Rowdy. Boisterous. Insane. Not the usual adjectives you use to describe golf audiences. But 16th at TPC Scottsdale is unique in its truest sense. Greg Norman has tried to replicate that in his native country and most recently in the Las Vegas Country Club, with some success, but the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open is in a league of his own.

In the annals of history, many record-breaking feats have been achieved here, most notably Tiger Woods’s ace in 1997. The PGA Tour is once again going back to Arizona for the penultimate event of its West Coast Swing. No Tiger Woods this time, or Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland for that matter. But golf fans on the 16th have never relied on the star power to raise the decibels, as these five instances from the past show.

When James Hahn rallied, the crowd behind him 

James Hahn had it all planned. The South Korean pro had a few other celebration ideas, running from Aaron Rodgers’ signature discount double check to Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’. But Gangnam Style was the winner, eventually. Hahn rolled a 20-foot birdie putt on the 16th in the final round of the 2013 WM Phoenix Open. Lifting up his putter, the South Korean waited a few seconds before rendering PSY’s Gangnam Style to pump up the crowd. Not that they needed anything to be pumped up, but Hahn was an instant hit.  

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A Robot playing golf at the WM Phoenix Open? 

Remember when LDRIC debuted at the 16th hole at the TPC Scottsdale? The Robot, named after a certain Eldrick Tiger Woods, son of Earl and Kultida Woods, made a hole-in-one in its debut. It’s fair to say that it honored the man’s legacy for whom it was named. The crowd erupted into raucous laughter. Fun fact: the robot was originally programmed for a 163-yard shot, but the pin from the tee was only 143 yards. A few last-minute key adjustments did the trick on show time. Gene Parente, the owner of LDRIC, said, “Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.”

Black Mamba honored at the WM Phoenix Open

The 2020 WM Phoenix Open presented the best opportunity for pro golfers to pay tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. Just four days after his passing, Tony Finau, Justin Thomas, and Max Homa sported the famous Lakers no. 8 and 24 jerseys to honor Black Mamba. 

Thomas etched his clubs with “Mamba Mentality,” “Black Mamba”, “Kobe Bean Bryant,” and “81 Points.” Finau, on the other hand, sported a purple and yellow swoosh with ‘8’, and ‘24’ etched on it; a nod to famous No.8 & No. 24 in Los Angeles Lakers.

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Jarrod Lyle made an ace with an 8-iron on the 16th in 2011. Leukemia cut his life short seven years later, but it’s the People’s Open we are talking about. The organizers decided to commemorate the feat with a monument at the 16th hole. It has a replica of Lyle’s bag, the famous 8-iron he used, and his hat. The plaque reads, “Hole-in-one, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, 9:16 a.m., 150 yards, 8 iron. Rest in Peace.” Lyle is one of the handful of golfers who made an ace on the 16th, including Tiger Woods. 

When Tiger Woods almost broke his caddie’s hand

During the 1997 WM Phoenix Open, Tiger Woods was coming off a hot streak of three victories in the first five months of turning pro. No wonder crowds went bonkers when Woods walked up to the tee at the 16th. However, on the moving day, Woods was almost out of contention. The eventual winner, Steve Jones, was already ten shots ahead of him. But then 21-year-old Woods swung his 9-iron and cupped the ball into the hole after two soft bounces on the green. A beer shower on the tee was an early indication of the fan-following Woods would eventually enjoy throughout his long career. “I think I broke Fluff’s hand,” Woods said later. 

This year’s WM Phoenix Open no longer enjoys the ‘elevated’ status of the last year. Nevertheless, the field is stacked with Scottie Scheffler coming for a three-peat, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth, looking to end their title drought on the Tour, and Max Homa looking to net a victory in his hometown.

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