WM Phoenix Open vows for a better experience than 2024
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The WM Phoenix Open tees off on Saturday, Feb. 1, and after last year's rough patch, things will be different.
What to expect:
Preps have been underway for months, which is usual, but after 2024's chaos, more thought is going into organization and safety.
"You'll see a heavy presence of fire and police out here, but you always see that," said Scottsdale Fire Capt. Dave Folio. "Always here to protect the community and the fans who come out and enjoy this event."
He calls the Open a "mini city within a city," and explains some of the changes you'll see this year.
"We worked with the Thunderbirds, public safety, state, local, federal governments to make some changes. It's no surprise some of the walkways were tight. Some of those have been widened," Capt. Folio said.
A third gate has also been added.
"We have a gate at Princess, the main gate, and we're adding a gate south of the main entrance off of Frank Lloyd Wright and Greenway Hayden Loop. That'll give people a way to access the course, and go right to holes 18, 17 and 16," Capt. Folio said.
He says the fire department will have teams on bikes, carts and foot patrolling the Open.
"The overall theme this year is it's going to be ‘better, not bigger,’" Capt. Folio said.
He says after the Open each year, organizers go over what happened and what could be improved.
"Every year we do an after-action. We get together with all the stakeholders, Thunderbirds, Pro Am, Scottsdale Fire, Scottsdale Police. We're always looking to make changes. What we decided this year was we were going to make it a better experience, not bigger," he said.
Big picture view:
Some of these changes were made in light of the 2024 Open weekend. The area was hit hard by rain, leading to muddy conditions and crowds of people rushing for cover.
"It happened. We dealt with it. It's a year-long planning. This isn't just a month before the event we start planning for this. There's command officers and a unified command system that have worked this event for 10, 15 years. We have evacuation plans in place, we'll have a better alert system this year to alert people when weather is coming," he explained.
Capt. Folio says the department's goal is to respond to calls at the Open within one to two minutes.
More good news: Additional restrooms have been added.
What's next:
The event runs from Feb. 1-9, with the golf tournament beginning on Feb. 6.
Click here for more information on this year's Phoenix Open.