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Tournament Chairman Jason Eisenberg announced today a distinguished group of former WM Phoenix Open champions have committed to compete in the 2026 WM Phoenix Open, scheduled for February 2–8 at TPC Scottsdale.

Two-time champion Hideki Matsuyama (World No. 15), 2024 champion Nick Taylor, 2020 champion Webb Simpson, 2019 champion Rickie Fowler, 2018 champion Gary Woodland, and headline the latest commitments.

With these latest additions, the field for the 91st edition of “The People’s Open” now features seven former WM Phoenix Open champions, including previously announced World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and two-time WM Phoenix Open champion Brooks Koepka, all vying for another Waterford Crystal Thunderbird Trophy.

Thanks to Ford, the Official Vehicle of the WM Phoenix, all fans will once again be admitted free of charge on Monday, Feb. 2 and Tuesday, Feb. 3 to the WM Phoenix Open as part of “Ford Free Days” courtesy of your Arizona Ford Dealers.

As part of this renewed partnership, the ninth-annual closest-to-the-pin contest called “Ford Drive One for Arizona Charities” will be held on the iconic 16^th hole, giving players a chance to win $10,000 for one of 10 local non-profit organizations, all of whom provide vital social services to people of all ages throughout the community.

“The WM Phoenix Open has always been at its best when it’s accessible to the entire community,” said 2026 WM Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman Jason Eisenberg. “Ford Free Days allow fans to experience the tournament up close early in the week, enjoy everything happening on the course, and be part of the energy that defines The People’s Open from the moment the gates open.”

WM Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman Jason Eisenberg announced today that two-time WM Phoenix Open champion and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka has officially committed to compete in the 2026 edition of “The People’s Open,” scheduled for Feb. 2–8 at TPC Scottsdale.

Koepka, a champion at the WM Phoenix Open in 2015 and 2021, officially returned to the PGA TOUR today under the TOUR’s Returning Member Program.  The program provides players who have met elite, performance-based criteria an alternative pathway back to the PGA TOUR while accepting significant and appropriate financial penalties.

“Brooks Koepka is one of the most accomplished players of his generation, so to welcome a two-time WM Phoenix Open champion and five-time Major winner to the field speaks to the stature of this event and its ability to attract the best players in the world,” said 2026 WM Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman Jason Eisenberg. “We’re excited to welcome Brooks back to TPC Scottsdale and look forward to seeing him compete again at ‘The People’s Open.’”

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The unique aspect of this Championship is that the players, in addition to competing in a 54-hole stroke-play tournament, also honor our military heroes. At the opening ceremony, each golfer receives and carries a commemorative PING golf bag that bears the name and branch of a fallen or wounded hero. Additionally, all of the golfers have the opportunity to visit Luke Air Force Base, the training center for our nation’s F-35 fighter pilots. There, they meet with the Base Commander, fighter pilots and crew, and tour the base while participating in activities rarely seen by civilians.

The PGA TOUR announced its 2025 “Best Of” award winners today, naming the WM Phoenix Open “Event of the Year” for the sixth time in tournament history. 

The PGA TOUR’s “Event of the Year” acknowledges a tournament that excels in every facet of the event, from fan and player experience to charitable impact and title sponsor integration/activation.

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, congratulations to The Thunderbirds and WM on the WM Phoenix Open being named 2025 PGA TOUR ‘Event of the Year’,” said Tyler Dennis, PGA TOUR Chief Competitions Officer. “The Thunderbirds take great pride in their relentless push for improvement, which was evident in all aspects of this year’s edition. With a dedicated partner in WM, the WM Phoenix Open continues to showcase what makes the event one that must be experienced on the PGA TOUR calendar.”

Welcome to The People’s Open

Home to the largest and most enthusiastic crowds in the game as well as the most iconic hole on the PGA TOUR – the famed 16th hole Coliseum – the WM Phoenix Open has captured the hearts of millions of golf fans around the world. From hall-of-fame champions, par-4 aces and the loudest hole in golf, to after-hours concerts, Saturday breakfast clubs and more than $208 million raised for charities, there is simply nothing like it in professional sports.

