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Waste Management Phoenix Open named 2018 Tournament of the Year

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 03: A view of fans at the 16th hole during the third round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 3, 2018 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 03: A view of fans at the 16th hole during the third round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 3, 2018 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)

Outstanding tournaments honored with “Best Of” awards at 2018 PGA TOUR Tournament Meetings



    Written by Staff

    PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA– Thirteen tournaments were honored with “Best Of” awards by the PGA TOUR at the TOUR’s annual Tournament Meetings on December 6.

    For the third time in five years, the Waste Management Phoenix Open was named the PGA TOUR “Tournament of the Year,” one of two accolades earned in 2018. The Phoenix-area TOUR stop also tied with the Safeway Open for the newly introduced “Most Fan-First Event” Award, which recognizes significant enhancements to the on-site fan experience.

    The 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, won by Gary Woodland in a playoff, saw record attendance, social media engagement and charitable impact. Held at TPC Scottsdale and known for its famous coliseum-style 16th hole, the Waste Management Phoenix Open continues to shatter attendance records, with the 2018 event drawing a weekly total of 720,000 fans, nearly 63,000 more than the previous year. As part of a four-day concert series, over 37,500 fans attended a sold-out performance by Florida Georgia Line after Thursday’s opening round, and fans took to their social channels to share their experience, with tournament channels seeing an influx of more than 20,000 followers, a 36-percent increase. As fan numbers increased, so did the charitable impact, with the 2018 event raising a record $12.2 million for local charities, eclipsing $12 million for the first time.

    “On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to congratulate the Waste Management Phoenix Open for these special recognitions,” said PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder. “The Thunderbirds and Waste Management worked tirelessly to continue and raise the bar across all facets of the event, and the fans responded. With the TOUR’s renewed focus on the fan experience onsite at TOUR events, we are excited to recognize the Waste Management Phoenix Open and all tournament winners on their efforts to improve and innovate the experience at PGA TOUR events.”

    Below is a complete list of award-winning tournaments:

    Most Fan-First Event (tie)
    Waste Management Phoenix Open
    Safeway Open

    Best Use of Players
    The RSM Classic

    Most Engaged Community
    Charles Schwab Challenge

    Best Tournament Sales
    Wells Fargo Championship

    Salesperson of the Year
    Scott Auker, Wells Fargo Championship

    Best On-Site Staging
    The Honda Classic

    Best Title Sponsor Integration
    John Deere Classic

    Best Product
    Club 360, AT&T Byron Nelson

    Best Integrated Marketing Plan (tie)
    Farmers Insurance Open
    RBC Heritage

    Best in Class Element
    The Rink, RBC Canadian Open

    Best Special Event
    Cheers to 50 years Countdown Party, RBC Heritage

    Best Charity Integration
    Sanderson Farms Championship

    Tournament of the Year
    Waste Management Phoenix Open

    Players Choice
    Travelers Championship