Thunderbirds, Phoenix Open Raised Over $115K For Charity

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A scaled-back Waste Management Phoenix Open still managed to raise $115,250 for local charities amid the coronavirus pandemic through a unique program.

The Thunderbirds, which host the annual PGA golf tournament at TPC Scottsdale, said that the money was raised through its Faces on 16 campaign, which had fans donate money to have their face shown at the iconic 16th hole of the course.

“We’ve seen what other teams and leagues have been doing to showcase ‘virtual’ fans and we just wanted to put our own spin on it at the 16th hole,” Tournament Chairman Scott Jenkins said in a statement. “It was awesome to see the response from our fans and how many people quickly donated to offer significant support to our local charities. We continue to say we have the greatest fans in golf and this is a prime example.”

The money raised will go to four charities: Arizona Helping Hands, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley, Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Teen Lifeline.

The Phoenix Open took place from Feb. 1 to 7 and resulted in a win for Brooks Koepka. Usually a bustling and busy event, attendance at this year's 86th annual tournament was capped at 5,000 fans per day.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 to promote the Valley through sports. The group raised a record $14 million for charity from proceeds from the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open