Drunkenness, arrests, and chaos: The tournament that shows the wild side of golf

“We want beer!” chanted thousands of furious attendees at the WM Phoenix Open. The golf tournament is known as “the largest grass event in the world,” although this year’s competition saw less lawn and more mud, and many golf fans wallowing in it. The reason why the beer taps had been shut off, as the police chief later explained on the FOX 10 news channel, was that the situation had gotten out of control. This forced the authorities to ban the sale of alcohol and stop fans entering from around two in the afternoon. The weekend ended with 54 arrests and 211 attendees expelled, more than double the previous year.

Dozens of videos on social media document the chaos: alcohol-induced altercations, people urinating everywhere, public nudity, and other disorders that culminated in arrests. American Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson was filmed saying “I’m sick of it,” before demanding fans “just shut up.” Player Billy Horschel admonished a spectator who was interrupting a teammate’s swing: “He’s trying to get a damn golf shot here. It’s our fucking job.” Golfers Jordan Spieth and Byeong Hun An pointed out the unacceptable level of noise and general unruliness. An, in particular, described the tournament-goers as “shitshows,” adding: “[I’ve] played here multiple times over the years and it was fine until today.”

It is common to associate this sport’s tournaments with a marked sense of decorum and a silent respect for the players. This is usually true, except for this particular event held in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is part of the PGA Tour, which is the United States’ main golf circuit, but it has more in common with a tailgate party than with the Wimbledon tennis tournament. Before the doors open, a queue of thousands of fans forms, some dressed as Snow White or Abraham Lincoln, who, mini beer in hand, run to secure a spot in the stands of the 16th hole, popularly known as The Colisseum.

The grandstand at the 16th can accommodate 20,000 people, a necessary structure for the best attended event on the golf circuit, which typically attracts half a million spectators. Players on the 16th green try to hole their putt in an atmosphere not unlike the ones seen at a football stadium, where the applause, boos, and enthusiasm of the crowd are not only expected but encouraged. It is not uncommon, in fact, for the green to end up covered in trash and soaked in puddles of beer. Since the WM Phoenix Open moved to TPC Scottsdale in 1987, 11 holes-in-one have been recorded. Tiger Woods sunk one off the tee on his first PGA Tour in 1997, at just 21 years old, with a legendary shot that marked the beginning of one of the biggest careers in the history of golf. After seven years of drought, in 2023 Sam Ryder once again aced the 16th, and unleashed a torrent of beer on the course that has remained one of the most iconic moments in the history of the competition.

Despite the crowd’s notable lack of self-control, the most recent staging of the event has stood out for marking a trend towards golf that is more focused on entertainment and having an emphasis on commercial appeal. This approach has moved the sport away from its traditional image, which has been struggling for years to get rid of its elitist label. The emergence of the LIV Golf series, which is financially backed by Saudi Arabia, has revolutionized various aspects of the competition, such as the introduction of four-player teams and unprecedented monetary prizes.

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