Drunken mayhem erupts after aces at Phoenix Open: video

On the weekend, it seemed like the reputation of the 16th hole at the Phoenix Open went to another level. What do you think of it all?

The par-3 16th hole at the Phoenix Open has always had a wild reputation. Around 20,000 fans pack into the grandstands around the hole at TPC Scottsdale to create an atmosphere like no other in golf.

Not one but two holes-in-one were made during the 2022 Waste Management Phoenix Open and the crowd, lubricated to the gills, went bananas.

The scenes were utter mayhem and many of the golfers lapped it up. The atmosphere was undeniably extraordinary.

For some balance, we direct you to Rod Morri’s excellent piece at Golf Australia suggesting that while the scenes were wild – and mostly entertaining, don’t mistake it for growing interest in the game of golf.

Drinking in a large crowd and throwing beer cans on the green when a player has an ace may be one type of fun but it is not what I – or I suspect most other golfers – think of when we think about golf.

As far as I can tell what happens at Phoenix really has nothing to do with golf and everything to do with crowd behaviour.

Replace the golf with wrestling or football and it seems unlikely anything would change.