{"id":104966,"date":"2025-02-25T10:14:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T16:14:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=104966"},"modified":"2026-01-01T16:05:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T22:05:51","slug":"wm-phoenix-opens-11th-hole-the-16ths-quieter-more-difficult-sister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wm-phoenix-opens-11th-hole-the-16ths-quieter-more-difficult-sister\/","title":{"rendered":"WM Phoenix Open\u2019s 11th hole: The 16th\u2019s quieter, more difficult sister"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Simone Roberts
\n<\/b>Medill Reports<\/i><\/p>\n

Just feet away from the famous par-3 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open is the one no one talks about. The 11th hole is hard not just because it\u2019s a long 482-yard stretch laced with water and sand but also because of the sound from the 16<\/span>th<\/span> \u2014 a noise reminding golfers of where they will be in five short holes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever you hear a roar, you\u2019re always looking over there,\u201d WM Phoenix first-timer Michael Thorbjornsen said. \u201cIt\u2019s a different beast over there. It really draws your attention.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But 11 is a beast in itself, presenting its own challenges despite being in the shadow of its more rambunctious, attention-getting big sister.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No 16. is famous for its hole-in-ones, beer showers and coliseum seating, overshadowing the other holes at the tournament. It met expectations during the\u00a0 second round Feb. 7 when Argentina\u2019s Emiliano Grillo hit a hole-in-one. The sound may reverberate, but some don\u2019t let the chaos shake them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Five holes behind Grillo, Canada\u2019s Corey Conners was teeing off at the 11th.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was pretty certain it was an ace. I wasn\u2019t totally certain. There\u2019s roars for various reasons,\u201d Conners said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One way or another, 16 can affect a golfer\u2019s concentration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is always some chaos when you\u2019re on 10 green and 11 tee, making it even more difficult,\u201d Conners said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people around the tee. It\u2019s definitely lingering in your mind there, but it\u2019s (the 11th) a very challenging hole. The tee shot is very demanding.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Two
Two golfers wait for their turn at the 16th hole on Feb. 6, 2025. (Simone Roberts\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI actually think the 16th hole is one of the easier holes,\u201d said Jeff Hamley, U.S golfer Andrew Novak\u2019s caddie. \u201cThe reason is, the fans are in the stands. We know they can\u2019t get to us. They aren\u2019t on top of us so it\u2019s actually a calming hole where we take a deep breath.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With crowds inches away and a literal shadow cast by the 16th\u2019s grand stands, the 11th can be harder to succeed on. Fans even encircle the 11th tee box, walking with golfers from the 10th.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest part is the grandstands block the wind,\u201d Hamley said. \u201cSo the caddies have a tough time knowing exactly where the winds are coming, because we can\u2019t see the flags. We can’t see anything that shows us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the \u201cquiet please\u201d signs held up by volunteers, fans jeer at golfers as they watch their shots fly from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe crowd, it\u2019s a crazy week. It\u2019s one of the best weeks in golf,\u201d said Drew Cohen, Thorbjornsen\u2019s caddie. \u201cTen and 11, you definitely have a lot of fans watching you, so you have to focus up and execute and hit a good shot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At 112 decibels on the 16th, the 11th hole had a decibel level of 101.4, and that was just when general admissions fans were yelling at the adjacent suites.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to expect it, and you know it\u2019s going to happen one day,\u201d Australian golfer Min Woo Lee said. \u201cI think the music is loud enough to get rid of the roar. Hopefully you\u2019re lucky enough not to be right in your back swing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As U.S. golfer Scottie Scheffler teed off on the 16th, the sound reached a peak of 117.5 decibels on the 11th, which is the same sound level as your favorite music concert according to Alpine Hearing Protection. Golfers and fans may not be looking down on the 16th, but they can feel and hear it as if they were.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn the 11th, (the sound from the 16th hole) gives us some adrenaline flow,\u201d Hamley said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Simone Roberts is a graduate student at Northwestern\u2019s Medill School of Journalism.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Simone Roberts Medill Reports Just feet away from the famous par-3 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open is the one no one talks about. The 11th hole is hard not just because it\u2019s a long 482-yard stretch laced with water and sand but also because of the sound from the 16th \u2014 a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":988,"featured_media":104969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5485,5542,5153,5487,5489],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-medill-explores-2025","category-msj25","category-quarter","category-winter-2025","category-wm-phoenix-open-2025"],"yoast_head":"\nWM Phoenix Open\u2019s 11th hole: The 16th\u2019s quieter, more difficult sister - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The par-3 16th at the WM Phoenix Open steals the spotlight, but the tough 11th hole presents its own challenges. Amid the roars and chaos, golfers must navigate a demanding stretch. 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