Business and golf mix at WM Phoenix Open

It wasn’t just the Super Bowl that went into overtime on Sunday. The WM Phoenix Open also ended in thrilling fashion with two playoff holes. Here’s the rundown of the event and a look at some of the business that got done, too.

CEO Forum
Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden was joined by senior leaders from the Arizona Commerce Authority, semiconductor supplier EMD Electronics, and software firm Cognite as a panelist at the annual CEO Forum that gave business leaders from outside Arizona a chance to learn more about what makes the state one of the country’s best places to do business.

“This was a great opportunity to share with CEOs from around the country what we’re doing in Arizona and how a competitive tax climate, easy-to-navigate regulations, and a robust talent pipeline have combined to attract job creators from a wide variety of industries,” Seiden said. “We had the chance to talk with leaders from companies in cybersecurity, electric vehicles, and semiconductors, all of whom are now better informed about our value proposition and have a better understanding about why their peers are choosing Arizona.”

The winner: Nick Taylor
Canadian and part-time Scottsdale resident Nick Taylor, the 2023 runner-up, won the tournament after besting Charley Hoffman following two playoff holes. Taylor forced the playoff with a birdie on the final hole, and then rattled off another two birdies in the playoff to take the win. 

The runner-up: Charley Hoffman
Hoffman, who is sponsored by tournament sponsor WM, went 7-under on Sunday. He had the lead going into the 18^th hole in regulation and matched Taylor with a birdie on the first playoff hole, but Taylor nabbed a birdie on the second playoff hole to knock Hoffman into second place.

Another top performance for Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler, who won the tournament in 2022 – also in a playoff – and last year, came just short of making it three in a row, taking third place at 18-under. He looked like he could top the leaderboard again with a fourth round that included four consecutive birdies on holes 2-5.

The weather
Any myths that it doesn’t rain in the desert got debunked this year. The Wednesday Pro-Am was called off due to heavy rain, and rain on Thursday prevented most players from completing their first round, which caused knock-on effects throughout the tournament and forced the third round to finish on Sunday. After a short break, golfers began the fourth round and somehow finished – including two playoff holes – before play was stopped for darkness, avoiding a Monday finish.

The crowds
The rain left some parts of the course a muddy mess, giving the tournament’s huge crowds less room to roam. In fact, things were so congested that law enforcement and tournament organizers on Saturday stopped allowing patrons into the TPC of Scottsdale and cut off alcohol sales.

The prize money
Taylor won just shy of $1.6 million for his efforts. Runner-up Hoffman won $959,000 and Scheffler and Sam Burns won $519,000 in their tie for third.