Reprinted from pgatour.com
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – Thirteen tournaments were honored with “Best Of” awards by the PGA TOUR at the TOUR’s annual Tournament Meetings on December 6.
For the third time in five years, the Waste Management Phoenix Open was named the PGA TOUR “Tournament of the Year,” one of two accolades earned in 2018. The Phoenix-area TOUR stop also tied with the Safeway Open for the newly introduced “Most Fan-First Event” Award, which recognizes significant enhancements to the on-site fan experience.
The 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, won by Gary Woodland in a playoff, saw record attendance, social media engagement and charitable impact. Held at TPC Scottsdale and known for its famous coliseum-style 16th hole, the Waste Management Phoenix Open continues to shatter attendance records, with the 2018 event drawing a weekly total of 720,000 fans, nearly 63,000 more than the previous year. As part of a four-day concert series, over 37,500 fans attended a sold-out performance by Florida Georgia Line after Thursday’s opening round, and fans took to their social channels to share their experience, with tournament channels seeing an influx of more than 20,000 followers, a 36-percent increase. As fan numbers increased, so did the charitable impact, with the 2018 event raising a record $12.2 million for local charities, eclipsing $12 million for the first time.
“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to congratulate the Waste Management Phoenix Open for these special recognitions,” said PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder. “The Thunderbirds and Waste Management worked tirelessly to continue and raise the bar across all facets of the event, and the fans responded. With the TOUR’s renewed focus on the fan experience onsite at TOUR events, we are excited to recognize the Waste Management Phoenix Open and all tournament winners on their efforts to improve and innovate the experience at PGA TOUR events.”
Below is a complete list of award-winning tournaments:
Most Fan-First Event (tie) Waste Management Phoenix Open Safeway Open
Best Use of Players The RSM Classic
Most Engaged Community Charles Schwab Challenge
Best Tournament Sales Wells Fargo Championship
Salesperson of the Year Scott Auker, Wells Fargo Championship
Best On-Site Staging The Honda Classic
Best Title Sponsor Integration John Deere Classic
Best Product Club 360, AT&T Byron Nelson
Best Integrated Marketing Plan (tie) Farmers Insurance Open RBC Heritage
Best in Class Element The Rink, RBC Canadian Open
Best Special Event Cheers to 50 years Countdown Party, RBC Heritage
Best Charity Integration Sanderson Farms Championship
Tournament of the Year Waste Management Phoenix Open
Players Choice Travelers Championship