The 2026 WM Phoenix Open, held at the most raucous golfing stage on the PGA Tour, was never going to run its course without at least one hitch. That simply means the event didn’t “lose its fastball,” which tournament chairman Jason Eisenberg made sure was delivered safely to the strike zone.
Broadcast coverage of the final round of the annual February fixture at TPC Scottsdale — which saw American Chris Gotterup prevail in a one-hole playoff over Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama — peaked at nearly 5 million viewers, according to CBS. With the world’s No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler making a Sunday charge and a crowded leaderboard, the viewership was up 32% from 2025 and the highest in seven years.
The hitch came in the form of fan yelling before one of Matsuyama’s swings in the sudden-death playoff, but Eisenberg said the two-time event champion and media handled it well to not spoil a “great event overall.”
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“It was handled the way it should have been handled,” Eisenberg told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta Friday to conclude Newsmakers Week. “I think it’s indicative of how the players feel about the event. I think it’s indicative of how the fans reacted and behaved themselves all week.”
From upgrades to the coliseum-like par-3 16th hole to firmly getting past a rain-soaked, alcohol-abused 2024, the latest edition of “The People’s Open” was much more in line with what event heads like Eisenberg envision: “draw that casual fan into going and experiencing live golf.”
New entrances and exits to the tournament and expansion to several walkways and grandstands throughout the course grounds helped Eisenberg and 2027 chairman Chris Camacho focus on tweaking the more atmospheric parts of the event, like the Coors Light Birds Nest concert series.
The party on grass attracted the league’s highest ranking official in PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who stepped into the role last June.
“He was incredibly complimentary of our event,” Eisenberg said. “I think it’s the first time he’d been out there and seen it. And I think the first time you see 16 and then really (the par-4 17th and 18th holes) and the crowds and everything that goes on there, it’s pretty eye-opening.”
Rival professional tour LIV Golf may deserve credit for the PGA Tour expanding its tournament purses and player incentives program in recent years. However, Rolapp’s short tenure has already brought with it a revamped schedule and a vision of creating week-in, week-out experiences like the WM Phoenix Open.
Eisenberg said a “perfect world” would offer the fan that kind of energy in every tour stop. Some cities and courses don’t allow for a Phoenix Open buildout but the chairman added he believes the sport is “in a really good spot right now.”
“The casual fan is watching golf and I think there’s a giant runway if the PGA implements what they’re talking about implementing into really bringing more fans in the tent,” Eisenberg said.
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