SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chaos is in style at the WM Phoenix Open, and fans are decked out from head to toe.
Amid the sea of T-shirts, tight dresses and regular golf attire, there are grown men dressed as Disney princesses and in Colonial garb, and one group of Waldos who weren’t difficult to find.
The quartet from Phoenix gathered for a combination Super Bowl/Phoenix Open celebration, admitting they did not come up with their Waldo idea on their own.
“We saw a video from a couple years ago of [fans] storming to run in and there were like 15 Waldos,” said Mitchell Barnes, 24. “We were like, ‘We have to do that.’ We were inspired.”
Fans at the 16th green at the 2023 WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
One local resident who has been coming to the Open for the last 20 years, brought some new spectators along. Pam Alaaldin brought her college roommate from Arizona State, her roommate’s husband and their five kids to the Open, the group traveling in from Buffalo.
“They had to understand how exciting it is when you’re wearing matching outfits because it just brings it up to a whole other level,” she said. “I provided the free hat and shirt for all the attendees. We like to bring the fun.”
The grass-like hats featured tiny white flagsticks on top while the green shirts each each had golf-themed puns like “We’re here to PAR-TEE!!”
Although many fans around the course sported Eagles or Chiefs gear ahead of the Super Bowl, John Aallen, 42, and his fellow Canadian friends wore the purple jerseys of their favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings.
Sweet Caroline on 16
What a scene. @WMPhoenixOpen pic.twitter.com/q1ondMXmeI
— Golf on CBS
(@GolfonCBS) February 11, 2023
Standing in an ever-growing line to get into the 16th hole, the group was ready to go with drinks in hand and at one point, tried to remember the name of the Canadian prime minister.
The friends said they have been coming to the tournament in their Minnesota gear for more than 12 years.
“We can’t go to the Super Bowl,” Aallen said, “so we’re pretending like we’re at the Super Bowl.”