The PGA TOUR announced today the WM Phoenix Open Presented by Taylor Morrison was named as one of four additional events with the unprecedented competitive commitment from the PGA TOUR’s top 20 players from its 2022 Player Impact Program. The WM Phoenix Open will also feature an elevated prize purse increasing from $8.2 million in 2022 to $20 million for this year’s edition of “The People’s Open”. With this announcement, The WM Phoenix Open will join 11 other tournaments with a commitment from the TOUR’s top players to compete and feature purse sizes of $20 million. Both the field size of 132 players and the eligibility criteria remain unchanged for 2023.
The Player Impact Program rewards the top 20 TOUR members who positively impact the TOUR, both on and off the course.
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“We are obviously extremely excited and honored for the WM Phoenix Open to have an elevated purse and feature so many of the best players in the world for the 2023 PGA TOUR season,” said 2023 Tournament Chairman Pat Williams. “We traditionally showcase top-notch fields with the world’s best players year in and year out, but this will ensure the participation of the top players in the world at the WM Phoenix Open in 2023. This is a huge win for our fans, they can know with certainty that their favorite PGA TOUR players will be competing at TPC Scottsdale in February.”
In August, PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan announced the first eight elevated events for the 2022-2023 season, which included three FedEx Cup playoff stops (FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship, TOUR Championship), three player-hosted invitationals (Genesis, Arnold Palmer, Memorial), the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play, and the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
“We’re thrilled the WM Phoenix Open’s storied history and The Thunderbirds 88 years of work for the Phoenix community put us in the running,” Williams said. “This is also a credit to the hundreds of thousands of fans that show up every year making our event the best attended on the PGA TOUR. With this announcement, The Thunderbirds and our great partner and title sponsor WM are excited to host one of the most impactful tournaments in our 88-year history.”
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 $165 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 (through the 2021 tournament). For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2023 WM Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
