Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time; Arizona Cardinals All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson; Arizona Diamondbacks fan favorite Archie Bradley; and 2011 Major League Baseball MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander are among the early list of star-studded celebrities from the sports and entertainment world who will be playing in the Annexus Pro-Am at the Waste Management Phoenix Open Presented by The Ak-Chin Indian Community on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.
Additionally, former Arizona Cardinal and now Tampa Bay Buccaneers new head coach Bruce Arians, MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux, country music superstar and 2019 Coors Light Birds Nest performer Jake Owen, and NFL Hall-of-Famer Emmitt Smith are also slated to play in this fan favorite event.
“Obviously this is one of our biggest events of the week and we love to see the great PGA TOUR professionals play with celebrities and athletes from the world of sports and entertainment,” said Tournament Chairman Chance Cozby. “We are excited to have Justin Verlander here for the first time, along with some great friends of ours who have played this event a time or two in the past. It’s a great day for fans to really get up close to the action and a great chance to get some autographs.”
Tee times for the Annexus Pro-Am will range from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Exact tee times for participants will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 29 on WMPhoenixOpen.com, along with a complete list of celebrities and PGA TOUR players in the field.
The 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open Presented by The Ak-Chin Indian Community will be held at TPC Scottsdale January 28 – February 3, 2019. “The People’s Open” was recently tabbed the 2018 Tournament of Year by the PGA TOUR, is the best-attended golf tournament in the world and has gained legendary status for being the most unique events in golf. The 2019 edition will mark the 84th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 10th as the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 285 “life” members. In 2018 The Thunderbirds raised a record $12.2 million for charity from proceeds from last year’s tournament and have eclipsed $134 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932. For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
