WM Phoenix Open: Scottsdale PD gives arrest, ejection, trespass numbers for 2024
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - There were more calls for service, arrests, ejections and trespassing reports during this year's WM Phoenix Open compared to the last two years, police said.
Did the WM Phoenix Open go too far? The muddy course led to some wild antics well documented online – it’s also led some to believe fans went too far this time.
Since Saturday, rumors started spreading online like wildfire. One of which was that alcohol sales stopped because of too many drunk fans.
As the tear-down of the event began on Monday, questions, and muddy courses, remained.
Numbers released by Scottsdale PD
The Scottsdale Police Department released numbers for this year's event, comparing them to 2022 and 2023.
- Calls for service: 440 (2022) 558 (2023) 653 (2024)
- Arrests: 0 (2022) 18 (2023) 54 (2024)
- Ejections: 90 (2022) 102 (2023) 211 (2024)
- Trespass: 14 (2022) 41 (2023) 73 (2024)
"The zero for 2022 is not a mistake. There were underage liquor violation arrests made, but those numbers should be requested from the AZ Dept of Liquor License and Control (AZDLLC)," Scottsdale PD said.
Scottsdale Police explained ejections as, "Ejections may be related to compliance with liquor laws (ex. intoxicated people are not allowed to remain on premises of licensed liquor establishments, etc.) or violations of PGA rules for fan behavior - not rising to a crime (yelling when a player is about to hit the ball, excessive heckling, etc. Or even when crimes do occur, but the victim does not want to aid with prosecution."
They describe trespassing numbers as, "Persons may be trespassed by security or the event staff and not able to return for the remainder of the event. Scottsdale PD will assist with the trespass to ensure the patron leaves the premises. People can be trespassed with or without related criminal charges associated but most trespasses are related to ejections."
WM Phoenix Open: 2024 alcohol enforcement numbers revealed by Dept. of Liquor Licenses & Control
There were reports of some WM Phoenix Open goers who were underage drinking during the 4-day event and newly released numbers appear to prove those reports right.
'There was hordes of people’
For her first Saturday at the WM Phoenix Open, Lucy Breen expected big crowds.
"There was hordes of people. All I can say is that it was like cattle," she said.
Back-ups like she couldn’t imagine on the busiest day of the People’s Open. But she was frustrated when there was no one to scan her ticket.
"We were not scanned. All the people right around us were not scanned," she said.
You might be able to blame that on the mud, according to Capt. Dave Folio with the Scottsdale Fire Department.
"You usually get thousands and thousands of people that go further west. They weren’t because it was muddy," he said.
The mud was still present on Monday as crews started the months-long task of breaking down the massive facilities.
WM Phoenix Open fans take to social media over pause on entry and stoppage of alcohol sales
Fans are taking to social media about Saturday's experience at the WM Phoenix Open, saying alcohol, food and water sales are stopped and that tickets weren't being scanned at the entrance. At around 2 p.m., organizers stopped letting people in due to "larger than usual crowds."
Typically, the hills of the course are packed with fans, but everyone stayed on the paths because, when you didn’t, it was all mud.
To speed things along, some weren’t scanned in, but everyone reportedly went through a metal detector.
Eventually, the entrance was closed for 90 minutes. On social media, many complained.
Some said this year got out of hand, and fans speculate that's why alcohol sales were stopped. However, Folio says it’s because the lines were moved from the mud to the paths.
"That put some of those general admission concession stands in the line of traffic, so when we got that huge influx from noon to 2, 2:30, it kind of backed up and those were the trigger points," Folio said.
Numbers from Scottsdale Fire show this year was not any different from a typical Saturday for the agency.
Scottsdale Fire helped nearly 70 people on the course Saturday – eight were for intoxication and required medical attention.
"That was a normal Saturday for us. We plan for that Saturday in a unified command system with Scottsdale Fire, police, Thunderbirds, FBI. Those types of people are in that center making these decisions out on the course for overall public safety," he said.
For those turned away, the WM Phoenix Open has said they’re looking into options to remedy that, but they didn’t have any new information on that Monday.