Each February, the WM Phoenix Open brings in crowds and energy unmatched on the PGA Tour. Half a million fans, a packed stadium at the 16th, and a unique atmosphere. But the same problem returns every year: the tournament goes head-to-head with the Super Bowl. In 2026, the Super Bowl drew 125.6 million viewers, while the Phoenix Open’s final round reached just 4.8 million. The numbers speak for themselves. For 2027, the dates are set once more for Super Bowl weekend. The conflict remains unresolved.

Josh Carpenter from Sports Business Journal confirmed this week that the Phoenix Open will be held between the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (February 4 to 7) and the Genesis Invitational (February 18 to 21). PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has spent much of 2026 talking about big changes, including a shorter calendar and a better, more organized season. But for now, the 2027 schedule in February shows that those changes are still on hold.

The issue is not just about television ratings. The Phoenix Open, with a $9.6 million purse, is scheduled between two $20 million Signature Events. Only four of the top ten players in the world entered the 2026 field. The final round is forced to compete with the Super Bowl and the national focus that comes with it. This leaves little room for the tournament to get the attention it deserves.

The Tour’s scheduling puts high-value Signature Events on both sides of the Phoenix Open, which limits the strength of the field. The Phoenix Open has held this spot since 1973, building its own traditions and raising $226 million for Arizona charities. The problem is not the tradition itself, but the unwillingness to question if this schedule still benefits the tournament.

This is not a new problem. In 2026, the opening round at TPC Scottsdale was suspended due to darkness for the fourth year in a row. The Tour has not addressed this recurring operational issue.

It is important to remember what the Phoenix Open achieved before the Signature Event era. The tournament built its own identity and value long before these scheduling changes. And it is not alone in facing this issue. Other events have already made their decisions and moved forward.

WM Phoenix Open Super Bowl clash: What NASCAR’s scheduling move reveals about the PGA Tour’s calendar problem

Other sports have already made the decision the PGA Tour keeps avoiding. NASCAR moved the Daytona 500 to the week after the Super Bowl in 2022. The result was clear: the 2026 Daytona 500 drew 7.49 million viewers on Fox, an 11% increase from the previous year, even while competing with the Winter Olympics and the NBA All-Star Game. The Daytona 500 is not the same as the Phoenix Open, but the lesson is obvious. Events held during the Super Bowl weekend are left fighting for scraps of attention after 125 million viewers have already made their choice.

Events held outside Super Bowl weekend get to stand out on their own. In 2026, the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing averaged 2.70 million viewers on CBS over four weeks, a 19% increase from the previous year. This growth makes the Phoenix Open’s situation even more noticeable. The Tour is getting better, but one of its top events is still stuck on the wrong weekend.

The Future Competitions Committee, led by Tiger Woods, is reviewing the PGA Tour calendar. A post-Super Bowl start and a streamlined schedule are both under discussion. Rolapp is expected to provide more details at the Travelers Championship in June. The process for change is in place. What is missing is a clear timeline. By Rolapp’s own admission, no major reform will happen before 2028.

For now, the WM Phoenix Open remains where it has always been: a major event limited by its place on the calendar. The 2027 dates are set. The question of whether they should change remains unanswered.