Waste Management Honored With First “Water Stewardship Influencer Award” Presented By Green Sports Alliance & Bonneville Environmental Foundation

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Jan. 18, 2019 — Waste Management was recently honored with the “Water Stewardship Influencer Award” presented by Green Sports Alliance and Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) for the company’s awareness and conservation efforts at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The award was presented at the ASU Sports and Sustainability Symposium held at Arizona State University on January 17. BEF teamed with the Green Sports Alliance to honor organizations that are not only exhibiting excellence in water conservation and restoration, but also leveraging their position to bring others along with them to directly grow a movement around environmental water stewardship.

"For the past five years, Waste Management has helped to move the needle for corporate environmental water stewardship in Arizona,” said Todd Reeve, CEO of Bonneville Environmental Foundation. “Leveraging the power and influence of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, they have driven awareness and resources to conserving water, reusing grey water, and restoring freshwater to nature in a state and at a time when it could not be more important. For these reasons and more, we are thrilled to partner with the Green Sports Alliance to honor Waste Management with the first Water Stewardship Influencer Award.”

Waste Management and the tournament hosts, The Thunderbirds, implement water conservation measures to ensure water is used responsibly at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Measures include handwashing stations utilizing hand sanitizer instead of water and grey water is collected in the kitchens across the course as well as the hospitality bars on the 16th hole to be reused in portable toilets to reduce freshwater usage.

Adoring fans call the Waste Management Phoenix Open the “Greatest Show on Grass.” We’re willing to bet it has something to do with the party-like atmosphere on the 16th hole. Surrounded on all sides by stadium seating, the 16th hole draws spectators who are there for a good time as much as they are to see pros like Phil Mickelson and J.B. Holmes duke it out. In honor of the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament, we’re counting down the top five most memorable moments (to date!) on the 16th hole:

1988

Two years after winning the entire tournament, PGA TOUR professional Hal Sutton made the first hole-in-one on the 16th during the third round of the event. At that time, the tournament was known simply as the Phoenix Open.

1995

In a major step toward amplifying the Waste Management Phoenix Open’s party atmosphere, the tournament’s first corporate skyboxes made their appearance along the 16th hole’s southern embankment this year. Today, Skybox tickets on the 16th hole are the most in-demand of the entire golf event.

2009

The “coliseum” takes shape as the 16th hole is completely surrounded by stands, making it the first golf hole of its kind on the PGA TOUR. The grandstands seat between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators, and that’s not counting the corporate skyboxes.

2000

Arizona State University students and golf fans officially tag the 16th hole as “The House that Phil Built” after former Sun Devil and three-time Phoenix Open Champion Phil Mickelson. Mickelson won the tournament in 1996, 2005 and 2013.

1997

Tiger Woods hits the “shot heard ‘round the world” on the 16th hole when he sank an ace. The event exposed the world to the fun and rowdy atmosphere of the Phoenix Open as it was replayed on television over and over (and over – still, to this day!).

Buy one VIP, get one VIP 50 percent off to Saturday’s headline event Presented by Omnia Nightclub to see the No. 1 DJ in the world, Martin Garrix; along with DJ Vice and Justin Mylo. This special seven day FLASH promotion begins Thursday, January 17 at 8 a.m., and will run through Wednesday, January 23. VIP tickets start at $300 – The second ticket, when purchasing two, will cost $150.

Click Here to Purchase Tickets

FREE ADMISSION OFFER IS GOOD ON MONDAY, JAN. 28 AND TUESDAY, JAN. 29

Thanks to Ford, the Official Vehicle of the Waste Management Phoenix Open Presented by the Ak-Chin Indian Community, all fans will be admitted FREE of charge on Monday, Jan. 28 and Tuesday, Jan. 29 to the Waste Management Phoenix Open as part of “Ford Free Days” courtesy of your Arizona Ford Dealers.

As part of the renewed partnership, the second-annual closest-to-the-pin contest called “FORD Drive for Your Ride” will be held on the iconic 16^th hole, giving players a chance to win a new Ford Edge ST and to give a new Ford Edge ST to one of ten local non-profit organizations. 

“This marks the fourth consecutive year our event and Ford have teamed up to offer free admission to all of our fans,” said Tournament Chairman Chance Cozby. “Ford has been an outstanding partner. We’re thrilled to offer Ford Free Days once again, but even more so to share a common commitment to our local communities.”

Monday’s schedule includes practice rounds by PGA TOUR players and the Kadima.Ventures Pro-Am, while Tuesday will include practice rounds, the R.S. Hoyt Jr. Family Foundation Dream Day, the popular San Tan Ford Special Olympics Open and the PGA TOUR Wives Classic.