By Dennis de Jesus

Special to GolfWRX

What a game.  Coming from behind and capitalizing on your opponents mistakes.  Staying cool under pressure, proving the naysayers wrong.  Elevating your game to an elite level and winning in front of millions of family and friends.

Now let’s take a poll – how many of you read that and realized I was referring to Kyle Stanley?  Yup, that’s right Kyle Stanley.  Amidst the hoopla and spectacle that was Superbowl 46 and what was an excellent championship game, I believe many sports fans missed out on an opportunity to witness the amazing final round of the Waste Management Open, a tournament where a young talent like Kyle Stanley not only proved his resilience, but also showcased the fantastic fanfare and drama that is TPC Scottsdale.

Makes you wonder: why not give special exception and have the final round of the Waste Management Open on a Saturday?

The Waste Management Open (formerly the FBR) has traditionally fallen on Superbowl weekend and the final round culminates on the same afternoon as the “big game”. Unfortunately for the PGA Tour, sharing the spotlight with the highest rated sporting event every year doesn’t make the golf tournament all that important.  It’s true that the final putt of the tournament is scheduled to go down before kickoff, but chances are many a sports fan are already many beers in at home or at the local sports bar with friends. They are prepping flavorful nachos, grilling juicy sliders or eating hot wings and even if they are watching TV, they are likely watching the countless hours of Super Bowl  pregame hype and analysis from every angle imaginable (interviewing Eli Manning’s middle school gym teacher seems so pointless, doesn’t it?)

Meanwhile back in Arizona, the story of Kyle Stanley was turning its page in a setting that the Tour needs to promote heavily because of the unique atmosphere it creates.  TPC Scottsdale is one of the most memorable courses on the tour, with its 20,000-plus seating capacity on the par 3 16th being the pride of the desert course.  This fan friendly hole caters to the raucous celebration of a successful tee shot, but also the discourse of boos that follow a missed tee shot.  The fans are also encouraged to cheer and chant at players prior to their tee shot, ranging from the traditional college school chants to the more amusing “ultra fan” chants – those that only real attentive fans would understand (Kevin Stadler got a “mini-walrus” chant for his tee shot troubles, a tongue in cheek homage to his father Craig).

The third round set a single round attendance record, bringing in more than 173,00 people, a number the the Tour should be proud of considering that the field had only seven of the world’s top 20 players entered the tournament. But what really sets this tournament apart from any other is how interactive the players are with the fans, even during tournament play.  They actually embrace the chaos that surrounds the 16th hole and will engage with the fans, often bearing gifts and high fives as they make their way to the green.   In case you missed it, Ben Crane and Bubba Watson made the 16th hole their personal karaoke stage as they chimed in a verse of their YouTube viral video hit “Oh Oh Oh”.  I’d love to tell you that it was impromptu, but honestly there is nothing spontaneous about a mic stand already setup on the tee box and a conveniently located helmet which Ben Crane fashioned for the passionate and appreciative crowd.

The crowd ate it up.  The play by play booth ate it up.  It was a fun SportsCenter type spectacle that gave the players some personality and easily made them more likable.  And the Tour should capitalize on this. Sunday attendance dropped off about 30 percent, which falls in line with other Sundays of the tournament, a Sunday which is in direct competition to the Super Bowl.  No other tournament sees such a sharp drop off from its Saturday round to its Sunday round.  TPC Scottsdale is easily one of the most spectator friendly courses on the tour, both live and on TV, and having a final round on a Saturday would ensure that the right amount of fan camaraderie coupled with the drama of a final round would better promote the game, the players and more importantly the personality of the tour.

There are times when the sanctity and etiquette of golf should be respected and honored, but for the rest of us looking at golf as too old school in traditions, TPC Scottsdale is a clear example that golf can be just as enjoyable as a big football game and is willing to embrace a fan base that is honest yet respectful, brash but considerate.  The tournament itself has been called “Mardi Gras on Grass” and “The Cactus Bowl,” and considering these labels are being used for a golf event, and not a frat house party, that is high praise for the casual fan potentially looking at golf as entertainment.

The Tour shouldn’t have to pit its most fan friendly event on the tour schedule to compete with the biggest sporting event of the year.  And even if it has to, the Tour should work with tournament organizers and consider holding the final round on the Saturday to capitalize on viewership and push the “Party on 16” atmosphere as a way to demonstrate how young and fresh the tour can be while building its young and upcoming stars on the wild and dramatic stage of TPC Scottsdale.  In a time where the Tour is trying to build a fan base not dependent on aging mainstays like Woods and Mickelson, it is so important to take advantage of popular non-major events like the Waste Management Phoenix Open to really push the fact that “these guys are good”.

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Read more from Dennis de Jesus at www.dennisdejesusjr.com.