Print this page  |  Close Window

By Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator

If Phil Mickelson were to win at Grayhawk Golf Club this Sunday, he could celebrate his successful Fall Series debut at the local pub and watering hole named "Phil's Grill."

ASU product Jeff Quinney returns to Scottsdale, Ariz., this week. (WireImage)

Named, of course, for Lefty himself and decorated with memorabilia from the Arizona State University alum's highly successful, 32-win PGA TOUR career. Mickelson has ties to the Grayhawk venue in Scottsdale, Ariz., and even sports their logo on the belly of his golf bag, something that dates back to his early days on the TOUR.

Now, it goes without saying that things won't be as wild and crazy at "Phil's Grill" as they are in the Birds Nest or on the famous 16th hole at the FBR Open every year. After all, this is the first year of the Fry's Electronics Open -- put on by the Thunderbirds, the organization responsible for the FBR Open and has donated over $6.8 million to Arizona charities -- and it can't rival the history behind the FBR Open, one of the TOUR's most popular events.

But the lucky Arizona sports fans -- who have a chance to see another big sporting event soon, the 2008 Super Bowl in Phoenix -- will get two opportunities this year to catch their favorite golfers. And the fans at the Fry's Electronics Open will get to cheer -- likely loudly, if the FBR Open's 16th hole's stadium-like atmosphere is any indication -- for some hometown boys this week as several Scottsdale residents are back in town.

When Billy Mayfair's head hits the pillow this week, it won't be in some hotel room but rather his own house, as the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame member lives down the road. The same applies for Pat Perez.

Speaking of down the road, the course is mere minutes from TPC Scottsdale, where Baddeley won the FBR Open earlier this season and could top Tiger Woods as the most-recent player to earn two wins in the same city in a calendar year. Baddeley also has a home in Scottsdale, as does former FBR Open winner Tom Lehman. Lehman won at Grayhawk Golf Club during the 1999 Williams World Challenge presented by Target.

Neighbor Jeff Quinney nearly topped Baddeley -- in fact, Quinney held a three-shot lead with four holes to go -- for the FBR Open title but couldn't hold on for his first PGA TOUR win. A former Nationwide Tour winner, Quinney still had an impressive rookie season in 2007 with five top-10 finishes.

Another young ASU player, Niklas Lemke, is also in the field this week. Lemke averaged 70.03 strokes during the 2006-07 season to sit in third place on the Sun Devil's men's golf scoring average behind Paul Casey (69.87, '98-'99) and Phil Mickelson (69.95, '91-'92).

The thing is, there's a whole slew of players -- including 2006 U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy, who's not in the field this week -- who've chosen to reside in the suburb of Phoenix.

It used to be that Florida and Texas dominated the list of locations where TOUR players made their primary residence, but Scottsdale has joined them as a place where the courses are good and the weather is sunny and warm -- "warm" being an understatement when average temperatures during the summer spike over 100 degrees -- enough to golf year round.

Take a look at some of the players with connections to the Scottsdale/Phoenix area and how they've fared in 2007 and in the FBR Open:

Grayhawk also boasts some pretty important connections, since TOUR professionals and television commentators Peter Kostis and Gary McCord hold their learning center at the daily-fee course. The late Heather Farr, a former LPGA Tour player and ASU standout, was one of the first Ambassadors for Grayhawk and the first hole on Grayhawk's Talon course is named "Farrview" in her honor.

The course has hosted several tournaments over its 13-year history, including the Andersen Consulting World Match Play Championship (now known as the World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship), the Tommy Bahama Challenge, FBR Open pro-ams and the Williams World Challenge (now known as the Target World Challenge) that brought in 12 of the world's top players in 2000.

Kevin Na, who is in the field this week, was on the losing team at Grayhawk Golf Club at the Tommy Bahama Challenge in 2004, while Na and Tim Clark returned in 2005 to earn a victory there. Oberholser and Ryan Moore were on the losing American squad that year.

Whether a local product wins remains to be seen but several who have played the venue before, including Mickelson, Quinney, Baddeley, J.P. Hayes and Rich Beem, could be hoisting the trophy at Grayhawk this weekend.