SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The party is what gets the fans talking, but it’s the golf course that has the players’ attention at the WM Phoenix Open.
At the heart of the party is the 16th hole, normally a benign par 3 measuring about 150 yards. But for the Phoenix Open, it’s the apex of craziness. For the PGA Tour pros playing the tournament, and especially those contending on Sunday, the 16th is the second of four strong finishing holes.
Three of the four closing holes have water hazards. All offer a varying level of tension depending on circumstance.
“I think the entire back nine here is awesome honestly. Awesome design. Provides a ton of excitement. The easiest holes on the golf course are there and the toughest holes as well,” said Sahith Theegala, who’s playing on a sponsor exemption and shot 1-under 70 in Thursday’s first round. “I think that’s pretty apparent with the 15, even 16 sometimes, and 17, definitely three of the easiest holes on the course.
“But on the flipside you hit one bad shot and you’re easily walking away with bogey or double on any of those holes. Just the heightened sense of focus I think once you get to that part of the golf course. There is a, the buzz is a little louder.”
They are ranked easiest by the stats, maybe, but the final four holes have plenty of intrigue. Nos. 15 through 18 have also gobbled up 2,784 golf balls since 2003, about 67 percent of all the shots that go into a lake somewhere at TPC Scottsdale.
Here’s a closer look at Nos. 15, 16, 17 and 18 at TPC Scottsdale.
No. 15, 553 yards, par 5
The 15th ranked third easiest in 2025 with scoring average of 4.725. There were 10 eagles, third-most on the course (19 on No. 3, 15 on No. 13). It also produced the most double bogeys with 12.
This isn’t a long par 5 by today’s standards but trouble lurks. There’s a lake all the way down the left side. For those going for the green in two, there’s a ring of water going around three sides of the putting surface. There’s a few bail-out options around the green but eagle is common here.
“You really have to hit a good tee shot on 15, a good second shot,” Theegala said. “Just got to stay locked in and focused on all those shots.”
No. 16, 163 yards, par 3
The 16th was the ninth-easiest hole in 2025 with a scoring average of 3.005. There was one ace last year along with 69 birdies and 61 pars.
The 16th is surrounded by the stadium — a three-story structure that can hold about 18,000 fans. There’s a constant buzz in the venue, something players are used to and expect. There’s always an eruption as each tee ball is struck. Then, depending on the final stopping point of each golf ball, there are cheers or boos. Anything close produces a roar that can be heard across the landscape.
“I think the hardest thing on 16 is figuring out where the wind is, which can be silly at times saying in the desert because you don’t get a ton of wind, but those little gusts that come in and out can feel really different inside of that arena,” said two-time WM Phoenix Open winner Scottie Scheffler. “The wind has as tendency to move around. I think that is one of the most challenging things about the hole is figuring out where the wind is and committing to your shot.”
No. 17, 332 yards, par 4
The 17th was the fourth-easiest hole in 2025 with a scoring average of 3.728. It yielded 149 birdies, the fourth-most on the golf course.
Course designer Tom Weiskopf always loved a drivable par 4. He has built one at just about every golf course he’s created. The 17th at at TPC Scottsdale ranks right up there with the best of such holes on the PGA Tour.
“I think maybe 17 I’ve been comfortable hitting a draw recently, especially with my 4-wood,” said Theegala. “I think every single time I’ve played the hole I’ve tried to cut it off the water or off the left side of the green. This year not sort of a, just because of how my game is right now I feel comfortable starting forward on the very right edge of the green and kind of just playing for that chipping area on the right.”
It was four years ago that Theegala, playing the tournament for the first time, was in contention late and decided to go for the green. His tee shot found water left and he would miss out on a playoff.
“I’ve thought about that hole way too much probably,” Theegala said. “The biggest issue which is just didn’t carry it far enough off that shot and it kicked off that mound. … I think about that probably more than I should, more than I need to. It’s a good microcosm of how a shot like that, one shot in a career can really impact you the rest of the way so you don’t make a similar strategical mistake.”
No. 18, 442 yards, par 4
The 18th was the fifth-easiest with a scoring average of 3.966. There was just one eagle all week, with 85 birdies and 61 bogeys. It also had two “others” — scores of triple bogey worse — the most of any hole.
The 18th, like the 15th, has water down the left side but on 18, the lake stops about halfway. From there is a series of church-pew bunkers but the water and the church pews are generally avoided by most.
“The water on 18 shouldn’t be an issue as long as I hit it solid,” Theegala said, which probably aligns with most golfers in the field. The key on 18, for those chasing in particular, is stuff a second shot close.
Golfers in 2025 were a combined 115 under on No. 15, a combined 4 under on No. 16, a combined 113 under on No. 17 and a combined 14 under on No. 18. Add ’em up and the pros were 246 under ovdrall on that four-hole closing stretch.