MOVERS&SHAKEUPS
By AZ GOLF Insider Staff
WMPO set to debut Cove17
Bigger and better also coming to El Rancho, Craft Beer House
It’s not the stadium-like 16th hole (shown here) quite yet, but there is a lot of construction going on at No. 17, including the new Cove17 as well as general admission seating. Oh, well, just one more reason to wear bad pants, like these five dudes from last year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open.
and the fact that the Thunderbirds raised a record $10.1 million from the tournament for local charities. So Carlos, is there any thought
who host the Waste Management Phoenix Open. And they are at again, with “real estate” deals popping up all over the TPC Scottsdale for this week’s edition of the PGA Tour extravaganza. This year’s tournament chairman,
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Carlos Sugich, has been wheeling and dealing, establishing Cove17 on the drivable par-4 17th, doubling the size of El Rancho near the 12th hole, and christening the new Craft Beer House at No. 7. Sugich, a partner in the law firm of Snell and Wilmer, is a member of the firm’s real estate and commercial finance group. So if he sounds a little bit like a realtor, it comes naturally. “El Rancho is my baby,” said Sugich,
who is the first Hispanic tournament chairman in the 84 years of the Phoenix Open. “If you can picture it, the 12th hole sits on top of a hill, and we leveled the hilltop, gained some real estate, and will double the capacity of El Rancho.
38 | AZ GOLF Insider | PREVIEW 2018
obody moves and shakes it up quite like the Thunderbirds, those civic- minded philanthropists
“We’ll also double the decks on
Cove17, creating 60 suites that are two stories (high) with a patio and lounge. We’re also adding about 650 GA (general admission) bleacher seats at the 17th, which will be up close and personal (to the green). And the Craft Beer House? We think that’s going to be a hit, too, with a lot of local brews.” Sugich said all of the new digs,
especially El Rancho and the Craft Beer House, will help take “some of the pressure off the last three holes.” And there will be lots of pressure,
especially if three of the pretournament favorites — Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler — are in contention coming down the stretch. Remember, last year over 650,000 fans showed up at the TPC, including a record 204,000 on Saturday, to see Hideki Matsuyama become the first player to defend his title at the TPC Scottsdale with a playoff win over Webb Simpson. “We’ve got big shoes to fill,” said
Sugich, noting last year’s staggering crowd figures, sudden-death finish
about capping attendance and “real estate” expansion for future WMPOs? No way, said Sugich, sounding like a seasoned veteran. “Attendance is always driven by the
weather,” said Sugich, whose leadership also has launched the tournament’s first Spanish-language website —
www.AbiertoWMPhoenix.com. “Last year, we had perfect weather
and that’s why we got over 650,000 people. I mean, the sun shines and the crowds love it.” A formula that is certainly tried
and true when it comes to the WMPO — “the Greatest Show on Grass.”
MOVERS Tiffany Nelson, the executive director for the Charles Schwab Cup Chapionship, recently was honored with the PGA Tour Champions’ Outstanding Achievement Award, “presented to an individual or tournament for exceeding expectations in the core arenas of tournament golf, involving players, spectators and sponsors while displaying meaningful community impact.” Nelson spearheaded the tournament’s
www.azgolf.org
COURTESY WMPO
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