“Make this hole your bit*h” - Jordan Spieth faces an awkward situation after a fan chant at WM Phoenix Open
The WM Phoenix Open is known for its passionate and energetic crowd and this year is no different. The 2024 edition has seen some of the biggest crowds that have visited the tournament, with fans coming to support their favorite golfers.
Chanting and shouting encouraging words is a common way to show support for the audience's favorite golfers. However, Jordan Spieth found himself in a bit of an awkward spot when a golfer yelled something rather funny. The fan was heard saying:
"Jordan make this hole your bit*h."
Speith stood there awkwardly as other fans laughed. Eventually, he teed off from the first hole of the TPC Scottsdale course during the fourth round. Speith finished the tournament in an impressive sixth place, with an overall score of -14.
The crowds at TPC Scottsdale eventually got to all the golfers as well, including Jordan Spieth. He explained the situation via Sports Illustrated, saying:
“When I went home and when I came back, I couldn’t come the same direction. The police officers had blocked it off, so I drove up and I said, ‘How am I supposed to get back to the course?’ He said, ‘We’re over capacity. It’s hazardous, so we’ve got to go through a different [entrance].’"
The tournament faced issues with crowd control over the weekend, as they eventually closed the gates and disallowed fans from entering the arena.
2024 WM Phoenix Open faces issues with rowdy crowds at TPC Scottsdale
The 2024 WM Phoenix Open came with its fair share of challenges. The poor weather and the frosty conditions saw the rounds spill over to the next day and the tournament got delayed by one day.
To add to that, the rowdy crowds became uncontrollable, and the tournament officials had to shut the doors to TPC Scottsdale. The tournament also stopped the sale of alcohol in the hopes of calming the situation down. The course conditions also became muddy due to the rain and made it unsafe for crowds to enter.
Many golfers and fans called for changes to the WM Phoenix Open after the deteriorating conditions over the years. The booing and the heckling at the tournament did not sit well with many golfers, including the likes of Billy Horschel and Zach Johnson.
The conditions at the WM Phoenix Open have been less than ideal this year, but now the PGA Tour moves on to the next signature event of the year, the Genesis Open.