By Xiaotao Zhong
Medill Reports
The Waste Management Phoenix Open is known for attracting the largest and most energized crowds in any golf tournament. This is often based on the crowds at the 16th hole, where the mass of fans gather in an enclosed stadium that requires additional admission.
While all eyes were on the notorious 16th hole on Feb. 12, during the third round of the tournament, there are other holes at TPC Scottsdale also worth attention. The par-5 558-yard 13th hole is one of them.
This hole was ranked the second easiest hole on the course and it’s a great spot for birdie-watching. 2022 winner Scottie Scheffler sunk three birdies on hole No. 13 during the tournament.
The 13th hole offers one of the best elevated views on the course. It’s the hole farthest away from the clubhouse. Most partiers won’t walk all the way to this hole, so it provides a rare quiet spot on the course for casual fans to enjoy the players and the game close-up.
Video Transcript:
NARRATION: Every time the marshals raised their quiet sign at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the only sound you heard was the buzzing of planes flying overhead. The 13th hole is one of the few stops on the course where the crowds actually quiet down.
FLOWERS: Hole No. 13 is a par-5 558-yard hole. It’s a good birdie hole for the golfers. Many times they are putting for a birdie, or an eagle in some cases. Par is easy to get here as well. It’s a long trade, straight in, and it’s a good hole to score on.
NARRATION: The 13th hole of the Phoenix Open is the farthest hole away from the clubhouse. Despite the long walk there, it offers one of the best views on the course.
GREINER: I can see these guys up there at the fairway 250 yards away hitting their shots.
GREINER: This is far enough away from the big rush, if you will, and all the people. It’s a lot more quiet, a lot more peaceful, and it’s just more relaxing.
NARRATION: The Phoenix Open is renowned for its boisterous crowds at the 16th hole. They are indeed what make the tournament different from other PGA events.
HOFFMAN: You can’t get that kind of condensed energy anywhere else on tour or even a lot of sporting events. It’s that concentrated energy is really what’s cool, even though I am the type of person who doesn’t like crowds.
CLOSER: If you are not a partier or if you want to take a breather from the crowds, hole No. 13 is a good spot to take a walk and enjoy some pure golf. From Scottsdale, this is Xiaotao Zhong, Medill Reports.
Xiaotao Zhong is a sports media graduate student at Medill. You can follow him on Twitter at @SunnyZ_16.
