PGA Tour and Honda Classic officials spoke this week about beefing up security around the par-3 17th hole and reinforcing their plan to attempt to prevent the chaos we saw last weekend on the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open.
Fans became unhinged on Saturday and Sunday after Sam Ryder and Carlos Ortiz, respectively, each had a hole-in-one. The hole – notorious for its party atmosphere – had not seen an ace since Francesco Molinari’s in 2015.
Both days, fans reacted by tossing beer cans and cups onto the course, many of those landing on the green. With the hole completely enclosed by stadium seating that holds about 17,000 fans, the course, especially the green, was covered, causing not only a safety issue but forcing at least a 15-minute delay for volunteers to clean the course.
Honda Classic tournament director Andrew George said his event annually meets with the PGA Tour to discuss the plan on No. 17 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The hole is the closest thing to No. 16 at the TPC Scottsdale because of its stadium seating from behind the tee box, all along the left side and to the back of the green. The right is bordered by water.
“The difference now is coming off (the Phoenix Open) is making sure we’re doubling down on the safety piece,” George said. “That’s more marshals, more security, more signage. Those things coupled together can help. It’s just reminding everyone that this is still a PGA Tour golf tournament. They’re right on top of the tee. It’s great viewing but we’ve got to respect those guys.”
Another deck has been added to the Bear Trap – the hospitality area surrounding the tee box at No. 17 – this year.
2020 hole-in-one at Honda quiet by comparison
The last hole-in-one on No. 17 at Honda was in 2020 by Grayson Murray. But compared to what happened at the Phoenix Open, that scene resembled a church service. Fans kept their celebration to loud cheers as Murray pumped his fist, tossed his hat into the air and threw his ball into the grandstand.
“We want a raucous crowd,” George said. “That amphitheater at 17 is incredible and we don’t want them to sit on their hands and be quiet. Just educating them on what the proper behavior is. There are certain things that are OK and there are certain things that are kind of crossing the line from a safety perspective.
“Fans throwing beers is just not something we can do at (17th hole).”
Honda will increase the number of marshals and law enforcement around the hole by about 10 percent from 2020 and more than double the presence from last year, when the crowds were greatly reduced because of COVID-19 protocols. About 35,000 fans attended the Honda Classic in 2021. Officials are expecting to once again break the 200,000 mark for the week this year.
Additionally, signs reminding fans of proper behavior will be prominent and messaging will pop up on phones when fans enter certain areas for those who subscribe to the PGA Tour app.
Not much can be done if even a small percentage of fans spontaneously throw cans and cups if a tee shot rolls into the cup. Identifying so many fans would be difficult. The next best thing is being prepared with enough people to quickly clean up the mess.
Players are expressing their concern, which, mostly for the Phoenix Open, could result in some major changes. Players spoke about how the hole is so atypical and can be fun to play, but it’s not something they want to deal with very often.
And it’s not just No. 16 at the Phoenix Open. The atmosphere is similar on the 17th and 18th, minus the can and cup tossing.
SI.com reported that one player asked what happens if a can hits a player or caddie and they lose hearing, sight or are injured to a point they cannot return to play golf?
After Ryder’s hole-in-one, a bottle came close to hitting both Ryder and Brian Harman, who was in Ryder’s group. Ryder was second off the tee and Harman had to wait about 15 minutes to hit his shot while volunteers removed the debris. After his ace Sunday, Ortiz said he got “nailed pretty hard in the back with a beer can.”
“It was a good awakening to. … alright we got to reset, take a step back,” George said. “We want people to come out and enjoy themselves and you want the fan experience to be more than just the golf. But it’s just making sure we get that right, now.”