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The 2024 WM Phoenix Open was chaotic and the local police seemed busy throughout the tournament. The event, held at the TPC Scottsdale in Arizona, had issues surrounding public safety, drunk fights, and cases of heckling as well. However, the Scottsdale police didn’t have to deal with it alone.
According to Golfweek, at least 100 officers from a dozen law enforcement agencies were sent in to assist officials at the event. As per the report, Tempe police sent approximately 50 officers from Wednesday and Saturday for the event. However, the department claimed that the number was lower than usual. Arizona Department of Public Safety sent about 30 off-duty troopers, while Chandler police sent about a dozen officers on bicycles.
Surprise’s bicycle officers who worked with Scottsdale’s bike team, Gilbert’s bike teams and night traffic units, Apache Junction police, Arizona State University Police, Queen Creek and Goodyear’s dog units, Phoenix police, and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s deputies were other set of officials on the field over the weekend.
54 arrests were registered at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open
Public safety services were a major concern for the organizers at this year’s WM Phoenix Open. The event had large crowds, soggy conditions, and stints of alcohol-induced troubles. As per the report, the Scottsdale police arrested a record 54 people over the event weekend. This is triple the number of arrests from 2023.
Apart from the arrests, a total of 211 fans were ejected from the venue, more than twice the amount thrown out at the past two editions. Many were also stopped at the gates after reports of fans entering without tickets being checked began circulating. Some instances of brawls were also registered at the TPC Scottsdale event.
WM Phoenix Open tournament chair George Thimsen, while speaking in an interview with Golfweek on Thursday, said the organizers were reviewing this year’s event to avoid negative scenarios next year. He addressed the issues raised by several fans but didn’t state the conditions were unsafe. Thimsen further defended the call to close the gates on February 10.
“I would say that likely there will be less people on a Friday and a Saturday at our event and that we would focus on quality over quantity. That’s because of the hard work of our first responders and law enforcement and volunteers. There may have been some frustrated fans..." he said.
"But at the end of the day, I think it (closing the gates) was the right call, and it was a successful event… From a safety perspective, there wasn’t a lot of major issues, and we feel thankful and blessed for that,” he added.
It is pertinent to note that the WM Phoenix Open has a history of being a chaotic event. Also known as the People's Open, the TPC Scottsdale weekend is known to act as drunk golf fans’ haven on the PGA Tour. Owing to this, the Scottsdale police coordinate efforts with other Phoenix area departments each year as a standard procedure.
