Waste Management Phoenix Open Winners and History
The Phoenix Open dates back to 1932 and 1933, when it was known as the Arizona Open. The inaugural Arizona Open / Phoenix Open Winner was Ralph Guldahl. In his career Guldahl won sixteen PGA TOUR events, two US Opens and a Masters.
The Arizona Open was suspended for one year and then returned in 1935 for one more. But like a Phoenix, it rose from the ashes in 1939 when Bob Goldwater Sr. convinced his civic group, The Thunderbirds, to sponsor a golf event.
As with the original Arizona Open, the Phoenix Open was played at the Phoenix Country Club. Beginning in 1955, the Arizona Country Club (also in Phoenix) alternated as event host with Phoenix Country Club; this arrangement lasted until Phoenix Country Club took The Arizona Country Club’s turn in 1975 and became the event’s permanent home. Finally, in 1987, it moved to the now famous TPC Scottsdale, with its circus par three 16th.
Phoenix Open Is Best Attended Event On Tour
The Phoenix Open is annually the best attended event on tour, drawing as many as 500,000 over the weekend. Some of that is due to the circus surrounding the par 3 16th, which has been converted to an amphitheatre that seats thousands. In 2008, the tournament set a PGA Tour record of 538,356 fans.
Phoenix Open founder Bob Goldwater was an accomplished amateur golfer. He won the Arizona State Amateur and the Southwest Amateur three times each. In 1951, he beat well-known amateur Charlie Coe in the Broadmore Invitational in Colorado Springs. Because the other Thunderbirds were skeptical about the golf event, Goldwater did all the work on the first tournament himself.
Mark Calcavecchia, Gene Littler and Arnold Palmer are three time Phoenix Open Winners. JB Holmes, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Bob Gilder, Miller Barber, Johnny Miller, Lloyd Mangrum, Jimmy Demaret, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson each are two time Phoenix Open winners.
The tournament record was set by Mark Calcavecchia in 1981, with a aggregate 256, which was an astonishing 28 under par.
Waste Management Phoenix Open Winners
A list of Waste Management Phoenix Open Winners from 1932 to present follows:
| Year | Player | Score | To par | Margin |
| Waste Management Phoenix Open | ||||
| 2024 | Nick Taylor | 263 | -21 | Playoff |
| 2023 | Scottie Scheffler | 265 | -19 | 2 strokes |
| 2022 | Scottie Scheffler | 268 | -16 | playoff |
| 2021 | Brooks Koepka | 265 | -19 | 1 stroke |
| 2020 | Webb Simpson | 267 | -17 | playoff |
| 2019 | Rickie Fowler | 267 | -17 | 2 strokes |
| 2018 | Gary Woodland | 266 | -18 | playoff |
| 2017 | Hideki Matsuyama | 267 | -17 | playoff |
| 2016 | Hideki Matsuyama | 270 | -14 | playoff |
| 2015 | Brooks Koepka | 269 | -15 | 1 stroke |
| 2014 | Kevin Stadler | 268 | -16 | 1 stroke |
| 2013 | Phil Mickelson | 256 | -28 | 4 strokes |
| 2012 | Kyle Stanley | 269 | -15 | 1 stroke |
| 2011 | Mark Wilson | 266 | -18 | Playoff |
| 2010 | Hunter Mahan | 268 | -16 | 1 stroke |
| FBR Open | ||||
| 2009 | Kenny Perry | 270 | -14 | Playoff |
| 2008 | J. B. Holmes | 270 | -14 | playoff |
| 2007 | Aaron Baddeley | 263 | -21 | 1 stroke |
| 2006 | J. B. Holmes | 263 | -21 | 7 strokes |
| 2005 | Phil Mickelson | 267 | -17 | 5 strokes |
| 2004 | Jonathan Kaye | 266 | -18 | 2 strokes |
| Phoenix Open | ||||
| 2003 | Vijay Singh | 261 | -23 | 3 strokes |
| 2002 | Chris DiMarco | 267 | -17 | 1 stroke |
| 2001 | Mark Calcavecchia | 256 | -28 | 8 strokes |
| 2000 | Tom Lehman | 270 | -14 | 1 stroke |
