual. There were 54 arrests, 211 ejections and 73 tickets issued for trespassing. The 653 total calls for service were more than the previous three years.
MORE DETAILS: Dozens of arrests at WM Phoenix Open over weekend
“I think you will see a complete operational change in the way we manage not only Friday and Saturday but really the entire week,” Cozby said during the interview.
Several days of rain led to closed parking lots, flooded viewing areas and an atmosphere that was wilder than is typical even for the fan-friendly golf tournament. Around noon Saturday, tournament organizers closed the front gate and halted alcohol sales. Some fans with pre-purchased tickets were turned away from entering. On Monday, a spokesperson for the tournament did not respond to questions from 12News about whether those fans will get refunds.
“It was muddy. So many areas on the golf course were simply unusable. And what that led to was so many fans went to concrete, paved areas,” Cozby told the Golf Channel, adding that organizers will spend the next “365 days” working on “fixing this.”
Cozby said they will re-evaluate the number of general admission tickets they issue and their security plan.
Some fans created impromptu slip and slides, making the best of a sloppy situation. Several golfers complained about fans heckling them or making noise during their swings.
“Somebody asked me if this was the worst Phoenix Open thus far and I’m not going to go that far. I will say this open had the most challenges we’ve ever seen,” said 12News Sports Journalist Cameron Cox, who has covered the tournament for a decade. “We know what this tournament is, a big party with golf playing out in front of it. But it’s still a golf tournament and I think that’s what’s going to somewhat reset moving forward.”
Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega gave the following statement to 12News:
“The Phoenix Open has an outstanding reputation and has successfully attracted millions of fans over the last 37 years to Scottsdale, without the unruly behavior that we witnessed last week. I am confident that the Thunderbirds are committed to make necessary changes so the next Open is safe and enjoyable for all.”
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