 The
Phoenix 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 Phoenix 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 list of professional golfers
who have won in Phoenix is like a
golf Hall of Fame: Byron Nelson, Ben
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, Steve Jones and Tom
Lehman, to name just a few.
There are three reasons why the FBR
Open is such a marvelous spectator
event. First, parking is never a problem.
A number of large lots are located
in proximity to all the action and
patrons have the choice of walking
to the event or being shuttled practically
to the front door. Second, ticket
access is simple. Due to the design
of the FBR Open course and grounds,
an unlimited number of people can
witness great golf action. Thus, tickets
are never sold out. Finally, there’s
the TPC of Scottsdale itself, one
of the finest venues on the PGA Tour
for players and fans alike. They don’t
call it the “Stadium Course”
for nothing. There’s room aplenty
to watch the key shots on all of the
critical holes. Crucial are the final
four holes, which offer classic risk/reward
options for the game’s top pros.
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