Scottsdale, Ariz. — The WM Phoenix Open is known for welcoming extreme crowd chaos, but Saturday’s capacity issues took that tradition to an entirely new level.
After security shut the tournament gates at around 2 p.m. ET and on-site bars stopped serving alcohol, even three-time major champion Jordan Spieth faced some hurdles trying to re-enter the tournament for his 3 p.m. third-round tee time.
“When I went home and when I came back, I couldn’t come the same direction,” Spieth explained. “The police officers had blocked it off, so I drove up and I said, ‘How am I supposed to get back to the course?’ He said, ‘We’re over capacity. It’s hazardous, so we’ve got to go through a different [entrance].’
“Once he said that, I thought maybe we were in a little bit of trouble this afternoon, but we were on the front nine so it was a little less rowdy, and I heard they stopped alcohol sales.”
Despite the initial scare, Spieth enjoyed the raucous Saturday crowds, which players typically only run into on the back-nine of the Stadium course. The offset third-round tee times meant that the front nine was just as unruly.