Nick Taylor celebrates winning the 2024 WM Phoenix Open.

TPC Scottsdale general manager Brad Williams is well aware of the impact the WM Phoenix Open has on the property he oversees.

“I’d be really naive to say that the Phoenix Open wasn’t the main driver of our business,” Williams said. “ … It’s pretty darn good. It’s free marketing, free advertising. I would hate to put a value on what the marketing value of the tournament is for us.

“It’s pretty priceless and we know that.”

Begun in 1932, the PGA Tour tournament dubbed “The People’s Open” has been played at Phoenix Country Club, Arizona Country Club and TPC Scottsdale—the latter serving as hosts since 1987, making it the second-longest continuous stretch a Tournament Players Club (TPC) has hosted a PGA Tour event.

Even though the tournament hasn’t recorded daily or weekly attendance statistics since 2018, the WM Phoenix Open remains the most-attended tournament on the PGA Tour calendar. That year, the event welcomed a record 719,179 fans throughout the week, including more than 216,000 on Saturday. For comparison, the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon had a weekly attendance of 258,174.

While the WM Phoenix Open continues to be a hot ticket—despite a number of issues last year which were addressed through changes implemented by tournament hosts The Thunderbirds for 2025—the event’s popularity has also helped magnify the spotlight on TPC Scottsdale and nearby venues and amenities like Toro, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and DraftKings Sportsbook throughout the year.

What it may lack in natural desert scenery like Grayhawk, Troon North or We-Ko-Pa, Williams said TPC Scottsdale not only provides great conditions, service and amenities, but the opportunity for amateur golfers to play the same course PGA Tour players play on.

With the tournament buildout on the Stadium Course beginning each September, golfers will get as close as they can to being a professional as hospitality areas, grandstands, and of course, the stadium seating around the infamous 16th hole are erected for nearly six months leading up to the February tournament that concludes on Super Bowl Sunday.

It’s why Williams and his team have renovated the clubhouse, added locker room space, more dining options and redid the golf course.

“We’re trying to keep up with the growth of the tournament and also growing the facility and making it better and more conducive to hosting the largest tournament in the world,” he said.

As more golfers make TPC Scottsdale a priority on an Arizona buddy’s trip or bachelor party, it would be hard to overlook the trickle down effect the increased rounds have had on other nearby attractions, including the DraftKings Sportsbook.

Located adjacent to the Stadium Course, the 13,000-square-foot facility features more than 2,700 square feet of video walls and screens, 32 betting kiosks, six ticket windows and a large patio with cabanas and firepits.

Unsurprisingly, the venue which opened October 2023 is busiest during the most popular sports betting events of the year, including the WM Phoenix Open, Super Bowl, March Madness and Masters.

The DraftKings Sportsbook is adjacent to the 18th green of the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, home to ... [+] the WM Phoenix Open.

The sportsbook doesn’t require a ticket for access on Monday, Tuesday or during Sunday’s final round of the 2025 WM Phoenix Open , but daily tickets are required the rest of the week, costing $175 on Wednesday and Thursday and $225 on Friday and Saturday. Tickets include complimentary food, drinks for purchase and general admission access to the tournament.

“It’s great just as a standalone sportsbook without the golf course,” said Johnny Avello, DraftKings director of race and sportsbook operations. “To have the golf course on a Phoenix Open week, it’s amazing how many people come through this place in the course of a day. It works well for us and works well for the PGA Tour. It’s a home run.”