WM Phoenix Open Ready for Another Week of Controlled Chaos

Sponsored by a waste removal company, the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Ariz., goes by many alternate names, while proving to be anything but garbage.

Some call it “The Greatest Show on Grass,” while others refer to the four days of complete fan energy as “The People’s Open.” Or go ahead and call it “Rock ’n’ Roll Golf,” where 200,000 people are known to show up on a single day and more than 700,000 pay a visit throughout the week.

Much of the energy is centered around a single hole, the par-3 16th dubbed “The Coliseum” and surrounded by as many as 20,000 fans on a busy day, according to some estimates. The hole churns out a nonstop buzz, even as players go through their swing process.

This week, there will be an added reason to roar as two-time WM Phoenix Open champion Scottie Scheffler enters off a victory two weeks ago and two-time tournament champion Brooks Koepka hits the course after making his PGA Tour return last week.

Scheffler picked up his first PGA Tour victory at the TPC Scottsdale course in 2022, then went on to win four times through April that year, including his first major at The Masters. He won the WM Phoenix Open again in 2023 and took The Players Championship a month later.

Koepka’s first PGA Tour victory also came at the event in 2015. He went on to win back-to-back U.S. Opens (2017–18) and consecutive PGA Championships (2018–19). He won his second WM Phoenix Open in 2021, then bolted for LIV Golf in 2022.

Family concerns prompted Koepka to return to the PGA Tour last week after a Returning Members Program was created where major winners since 2022 can avoid a one-year suspension by agreeing to hefty financial penalties.

In his return at the Farmers Insurance Open last week at Torrey Pines near San Diego, Koepka made a late push on Friday to make the cut by a stroke and finished tied for 56th at 4-under-par 284 over the four days.

By Koepka’s standards it was a so-so effort, but by making the cut, it gave him two more competitive rounds to work on his putting stroke. Now he arrives at a venue where he has won twice, while getting a chance to compete against somebody who has provided inspiration from afar.

“I think just the competitive side of me, you obviously want to do a little bit better but that's going to be very tough to do better than Scottie right now,” Koepka said last week. “But yeah, I'm excited for it. I want to play with those guys, see where I'm at and how I can get better. That's the whole goal every day, trying to practice and just get a little bit better and I'm excited about that.”

In an interview on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, Scheffler also had high praise for Koepka.

"I think it’s good for the tour, especially in the long run," Scheffler said about Koepka’s return. "I love being able to compete against him, and I’m looking forward to getting to do that a lot more often this year."

That first chance comes this week, with both expected to get marquee tee times on both Thursday and Friday.

Koepka said upon his arrival at last week’s tournament that he was anxious about fan reception to his return. It was mostly positive, with “Brooksie” and “Welcome back” the most common greetings from the gallery.

There is a chance the reception could be far more colorful this week, especially at the 16th-hole cocktail party. If anybody has a grievance over Koepka leaving for Saudi-backed LIV Golf for 3½ seasons, they might make it known this week.

Whatever the response, Koepka will embrace whatever the crowd has in store for him.

“Yeah, it will be good; I enjoy (the tournament),” Koepka said about the yearly stop in Arizona. “I love the chaos; I think it's fun. Yeah, it's been, what, four years since I've been back so I'm excited to get back out there to a place I'm familiar with, comfortable with and a place I love.”