First it was the caddie races. Now it's the giveaways. The PGA Tour and Waste Management Phoenix Open are cracking down onĀ another aspect of what has made the par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale such a show each year.
Golfweek's Alex Miceli posted a player advisory sign, presumably in the locker room at Waialae Country Club, site of this week's Sony Open in Hawaii in Honolulu.
The PGA Tour becoming like the no fun league. Trying to take the fun out of Phoenix Open. pic.twitter.com/tuWl7dAwsp
— Alex Miceli (@alexmiceli) January 13, 2015
The sign reads: "At this year's Waste Management Phoenix Open, for fan safety reasons, players and caddies are prohibited from throwing, kicking or otherwise propelling items into the crowd on the 16th hole."
Translation: "Some drunk people might not be paying attention, get hit with something and sue us."
From throwing and kicking footballs into the stands, particularly on Super Bowl weekend when the Big Game is in town at University of Phoenix Stadium, to throwing hats and T-shirts to the gallery, that crowd interaction made the hole special. Now those antics are being reined in, perhaps to the hole's detriment.
But, hey, Tiger Woods is back!