The PGA Tour’s merger with the LIV Golf League and DP World Tour stunned the golf world on Tuesday, leaving many questions for fans across the globe. After more than a year of turmoil and infighting between the leagues, the controversy reached a conclusion, albeit one with more questions than answers. The WM Phoenix Open has no shortage of them, as one of the premier stops of the PGA Tour for decades.
“While today’s PGA TOUR announcement leaves us with unanswered questions, it will not alter our unwavering dedication to preparing for the highly anticipated 2024 WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale,” George Thimsen, the 2024 WM Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman, said in a news release on Tuesday.
“As hosts of ‘The People’s Open,’ The Thunderbirds sole focus is to put on a world-class sports and entertainment event for fans from across the world, while generating millions of dollars for local nonprofit organizations in our communities. That is what we have done for 88 years and look to continue doing in 2024 and beyond.”
In this year’s tournament, Scottie Scheffler secured his fifth PGA Tour title by scoring 19-under-par for the week, beating Nick Taylor by two shots to repeat as champion. The WMPO was one of the PGA’s 17 designated events in 2023, where the top 20 players in the PGA must compete in all but four of the events by season’s end, meaning many of the best golfers participated.
As the first full-field designated event of the year, the open had a purse of $20 million, and Scheffler took home $3.6 million for winning. By comparison, he won $1.46 million in 2022 out of a purse of $8.2 million.
The 2024 WMPO is scheduled for Feb. 5-11 and could now feature a number of notable golfers who have missed the event since leaving the PGA Tour for other leagues such as Brooks Koepka, Bryce DeChambeau and Arizona State alumnus and Phoenix Open fan favorite Phil Mickelson. Mickelson has not participated in the WMPO since 2019 after choosing to play in the Saudi Invitational in 2020 and later joining the LIV Golf League.
More on the PGA Tour-LIV merger
FAQ: More questions than answers so far
Monahan’s thinking: Commissioner: “I recognize that people are going to call me a hypocrite”
Golden Bear’s reaction: Nicklaus says merger “good for the game of golf”
USA Today’s Dan Wolken: PGA Tour sold out to the Saudis, game will never be the same
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: WM Phoenix Open dedicated to mission, not worried about golf merger news