| 1999 | Rocco Mediate | 273 | -11 | 2 strokes |
| 1998 | Jesper Parnevik | 269 | -15 | 3 strokes |
| 1997 | Steve Jones | 258 | -26 | 11 strokes |
| 1996 | Phil Mickelson | 269 | -15 | playoff |
| 1995 | Vijay Singh | 269 | -15 | playoff |
| 1994 | Bill Glasson | 268 | -16 | 3 strokes |
| 1993 | Lee Janzen | 273 | -11 | 2 strokes |
| 1992 | Mark Calcavecchia | 264 | -20 | 5 strokes |
| 1991 | Nolan Henke | 268 | -16 | 1 stroke |
| 1990 | Tommy Armour III | 267 | -17 | 5 strokes |
| 1989 | Mark Calcavecchia | 263 | -21 | 7 strokes |
| 1988 | Sandy Lyle | 269 | -15 | playoff |
| 1987 | Paul Azinger | 268 | -16 | 1 stroke |
| 1986 | Hal Sutton | 267 | -21 | 2 strokes |
| 1985 | Calvin Peete | 270 | -14 | 2 strokes |
| 1984 | Tom Purtzer | 268 | -16 | 1 stroke |
| 1983 | Bob Gilder | 271 | -13 | playoff |
| 1982 | Lanny Wadkins | 263 | -21 | 6 strokes |
| 1981 | David Graham | 268 | -16 | 1 stroke |
| 1980 | Jeff Mitchell | 272 | -12 | 4 strokes |
| 1979 | Ben Crenshaw | 199* | -14 | 1 stroke |
| 1978 | Miller Barber | 272 | -12 | 1 stroke |
| 1977 | Jerry Pate | 277 | -7 | playoff |
| 1976 | Bob Gilder | 268 | -16 | 2 strokes |
| 1975 | Johnny Miller | 260 | -24 | 14 strokes |
| 1974 | Johnny Miller | 271 | -13 | 1 stroke |
| 1973 | Bruce Crampton | 268 | -12 | 1 stroke |
| 1972 | Homero Blancas | 273 | -11 | playoff |
| Phoenix Open Invitational | ||||
| 1971 | Miller Barber | 261 | -23 | 2 strokes |
| 1970 | Dale Douglass | 271 | -13 | 1 stroke |
| 1969 | Gene Littler | 263 | -21 | 2 strokes |
| 1968 | George Knudson | 272 | -12 | 3 strokes |
| 1967 | Julius Boros | 272 | -12 | 1 stroke |
| 1966 | Dudley Wysong | 278 | -6 | 1 stroke |
| 1965 | Rod Funseth | 274 | -14 | 3 strokes |
| 1964 | Jack Nicklaus | 271 | -17 | 3 strokes |
| 1963 | Arnold Palmer | 273 | -15 | 1 stroke |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer | 269 | -15 | 12 strokes |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer | 270 | -10 | playoff |
| 1960 | Jack Fleck | 273 | -11 | playoff |
| 1959 | Gene Littler | 268 | -12 | 1 stroke |
| 1958 | Ken Venturi | 274 | -10 | 1 stroke |
| 1957 | Billy Casper | 271 | -9 | 3 strokes |
| Phoenix Open | ||||
| 1956 | Cary Middlecoff | 276 | -8 | 3 strokes |
| 1955 | Gene Littler | 275 | -5 | 1 stroke |
| 1954 | Ed Furgol | 272 | -12 | playoff |
| 1953 | Lloyd Mangrum | 272 | -12 | 6 strokes |
| 1952 | Lloyd Mangrum | 274 | -10 | 5 strokes |
| 1951 | Lew Worsham | 272 | -12 | 1 stroke |
| Ben Hogan Open | ||||
| 1950 | Jimmy Demaret | 269 | -15 | 1 stroke |
| Phoenix Open | ||||
| 1949 | Jimmy Demaret | 278 | -6 | playoff |
| 1948 | Bobby Locke | 268 | -16 | 1 stroke |
| 1947 | Ben Hogan | 270 | -14 | 7 strokes |
| 1946 | Ben Hogan | 273 | -11 | playoff |
| 1945 | Byron Nelson | 274 | -10 | 2 strokes |
| 1944 | Harold “Jug” McSpaden | 273 | -11 | playoff |
| 1943 | No tournament | |||
| 1942 | No tournament – hosted Western Open | |||
| 1941 | No tournament – hosted Western Open | |||
| 1940 | Ed Oliver | 205* | -8 | 1 stroke |
| 1939 | Byron Nelson | 198* | -15 | 12 strokes |
| 1936-38 | No tournament | |||
| 1935 | Ky Laffoon | 281 | -3 | 4 strokes |
| 1934 | No tournament | |||
| Arizona Open | ||||
| 1933 | Harry Cooper | 281 | -3 | 2 strokes |
| 1932 | Ralph Guldahl | 285 | -1 | 5 strokes |
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Phil Mickelson won 3 times just like Calcavecchia & Palmer.
2013, 2005 & 1996
The main reason I think Tiger decided to play this event is its proximity to the Super Bowl, and when he misses the cut, more time in PHX! :/