Expected rain could dampen pro-am, 1st round of 2024 Phoenix Open

The partly cloudy skies and cool morning temperatures that warmed up as Monday wore on made for good golf weather at TPC Scottsdale, the site of the WM Phoenix Open.

But rain and cooler temperatures were on the way, according to the National Weather Service in Phoenix. The precipitation could affect practice rounds and scheduled events at the Stadium and Champions courses Tuesday, the Annexus Pro-Am Wednesday and the first round of tournament play on Thursday.

According to the weather service, rain showers and wind gusts were expected Tuesday by late in the morning. Possible thunderstorms and more rain would come late at night.

Wednesday was expected to bring more showers and possibly a thunderstorm with a high temperature in the low 60s.

Thursday was given a 40% chance for rain and the possibility of rain was expcted to decrease as the weekend approached, but air temperatures weren't expected to reach 60 degrees until Sunday.

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"There's very high confidence that we're going to get a pretty decent amount of rain move through late (Tuesday) into the overnight hours into Wednesday," said meteorologist Katherine Berislavich. "There will be a chance of thunderstorms. For the Phoenix area, it probably won't be until Wednesday morning or afternoon."

She suggested golf fans coming to TPC Scottsdale be ready with rain gear.

The weather was a hot topic Monday at the course, where PGA pros got in some practice on the driving range and putting green and the Carlisle Pro-Am gave fans sitting in the stands at the 16th hole something to cheer for.

Stormy weather including high winds put a stop to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after three rounds over the weekend on the Monterey Peninsusla in California. Sunday's final round was canceled and Scottsdale resident Wyndham Clark, who was leading, was declared the winner.

Brandon Reese, TPC Scottsdale Golf Course Operations Director, said the course always has a contingency plan for foul weather. The last major rainfall at the WM Open was in 2015, he added.

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"You never hope you have to put it in place, but we're lucky enough to have a really talented team that's been through these things. So we just kind of play the hand that we're dealt," Reese said.

The PGA's competitions officials make determinations on whether to stop or delay play based on weather, with input from Reese and an agronomist.

"I think we are going to try to mow the short grass in the (Tuesday) morning, ahead of the rain, if it holds off long enough for us to get that done. That way if it rains so much (Tuesday) that we can't get back out on the golf course, we're not getting too far behind," Reese said.

Reese expected golfers to be at the course very early for practice rounds to beat the rain. His message to fans was upbeat.

"Come on, we're ready for you," Reese said. "The show must go on, right? It's the greenest show on earth and we're super stoked about the week and the preparation that's gone into everything. The golf course is in fantastic condition. Even if we get a little bit of rain. We may not have conditions as firm and as fast as we like, but the golf course will still be in great shape."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rain expected to affect 2024 Phoenix Open in early part of week