Don’t Streak at the WM Phoenix Open: A Reminder from the Scottsdale Police

On Friday, the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale was hit with a streaker during the WM Phoenix Open.^[0] The man, wearing only his underwear, ran across the famous par 3 “stadium hole” that is surrounded by 17,000 raucous fans, and proceeded to pole dance with the flag stick. After outmaneuvering an official, he belly-flopped into a nearby pond.^[1]

The streaker seemed to be paying homage to another streaker who ran across The Open Championship at St. Andrews back in 1995, as he had “19th hole” written on his back with an arrow pointing toward his bottom.^[1]

According to a statement issued by the Scottsdale Police Department, 27-year-old Sean Patrick McConnell was arrested for various offenses as a result of the disruption. He allegedly jumped from the general admissions bleachers at the WM Phoenix Open's 16th hole and ran through a player access tunnel to the 17th hole, where he jumped into the water.^[2]

At the time of the disruption, defending Masters champ Scottie Scheffler was leading the pack at 10-under through two rounds.^[3] Unfortunately, his ball rolled just feet away from the hole at the 16th due to some heavy winds early in the round.

The WM Phoenix Open does not condone any kind of negative fan behavior.^[4] Yet, there is something unique and special about an authentic streaker.^[5] That was until Friday afternoon when spectators witnessed the streaker make a beeline for the tunnel to the 17th tee and juke a security guard on the way there.

It’s apparent that this guy was probably one of the first in line for the tournament, and was likely part of the 17,000-strong crowd that had been camping out in the wee hours of the morning with plenty of alcohol to get the party started.

Scottsdale Police have reminded drunken idiots not to jump in the chemical-filled waters this week and heightened security in order to avoid a repeat of this situation on the weekend.

So, if you are planning to attend the WM Phoenix Open, make sure you keep it PG-13 and remember to follow the rules – no matter how tempting it is to join in on the fun.

0. “‘Absolutely Smashed That’: A Crazy Fans Hilarious Celebration at WM Phoenix Open Turns Golf World Into a Frenzy” EssentiallySports, 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.essentiallysports.com/golf-news-absolutely-smashed-that-a-crazy-fans-hilarious-celebration-at-wm-phoenix-open-turns-golf-world-into-a-frenzy

1. “Streaker goes wild at Waste Management Phoenix Open before being nabbed by police” New York Post , 10 Feb. 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/02/10/streaker-runs-across-course-gets-loose-at-goes-wild-at-waste-management-phoenix-open

2. “Arizona man accused of disrupting the WM Phoenix Open” Toowoomba Chronicle, 11 Feb. 2023, https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/world/arizona-man-accused-of-disrupting-the-wm-phoenix-open/video/280d39555fe781072cdef6cc7bab616e

3. “Streaker steals the show at 16th hole of Waste Management Phoenix Open” Fox News, 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/streaker-steals-show-16th-hole-waste-management-phoenix-open

4. “STREAKER ALERT: Fan dances on 16th green, makes light work of security, jumps into lake on 17” Australian Golf Digest, 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.australiangolfdigest.com.au/streaker-alert-fan-runs-onto-16-green-makes-light-work-of-security-jumps-into-lake-on-17

5. “STREAKER ALERT: Fan runs onto 16 green, jukes security guard into another dimension, jumps into pond on 17” msnNOW, 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/streaker-alert-fan-runs-onto-16-green-jukes-security-guard-into-another-dimension-jumps-into-pond-on-17/ar-AA17lDaK