Not to start off too heroic, but many extraordinary people and organizations have their fingerprints on the WM Phoenix Open. There’s The Thunderbirds, hosts and stewards of the event who have dedicated much of their lives to raising money for Arizona charities through the world’s best-attended golf tournament – raising more than $176 million in the process. There’s title sponsor WM, who had the initiative to ensure the best-attended sporting event in America sent not one single piece of trash to the landfill, creating the largest zero-waste event in history 10 years running. There’s the Big Cat, Tiger Woods himself, who first raised the roof in celebration of his ace at 16. Golf would never be the same. And there’s the fans in the stands, whose vigor, enthusiasm, cheers and boos built a platform and the loudest hole in golf.

But one often overlooked contributor to the grounds of TPC Scottsdale, on which so many great things were built, was the designer of the course itself – Tom Weiskopf – who, in partnership with Jay Morrish, laid the foundation for “The People’s Open” as we know it today.

Tournament Chairman Pat Williams announced today two-time WM Phoenix Open champion Hideki Matsuyama, 2021 Player of the Year Patrick Cantlay, 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick and world No. 11 Viktor Hovland have all committed to play in the 2023 WM Phoenix Open, which is scheduled to be played February 6-12 at TPC Scottsdale.

“As we get closer to ‘The People’s Open’, the field is shaping up to be one of the best ever,” said 2023 Tournament Chairman Pat Williams. “We’re extremely excited to add four more Top-20 players in the world, and thrilled to welcome back Hideki, a two-time WM Phoenix Open champion. We are looking forward to that first day of play at TPC Scottsdale.”

Matsuyama’s stellar career includes 20 worldwide wins, including the 2021 Masters at Augusta National where he became the first Japanese born player to win a Major. The eight-time PGA TOUR winner – and two-time WM Phoenix Open champion – is one of only seven players to successfully defend their WM Phoenix Open title the following year. Matsuyama also is the second-leading money winner at the WM Phoenix Open, earning more than $3.6 million in just nine starts. Last year he finished T11 in the final FedExCup standings thanks to six Top-10s and 10 Top-25s, and he currently ranks No. 20 in the Official World Golf Rankings. This will be Matsuyama’s 10th appearance at “The People’s Open” where, including his two wins, has four Top-5’s and five Top-10 finishes.