www.fbr.com

Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc. 

Through their mission to promote the Valley of the Sun through sports, The Thunderbirds attract a global spotlight to FBR every January, as the world's best golfers venture west to participate in the FBR Open. The tournament has matured greatly since its very humble beginnings, and no one has benefited more from this growth than the children of the state of Arizona.

The FBR Open began in 1932 but was discontinued after the 1935 event. The tournament was revived thanks to the energy and vision of one man, Bob Goldwater, Sr. An avid golfer, he cajoled his fellow Thunderbirds into running the event, and his persuasive manner was successful. So in 1939, Bob Goldwater's new fledgling golf tournament was the official rebirth of the FBR Open.

Goldwater was left with most of the work, as his fellow Thunderbirds were not yet as enthusiastic about the event as he was. Never one to back down from a challenge, Goldwater printed the tickets, sold sponsorships and obtained use of the Phoenix Country Club. He even invited a few of his friends to tee it up at the tournament. Those friends just happened to be Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and a golfer by the name of Ben Hogan.

"I loved those early years," said Goldwater. "I look back on those days with a sense of pride mixed with wonderment." And, yes, after a few more persuasive talks and the success of the 1939 Phoenix Open, The Thunderbirds came around and lent their full support.

That year, 27-year-old Byron Nelson won the $700 first prize. Hogan finished second, 12 strokes back, and collected $450. Since then, The Thunderbirds have sponsored an Open every year except 1943, when wartime travel restrictions forced a one-year hiatus.

The accelerated growth of the FBR Open and its contributions to charity are a direct result of the tournament relocating to the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale in 1987. As early as 1983, The Thunderbirds began working with the PGA TOUR on developing a "stadium golf" facility to host the FBR Open, which was quickly outgrowing its home at Phoenix Country Club. The project became a reality when then Scottsdale Mayor Herb Drinkwater invited the course to be built in his city and secured the necessary land for the project. The design of the TPC of Scottsdale Stadium Course has allowed the FBR Open to host more than 500,000 fans during tournament week, making the event the best-attended golf tournament in the world, and annually one of the top charity fund raisers on the PGA TOUR.

The list of professional golfers who have won in Phoenix is like a golf Hall of Fame: Nelson, Hogan, Jimmy Demaret, Walter Hagen, Billy Casper, Gene Littler, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Miller Barber, Johnny Miller, Ben Crenshaw and more recently Lee Janzen, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson and Steve Jones, to name just a few.

The FBR Open, on its rise to success, has also been a tournament where history was made. Ted Rhodes, the first black athlete ever to perform in a PGA TOUR event, made history when he made the cut and played in the 1950 Phoenix Open. He was almost joined in the official tournament by the Brown Bomber himself, former heavyweight champion Joe Louis. Louis missed qualifying for the event by eight shots.

With each tournament and the international notoriety it brings, The Thunderbirds have become more and more synonymous with the FBR Open. Yet, as popular as it has become, the FBR Open is only part of what The Thunderbirds are about. The exciting by-product of this successful golf event is the money raised by The Thunderbirds for Arizona charities and an incredible positive economic impact on the Valley of the Sun.

When the Phoenix Open first began over 66 years ago, The Thunderbirds certainly did not envision that one day it would raise more than $6.8 million in one year for charity, as they have recently. And, according to economic impact studies by the Arizona Department of Commerce and the City of Scottsdale, the FBR Open makes an annual contribution to the Valley economy of around $50 million.

There are now more than 300 Thunderbirds. The 55 "Active" members are all between the ages of 30 and 45. Each has demonstrated a sincere interest in community service and is willing to help coordinate one of the finest sporting events in the United States. Once an Active member turns 45, his status changes to that of "Life" member and he is relieved of continuous duties, though remaining a voluntary participant in the organization's activities. The number of 55 Active members dates back to the group's formation in the 1930's, when the original five members were each asked to recruit ten additional members. They called themselves The Thunderbirds after the emblem at the time of the local Chamber of Commerce, and adopted the uniform of blue velvet tunics and silver concho belts and pendants in honor of the earlier Indian civilizations which inhabited the area.

While the FBR Open remains The Thunderbirds' primary fund raising activity, other golf events require a significant commitment of the group's time and energies, including the Thunderbird-ASU Collegiate Invitational, the Thunderbird Junior and Senior Golf Classics and the Kids On Course youth golf program. The Thunderbirds commitment to junior golf includes serving as the exclusive First Tee Chapter for central Arizona.

All of this is made possible by the continued community support of the FBR Open, allowing The Thunderbirds to make Arizona a better place for all of us.

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