Celebrating its 82nd year, the 2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open Presented by The Ak-Chin Indian Community will tee it up at TPC Scottsdale, January 30 – February 5, and will feature a stellar field comprised of young guns, perennial contenders, and Major Championship winners. In addition to the PGA TOUR’s best, celebrities, business leaders, and rock stars also will join in the fun making the 2017 tournament one of the must-attend sporting events in the Valley of the Sun.

The last two years will be hard to beat, as the 2015 and 2016 tournaments both achieved record-breaking attendance numbers. Last year’s contest lined the fairways and filled the stands with more than 600,000 passionate fans who were on hand to witness the longest sudden-death playoff in TPC Scottsdale history (four playoff holes) as Hideki Matsuyama held off Rickie Fowler in what would become an instant golf classic. 

The 2016 tournament also was a record-breaking affair for local charities, as the host Thunderbirds raised more than $9.3 million for the second year in a row, distributed to more than 150 Arizona non-profits through the proceeds from the 2016 event. This marks the largest single amount raised by The Thunderbirds in the 81-year history of the tournament, breaking last year’s record of just over $9 million. To add to the crowning accomplishment, the civic organization has now raised more than $111 million for Arizona charities since the first tournament in 1932, with more than $45 million raised since 2010 when Waste Management became the title sponsor. 

So what’s new at the 2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open? Each year, The Thunderbirds strive to improve the tournament in new and exciting ways. This year, they’ve doubled down on the success of The Bay Club – an upscale, luxury venue complete with formal wait staffs and premium food and beverage options – increasing the size of the popular venue nearly two-fold. 

The 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open continues to be one of the most iconic and unique holes on the PGA TOUR. The Thunderbirds continued to expand the already enormous construction project, adding more than 500 new general admission seats sure to increase the decibel level at the loudest hole in golf. The “Coliseum” will now feature 274 skyboxes, 3,700 general-admission seats and hold more than 16,000 fans. 

The party doesn’t end with the conclusion of each round, as the Coors Light Birds Nest brings the party across the street to a four-night music concert series. Open Wednesday (2/1) through Saturday (2/4) from 3:30-10:30 pm, the 2017 Coors Light Birds Nest will feature two major national artists each night. Jake Owen with special guest Chase Rice will kick things off on Wednesday, while country music icon and The Band Perry will rock the Nest on Thursday. Friday will feature Kaskade and Flo Rida, while Blink-182 and Steve Aoki will close things out on Saturday.  

While the actual Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament will be played Thursday-Sunday (February 2-5), there will still be plenty of things to see and do at TPC Scottsdale all week long. 

Many of the PGA TOUR pros will play morning practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday of tournament week. And thanks to Ford – the official vehicle sponsor of the WM Phoenix Open – all guests receive free admission to the festivities on Monday, Jan. 30, and Tuesday, Jan. 31 as part of Ford Free Days courtesy of Arizona Ford Dealers. 

Other notable events during tournament week include the R.S. Hoyt Jr. Family Foundation Dream Day and Outfront Media Special Olympics Open on Tuesday; and the extremely popular Annexus Pro-Am and Phoenix Suns Charities Shot at Glory on Wednesday. 

On Saturday, Feb. 4, Waste Management and The Thunderbirds invite everyone to participate in the seventh-annual GREEN OUT, where players and fans are encouraged to wear green to showcase their support for the environment, the community and all that Waste Management is doing to solidify the tournament’s status as not only the greenest event on the PGA TOUR, but also the most charitable. For every person who wears green on Saturday, The Thunderbirds will donate “green” to three local charities. 

The Waste Management Phoenix Open is not only the most-attended tournament on the PGA TOUR, it is also the largest zero-waste event in the world. That means ZERO tournament waste has entered landfills in the last four years. Instead, 100 percent was recycled, composted or sent to waste-to-energy facilities. 

There is a lot of excitement in Scottsdale during the early months of 2017, but none more impactful or fun than the “Greatest Show on Grass.” For more information visit www.WMPhoenixOpen.com.