The history of the iconic 16th hole at the Phoenix Open

The Phoenix Thunderbirds moved from Phoenix Country Club to TPC Scottsdale courses in 1987 because of the limited space for spectators. Hal Sutton didn’t take long to make history on the course, recording the first hole-in-one at the 16th hole a year after the move.

In 1992, construction began on “The Coliseum,” adding 11 corporate boxes that could seat around 500 people. Throughout the years, as the tournament became increasingly popular, the number of corporate boxes increased. Thirty-Three years later, that number is now at 298 skyboxes that can seat up to 20,000 people.

1997 saw Tiger Woods’ ace on the 16th hole, on the road to winning his first of five masters. The 21-year-old Woods showcased the potential of the rowdy atmosphere as his hole-in-one elicited one the most electric crowd reactions that is replayed to this day.

Sutton and Woods are just two of the 11 men to record an ace on the hole, with the latest two coming in 2022. Sam Ryder was the first in the third round, hitting his sand wedge and erupting the crowd that caused a 20-minute delay because of all the beer cans thrown by the fans in attendance. The fans wouldn’t have to wait long for the feat again as Carlos Ortiz recorded a hole-in-one, making it the first time since 1997 of recorded aces in consecutive days at “The Coliseum.”

Ryder and Ortiz’s aces changed the rules for fans in attendance to no longer allow beer cans at the 16th hole with the fear of a can possibility causing harm to a caddie or golfer below.

The hole has gained so much notoriety that it is now used as a concert stage the Saturday before tournament week to celebrate. Artists that have performed are Maroon 5, Walker Hayes, Post Malone, and more.

The four-decade history of 16 at TPC Scottsdale Courses is historic and has become a bucket list item for any golf fan to attend in person once to experience the atmosphere firsthand.