“It did help alleviate some of the congestion and move people, which was our goal and continues to be a goal. “That is a massive area and one of the best places on the course to watch golf,” Mahoney said. On the flip side, Mahoney said, El Rancho, a new public venue near the 12th hole, also drew large galleries throughout the week and pulled many fans away from “party central.” The posh Bay Club, a new venue on the 17th hole, was a smashing success and added even more fans to the commotion. On Saturday, fans waited in line from anywhere to two to four hours to enter public seating on the rowdy 16th hole. Get to the back nine and they’re not to be found. Phil Mickelson summarized that dynamic after Saturday’s round, saying, “The golf fans are out on the front nine. One issue with the crowds is the human gridlock it creates around the finishing holes, where the party crowd gathers. We want to embrace the entire community because it accrues to the benefit of the community through charitable contribution, but we need to do that in a way that is safe for everyone involved.” “We need to anticipate that and make sure we’re doing everything necessary to make sure those fans are safe and enjoying their experience. “So far, our infrastructure is such that it can withstand and handle those numbers, and as the Valley continues to grow, we’re going to see increasing numbers here,” Mahoney said. There were times when TPC Scottsdale appeared to be stretched to its limit, but Mahoney said it hasn’t been maxed out just yet, although security and crowd control need to remain a priority. history.Ī dramatic finish capped the tournament as Hideki Matsuyama of Japan defeated Rickie Fowler on the fourth hole of a playoff. Last week’s PGA Tour event shattered more attendance records, drawing a record 618,365 fans, including a single-day record of 201,003 for Saturday’s third round, which was the second-largest crowd for a sports event in U.S. RELATED: Waste Management Phoenix Open special section | Photos of Sunday's golf action | Photos of fans at the Phoenix Open 2016 “I’m always trying to balance the desire to increase our crowds because we are the people’s major … but at the same time when you have that many people, we have to be able to service them and we have to be able to manage them and keep them safe.” “That is a really good question,” tournament chairman Dan Mahoney said as the event drew to a close Sunday evening, “and believe me it’s one that we think about quite often as we anticipate the increasing popularity of this event. When it comes to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the sky appears to be the limit, but the host Phoenix Thunderbirds aren’t looking casually at the gaudy numbers their golf tournament generates. Watch Video: Giraffe describes record attendance at TPC Scottsdale
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