Seven-time NCAA Football National Champion coach Nick Saban and Arizona Cardinals all-time leading receiver Larry Fitzgerald are the latest celebrities to commit to appear in the popular Annexus Pro-Am at the WM Phoenix Open presented by Taylor Morrison on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.
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“Football fans are going to be pretty excited to catch a glimpse of Coach Saban and Larry Fitzgerald at this year’s Annexus Pro-Am,” said 2024 Tournament Chairman George Thimsen. “When it comes to football, it doesn’t get much better than these two, and we’re honored to have two legends of the gridiron have a little fun at the WM Phoenix Open.”
Recently retired legendary college football coach Nick Saban served as the head football coach at the University of Alabama from 2007 to 2023. Saban also served as head coach of the National Football League (NFL)’s Miami Dolphins and at three other universities – Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Toledo. He amassed seven national titles as a head coach, the most in college football history. His first came when he led the LSU Tigers to the BCS National Championship in 2003. He then coached the Alabama Crimson Tide to BCS and AP national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, and to College Football Playoff championships in 2015, 2017 and 2020. He became the first coach in college football history to win a national championship with two different Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936. Saban and Bear Bryant are the only coaches to win an SEC championship at two different schools. Saban’s career record as a college head coach is 292–71–1.
A familiar face at the Annexus Pro-am, Fitzgerald played 17 seasons in the NFL – all with the Arizona Cardinals. Throughout his NFL career, Fitzgerald has been one of the most productive and consistent wide receivers in the league, holding multiple records for receptions, touchdowns, and yards for the Cardinals franchise. Fitzgerald was recognized as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2016, was inducted into the University of Pittsburgh Hall of Fame in 2023, and most recently selected to the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class. Among Larry’s proudest achievements is establishing and building The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation.
The 2024 WM Phoenix Open will take place Feb. 5-11 at TPC Scottsdale. “The People’s Open” was named Tournament of the Year at the 2023 PGA TOUR annual meetings, garnering the award for the fifth time to acknowledge the tournament’s legendary status as one the most unique events in golf. Scottie Scheffler is the defending champ, (won in 2022 and 2023) and has the rare opportunity to achieve only the second three-peat in WM Phoenix Open history since Arnold Palmer (1961-63). The 2024 edition will mark the 89th playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the 15th 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 $190 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 (through the 2023 tournament). For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2024 WM Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
