Arizona Cardinals all-time leading receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr.; NFL Hall-of-Famer Jerome Bettis and NFL defensive superstar J.J. Watt have been added to the star-studded list of celebrities from the sports and entertainment world who will be playing in the Annexus Pro-Am at the WM Phoenix Open presented by Taylor Morrison on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.
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A regular of late at the Annexus Pro-am, Fitzgerald played 17 seasons in the NFL – all with the Arizona Cardinals. During his NFL career, Fitzgerald was named to 11 Pro Bowls, one First Team All-Pro (2008), twice led the NFL in receptions (2005, 2016), twice led the NFL in receiving touchdowns (2008, 2009), won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2016 and is ranked second all-time in NFL receiving yards with 17,492. Throughout his career, Fitzgerald has been one of the most productive and consistent wide receivers in the NFL, holding multiple records for receptions, touchdowns, and yards for the Cardinals franchise that puts him in consideration as one of the best wide receivers of all time.
Bettis retired from football in 2006 following a Pittsburgh Super Bowl XL victory after a 13-year career as one of the NFL’s top rushers. During his storied NFL career, Bettis was named offensive Rookie of the Year (1993), named to six NFL Pro Bowl teams, NFL first-team All-Pro twice (1993, 1996), led the NFL in rushing in 1997, and named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2001. Bettis accumulated 13,662 rushing yards in his career (8th all time) and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2015. Bettis will make his second appearance at the Annexus Pro-Am.
Considered to be one of the greatest defensive players of all time, former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt put together an incredible 13-year NFL career. Watt went to five NFL Pro Bowls (2012-2015, 2018), twice led the NFL in sacks (2012, 2015), was named first-team All-Pro five times (2012-2015, 2018), received NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors three times (2012, 2014, 2015) and was named both Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2017) and to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. Watt recently announced his retirement from the NFL following the conclusion of the Arizona Cardinals 2022 season and will make his first appearance at the Annexus Pro-Am this year.
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, Feb. 7 on WMPhoenixOpen.com, along with a complete list of celebrities and PGA TOUR players in the field. Other celebrities already announced to appear include Albert Pujols, Michael Phelps and Emmitt Smith.
The 2023 WM Phoenix Open will take place Feb. 6-12 at TPC Scottsdale. “The People’s Open” has been named the Tournament of the Year by the PGA TOUR four times to acknowledge the tournament’s legendary status as one the most unique events in golf. The 2023 edition will mark the 88th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 14th with WM as title sponsor. For more information visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
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 280 “life” members who have helped the tournament eclipse $176 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 ($10.5 million in 2022). For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2023 WM Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
