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The 2024 WM Phoenix Open has been a rather chaotic tournament to say the least, with rough weather, rowdy crowds and round delays. The tournament, often known for its passionate fanbase, took a turn for the worse. Ultimately, the WMPO had to shut the gates for its fans.
The WM Phoenix Open recently released a statement regarding why it had closed the gates, not allowing fans to enter the TPC Scottsdale Stadium course. The statement, according to NUCLR Golf, said:
"To the greatest fans in golf, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused as we always strive to create the best event possible."
The poor conditions due to rains forced officials to reconsider letting fans inside the arena. Citing the safety of fans, the official statement continued:
"The stadium-style course layout at TPC Scottsdale which features large banks for crowds to stand and sit, were soggy and unusable. This pushed patrons who would normally congregate in those areas into high-foot-traffic areas causing severe congestion at key points on event grounds including the entrance and exit."
The WM Phoenix Open has been facing delays in its rounds, after the first round spilled over to the second day and the third day's holes spilled over to the fourth day.
WM Phoenix Open crowd takes a turn for the worse, officials stop alcohol sale
The crowd at the WM Phoenix Open took a turn for the worse on Saturday, resulting in mayhem at the tournament. It became a major cause of concern for the officials after fans started getting hurt in the process.
Many fans were trampled, began collapsing, and the fences had to be cut open just to accomodate the large crowd. In a bid to calm the situation and ensure the safety of fans, tournament officials decided to close the gates to the tournament and also stop the sale of alcohol.
Eventually, the crowd thinned out at the iconic 16th hole, and the usual footfall of the tournament was restored. With officials wanting to finish the tournament on Sunday, golfers will have to play up to 30 holes on Sunday. Sahith Theegala is currently leading the tournament after three rounds.
