The Waste Management Phoenix Open may not seem like one of the premier stops on the PGA Tour, but it is set to host one of the wildest crowds in golf this weekend.
The tournament's final round concludes historically concludes on SuperBowl Sunday helping to add to the carnival atmosphere around the TPC Scottsdale course. While Sawgrass has the famous island hole on the 17th, TPC Scottsdale is (in)famous for its stadium hole at 16.
Over 20,000 loud (and sometimes drunken) fans surround the hole in stands and hospitality room in what is the only fully enclosed par-three in world golf. The crowd can get very very loud if there is something to cheer for.
Up until last year, the hole was also famous for caddy races before they were stopped due to health and safety reasons. The premise is very simple. The golfer's caddies run from the tee to the front of the green as they are cheered on by the fans. The winner gets to milk the applause from the Arizona crowd, the losers must hang their heads in shame.
Depsite the pressure of over 20,000 fans breathing down your neck, it is also one of the most relaxing holes in golf as the players regularly give freebies to the crowd. Padraig Harrington even got in on the act in 2013.
Harrington leads the Irish contingent in Phoenix this week where he is joined by Shane Lowry and Paul Dunne.
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