History of the WM Phoenix Open

The WM Phoenix Open has been able to capture the wonder and amazement embodied by the great game of golf for the better part of a century. Take one step onto the course at TPC Scottsdale and you can feel the presence of the world’s greatest golfers from the past century like Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer. Their great achievements live on through the ambiance created by thousands of cheering fans eager to see hungry new athletes leave their own mark on history. The green grass, the beautiful February weather, the iconic saguaro cacti and the remarkable level of play are all reminders of where the game of golf has been and the great things the game has done for people around the globe.

The Phoenix Open began in 1932, but due to lack of local support, the tournament was discontinued after the 1935 event. The tournament was revived thanks to the energy and vision of one man, Bob Goldwater, Sr.  An avid golfer, Goldwater persuaded his fellow Thunderbirds into running the event, and his influential manner was successful. So, in 1939, Bob Goldwater’s new fledgling golf tournament was the official rebirth of the Phoenix Open.

Goldwater was left with most of the work, because his fellow Thunderbirds were not yet as enthusiastic about the event as he was. Never one to back down from a challenge, Goldwater printed the tickets, sold sponsorships and obtained use of Phoenix Country Club. He even invited a few of his friends to tee it up at the tournament. Those friends just happened to be Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and a golfer by the name of Ben Hogan.

“I loved those early years,” said Goldwater. “I look back on those days with a sense of pride mixed with wonderment.” And, yes, after a few more persuasive talks and the success of the 1939 Phoenix Open, The Thunderbirds came around and lent their full support.

During that 1939 tournament, a 27-year-old up-and-comer named Byron Nelson won the $700 first prize. Hogan finished second, 12 strokes back, and collected $450. Since then, The Thunderbirds have sponsored an Open every year except 1943, when wartime travel restrictions forced a one-year hiatus.

The list of professional golfers who have won in Phoenix reads like the golf Hall of Fame – Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret, Billy Casper, Gene Littler, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Miller Barber, Johnny Miller, Ben Crenshaw, and more recently Lee Janzen, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Tom Lehman, Mark Calcavecchia, Kenny Perry, Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler, just to name a few.

Over the tournament’s nearly 90-year history, the Open has been known by many names, including the Western Open, the Arizona Open, the Ben Hogan Invitational, the Phoenix Open, the FBR Open and now the WM Phoenix Open. The tournament has been played at Phoenix Country Club, Arizona Country Club and TPC Scottsdale – the home course of the tournament since 1987 – and 2024 will mark the 37th consecutive year the tournament has been played at TPC Scottsdale. Aside from the TPC Sawgrass, TPC Scottsdale has the longest continuous stretch a Tournament Players Club has hosted a PGA TOUR event.

About TPC Scottsdale

Located just outside of Scottsdale, Arizona and only a half hour from Phoenix, TPC Scottsdale offers two legendary championship courses both open to the public to enjoy – The Stadium Course and the Champions Course. The Club is the permanent home to the WM Phoenix Open, and hosts many other events throughout the year. TPC Scottsdale has been named “One of America’s Best Courses” by Golfweek Magazine, one of the “Top 50 Golf Resort Destinations in the World” by Condé Nast Traveler, and is consistently named one of the top courses in Arizona.

But unparalleled golf is just the start of what makes your TPC Scottsdale experience so extraordinary. As our guest, you’re invited to take advantage of all the services and amenities we offer:

• PGA TOUR standard services and amenities in our clubhouses
• Toro at TPC Scottsdale
• Event hosting and planning
• Annual Pass Program exclusive privileges
• Luxury stays at our resort partners: The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, and the Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains
  And much more

TPC Scottsdale is also part of the PGA TOUR’s acclaimed TPC Network.

About The Thunderbirds

From caring for the underprivileged to helping those striving to make the United States Olympic teams, The Thunderbirds – hosts of the WM Phoenix Open –  are doing all they can to make a difference for those who call Phoenix their home. The Thunderbirds began in 1937, when the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce expanded its role as a convention and tourism bureau. There was a need for a special events committee to venture into new fields. Five young executives were selected to lead the committee. The Phoenix Chamber of Commerce suggested that the committee become an “official” group and expand its membership. Each of the five then selected ten additional members to make up a committee of 55 active members – the number of current active members each year.

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