PGA TOUR: WM Pheonix Open Recap PLUS “The Loudest Hole on Tour”
The PGA Tour left the California coast and headed into the desert for a stop at the golfin’ oasis that is Pheonix. The The Waste Management Pheonix Open might not ring many bells but the tourney does boast one of the best-known holes in golf today: the par 3, 162-yard stadium 16th at TPC Scottsdale. Almost 20K fans can crowd into the box seats and grandstands that ring this bad boy, and while the ovation for a good shot can be overwhelming, gallery members aren’t shy when it comes to booing a bad shot.
“That can be a very scary hole,” PGA’r Joe Durant recently told USA TODAY. “Walking to the tee is kind of like seeing a police car in your rearview mirror, and you don’t know if they’re after you or not. If you’re lucky and the police car roars by, you can take a deep breath.”
Think YOU could overcome the noise and hit a good shot at the stadium? Tell us your tips for beating the butterflies when the pressure is on with a comment below!
Hunter Mahan carded consecutive 6-under 65s to edge up-and-comer Ricky Fowler by one stroke. Mahan birdied the 16th in front of thousands and became only the 8th person to win more than one tourney before his 30th birthday. Fowler notched his second “first loser” of 2010 with a final-round 68. Last year’s Tiger-killer, YE Yang, finished only a few strokes back in 3rd and was followed by three more who tied for fourth.
~Scratch
Bonus: Anybody catch the return of THE HANEY PROJECT on The Golf Channel? After a first-season success with Charles Barkley, Hank’s back and this time he’s working with comedian and sitcom star Ray Romano. New episodes started this week, and here’s a quick list of the first few shows.