PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open Halts Admissions, Limits Alcohol Sales amid Crowd Concerns

The Phoenix Open is one of the biggest events on the PGA Tour schedule, but for the first time in tournament history, golf’s biggest party saw temporary restrictions put in place with crowds surging at TPC Scottsdale on Saturday.

The tournament had to close the entry gates and stop allowing fans on the course around 2 p.m. local time because it was too crowded. Alcohol sales were also temporarily stopped at several locations with spectators getting a little too rowdy, according to ESPN.

“Due to larger than usual crowds, the WM Phoenix Open entrance gates are temporarily closed and shuttle service to the event is on hold,” the tournament said in a statement on X. “Shuttle service back to parking lots will remain running. Regularly check our channels for updates.”

Known as the “Greatest Show on Grass,” the Phoenix Open has long been a fan favorite and hundreds of thousands of spectators show up to the tournament each year. Fans primarily congregate around the 16th hole, which includes a 20,000-seat grandstand that makes for a party full of cheers, boos and beer showers.

The tournament’s decision to put restrictions in place also comes after a woman fell from the grandstand on Friday and had to be hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Phoenix Open stopped announcing daily attendance numbers in 2019.

The 2018 tournament is the largest on record with 719,179 total people attending the event. 2018 also saw the largest single-day crowd on record with 216,818 people in attendance during the Saturday round.

Nick Taylor and Andrew Novak entered Saturday’s third round atop the leaderboard at 12-under. Sahith Theegala, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth are also among the top contenders for the title.

The overall purse at TPC Scottsdale is $8 million. The winner will take home $1.6 million.