While attending the Waste Management Phoenix Open, GolfWRX talked to Gary Woodland ahead of Thursday’s opening day.

One of the questions was about walking through the tunnel on the famous 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale.

GolfWRX: “When you think about walking through the tunnel out to 16, like what is that feeling? And do you still get that feeling when you show up?”

Interestingly, the former U.S. Open champion explained how a new bathroom close to the 16th tee can be used to settle down before hitting the intimidating tee shot in front of so many rowdy fans.

Woodland: “I mean, you can hear it on the first hole. You hear it all day. You hear the noise. You can hear when somebody makes birdie. You hear the boo’s. It’s more of me trying to slow everything down when I come through there. I get pretty amped up. I don’t need to be hitting pitching wedge 165 yards. So, just trying to calm down.

“They were nice and put a put a bathroom in there for us. I’ll go in there and try to calm down for a second. Even if I don’t have to go to the bathroom, just to slow everything down. Just slow the breathing down. Slow the adrenaline down and then get up there. There was a flag up in the stadium too today, which hadn’t been in the past. You can actually see where the wind is a little bit. Usually, I’d be walking in and trying to figure out where the wind is before I get to the tunnel.”

Watching players hit the shot into the par-3 stadium hole is one of the best moments of the golf season. Starting on Thursday, we will get to witness the moment for some of the biggest stars on the PGA Tour.

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While speaking with The Daily Mail prior to his start at LIV Las Vegas, Cam Smith called joining LIV “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

“I’m so happy… 14 events out here, four majors, a couple of events at home where I can give back to the fans there, and that’s me. I feel like there’s a lot of time there to become a better golfer.”

With the PGA Tour recently striking a deal with the Strategic Sports Group, the golf world is wondering will LIV golfers ever be welcome back on the PGA Tour. Cam, however, has no interest in playing any more tournaments and didn’t think much of the deal.

‘I definitely don’t want to play anymore tournaments. I didn’t really have much of a reaction, to be honest… I haven’t really kept an eye on that side. All of us here, we’re just trying to make this tour the best that we can.”

The Australian also talked about the fact that he was able to spend plenty of time at home in the lead up to the 2024 LIV Golf season, which is a rarity for a professional golfer.

“I don’t think I’ve done that since I’ve been a professional,” he told The Daily Mail.

The former Champion Golfer of the Year is a simple man, and really enjoys spending time with friends in Australia.

“Oh, mate, just hanging out with friends and family, going down to the pub, having a couple of beers is really all that makes me happy”.

“Playing golf with even some old members at the golf club that I grew up at, seeing the course – all that stuff, it just puts a smile to my face.”

“Sit around, fire up the grill, have some sausages on bread, and have a beer”.

“I probably had seven or eight weeks off really competitive golf,’ he says. Normally? ‘You almost feel guilty putting the clubs down for a week.”

Despite the more relaxed schedule, Cam still thinks he can contend for major championships.

“The majors are obviously a really big priority,’ Smith says. ‘And I feel like I’m still a good enough golfer to tick a couple of those off.”

Smith will tee it up alongside Dustin Johnson and Tyrrell Hatton for the first round of LIV Golf Las Vegas, which is set to kick off on Thursday.

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In this week’s LIV Golf media guide, golf legend Phil Mickelson shared that he has a whopping 47 (!) hole-in-one’s in his life.

 

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Mickelson has 45 PGA Tour wins and six major championships on his resume, so it is quite believable that he could rack up such a large number of hole-in-one experiences.

To put that number into some perspective though, it is 27 more than the total that Tiger Woods is said to have made.

Of the 47, five of them have been in professional tournaments, which is five shy of Hal Sutton and Robert Allenby according to Golf Digest.

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