PGA Tour, DraftKings to Build 19th Hole Sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale

Posted on: April 14, 2021, 10:05h. 

Last updated on: April 14, 2021, 10:22h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The PGA Tour and DraftKings are teaming up to build and operate a sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale, home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Arizona sports betting TPC Scottsdale
Arizona State University alumni Phil Mickelson celebrates after making a birdie on the 16th hole of the Waste Management Phoenix Open in 2018. A sportsbook is coming to the iconic TPC Scottsdale course. (Image: Getty)

The Arizona Legislature passed its sports betting bill yesterday. Though it still needs the signature of Gov. Doug Ducey (R), golf’s preeminent circuit and sports betting leader DraftKings are quickly moving forward with its sportsbook plans. 

DraftKings and the PGA Tour first partnered last summer. The interactive gaming provider is the Official Betting Operator of the PGA Tour. 

In a release, the PGA Tour and DraftKings say they plan to build a “visually stunning ’19th hole’ experience at TPC Scottsdale, where fans can gather year-round to place wagers, watch sports, and enjoy quality food and beverage options.”

The exact location of the sportsbook has yet to be decided. Ducey is expected to sign the sports betting bill, as he’s expressed strong support for the gaming expansion in the past. 

Scottsdale Stadium Course

TPC Scottsdale is home to perhaps the most electrifying stop on the annual PGA Tour schedule. The par-3 16th hole is fully encompassed by grandstands when the Waste Management Phoenix Open is contested in February.

Dubbed “The Greatest Show on Grass,” the tournament is a great deviation from a typical Tour event where fans award good shots with a polite “golf clap.” Instead, the Phoenix Open’s 16th is surrounded by more than 20,000 raucous fans who erupt in boos when a golfer hits a poor shot. 

With Arizona legalizing both in-person and mobile sports betting, the atmosphere is sure to only get wilder, with many in attendance placing wagers on the tournament’s outcome.

‘The People’s Open’ is one of the most-attended events in golf, and with this announcement, we look forward to taking the fan experience to another level,” said Norb Gambuzza, senior vice president of media and gaming at the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour operates numerous Tournament Players Club (TPC) courses throughout the US. TPC Scottsdale opened in 1986 and is a public facility. The Stadium Course where the Phoenix Open is contested was designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. 

Arizona Sports Betting

The sports betting bill Ducey is expected to sign will create 20 sportsbook licenses. The permits will be split between the state’s tribal casino operators and pro sports organizations.

Along with the PGA Tour, Arizona’s professional sports franchises — NFL Cardinals, MLB Cardinals, and NHL Coyotes — are anticipated to obtain a sportsbook license. The approved legislation allows the stadiums to incorporate a sportsbook into their venues, or within a quarter-mile. They can additionally operate online sports gambling.

Gross gaming revenue (GGR) generated from sports betting will be subject to an eight percent tax. The Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee projects that sports betting will generate $34 million in annual new revenue for the state. The money will be allocated to the state’s General Fund.