This Sunday is one of the great sporting days in the calendar in the US, the NBA is in action and we have the self-styled and rather absurdly named "greatest show on grass" at the Phoenix Open, plus the Super Bowl. 

 

The Waste Management Phoenix Open might not be the "greatest show", but it certainly provides the biggest and most inebriated crowds in sport, many from the nearby Arizona State University and if you ever felt that golf was dull, watch a few holes this weekend, especially on Saturday, when over 200,000 will be in attendance and 25,000 packed around the par 3 16th (The Coliseum nickname tells you all you need to know really) where they will loudly boo poor or timid shots and celebrate good ones wildly. Some 700,000 will attend the event over the four days and it is not a tournament for shrinking violets.

 

As you might imagine, this event is not for everyone. Some golfers love it and as you thrive in the atmosphere and others either arrive under protest, or skip the event entirely and there are quite a few top golfers doing the latter this week. 

 

No surprise that world number #1 Scottie Scheffler and #14 Hideki Matsuyama are in attendance, as both are two time winners of the event. They love the raucousness of the tournament which is kind of a surprise as both are very laid back, but that is maybe why they have done so well and they can just block out everything that is going on around them and behaviour which is very un-golf like and at any other venue would get spectators thrown out. It is also 465m above sea level which makes the ball fly longer through the air and all round, it is just a unique event.

 

Good luck!