'Almost like the perfect storm': Thunderbirds leader promises changes at next year's Open

It's likely fewer tickets will be sold for Fridays and Saturdays at the WM Phoenix Open as it focuses on "quality over quantity," the tournament chairman said.

George Thimsen, the event chairman for The Thunderbirds, the nonprofit that runs the Open, sat down Thursday for a 30-minute interview with Golfweek.

"It is the People's Open, but we do understand that we need to make changes and not necessarily always bigger, but definitely always to get better," Thimsen said.

The 2024 Open ended Sunday with questions about how well organizers managed the safety and fan experience with huge crowds, long lines, mud, food and alcohol issues, rowdy behavior and large numbers of arrests. The crowd was so large Saturday afternoon that organizers shut down the entrance and ended concession sales.

Some frustrated fans and some pro golfers said after the tournament they weren't sure they wourld return next year.

"It was almost like the perfect storm on that day," Thimsen said of Saturday. At a stadium course designed to allow people to sit on the grass, they were funneled onto paved roads and cart paths because of the wet conditions.

On Thursday, the Thunderbirds announced fans who purchased a ticket and were denied entrance on Saturday could request a refund by emailing orders@wmphoenixopen.com.

In addition, Thimsen promised "a complete operational audit" with the Thunderbirds' partners, law enforcement and first responders looking at security, crowd size, tournament entrances, alcohol and other elements that make up the fan experience.

"There's some major improvements and operational things that we are looking to make, and the Thunderbirds are committed to doing that. We're committed to making this event one that the community is proud of," he said.

'Nothing is off the table': WM Phoenix Open promises change after drunken fans debacle

Thimsen said after the review, organizers would "be addressing the distribution channels of alcohol and the alcoholic beverages to our guests and we're going to make the necessary changes that that we need to once we are able to diagnose ... everything, all elements of it."

Golfweek, a magazine and digital outlet is, like The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. The Thunderbirds denied a request to allow Republic reporters to participate and have declined or ignored similar requests made daily since Sunday.

In the interview, Thimsen generally painted a picture of an "amazing" event in its 89th year that faced challenges brought on by wet, cold weather and fans still wanting to turn out.

He couldn't say how much was spent on security. He did not have an estimate of how many people attended. He said he was unaware of ticketless fans entering the tournament, contrary to multiple fan accounts that day.

He said when there was a crowd building up at the main entrance, organizers chose to let people in without scanning their tickets to avoid further congestion.

Thimsen said he didn't consider the conditions unsafe, and he credited police and volunteers. He added that crowd control decisions on the day were "the right call," adding "It was a successful event and, I think, from a safety perspective, there wasn't a lot of major issues."

"I feel like we made the right decisions and the interests of the safety of our fans. I think that a lot has been made of the shutting down of the gates and the walkways and certain fan behavior," Thimsen said. "A lot of the stuff is definitely fixable, and we’re committed to making the improvements that we need to make."

But for the most part he blamed the weather and said his "team did really well."

The tournament, over its lifespan, has raised $190 million-plus for charity over its lifespan and $14.5 million in 2023.

This year, Thimsen said, "We're hoping to be able to get to announce a number very similar because people are out there partying with a purpose.

"Yes, there are some things out there that are fun to see on video and kind of scroll through when you’re on your social media, but at the end of the day, we're making a really big impact for our community here, and that's why we do what we do. We've got a multitude of charities who have reached out and said, ‘Hey, we understand what's going on out there. We want to, we want to speak on your behalf,’ and we’re like, ‘Hey, we love that when you appreciate it, just sit tight, we're only four days out.’"

Others are looking for improvements. Scottsdale Councilmember Barry Graham said earlier this week the events of the weekend reflect negatively on Scottsdale.

"I think it's a burden to our residents," he said. "My concerns are Scottsdale residents and Scottsdale's image. So, I really want to see the sponsors (fix it)."

Thimsen, asked if organizers need to reassess the balance between boisterous fun and rowdy chaos, said, "I think that the majority of our fans ... are enjoying our tournament, the way our tournament should be enjoyed. I think the energy levels of the tournament is what makes us unique.

"It goes back to the same thing, which is the majority of the community really enjoys our event and understands what we do, and I think that the focus should really be on the fact that we've done this for 89 years."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: WM Phoenix Open will be different next year, Thunderbirds leader says