Refund process begins for fans left out at Phoenix

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The WM Phoenix Open has started the process of refunding fans who had tickets Saturday but couldn’t get on the grounds at TPC Scottsdale after the Scottsdale Police Department closed the gates because of overcrowding around the course, tournament chairman George Thimsen told ESPN on Thursday.

“We want to make things right for our fans who were unable to attend on Saturday, and so we just had to get there, diagnose the issue and see how we can resolve this,” Thimsen said.

Thimsen said fans who have unscanned tickets could email the tournament to begin the refund process.

Thimsen, who served a one-year term as tournament chairman, said the event has started an operational audit of the tournament and the issues it faced this year. Rain throughout the week caused much the grass where spectators would normally sit and walk to turn to mud, forcing crowds to concrete paths that caused significant congestion.

Thimsen also said a contingent from the WM Phoenix Open traveled to Los Angeles on Tuesday to meet with the PGA Tour and players ahead of this week’s Genesis Invitational. He said the meetings resulted in the players offering support for the tournament.