FBR officials say crowd could eclipse record

Despite rain that washed out Monday's action, FBR Open golf tournament attendance for Tuesday and Wednesday far exceeded both days' attendance last year, each by five-figure amounts, according to course figures.

GRAPHIC: FBR Open parking guide

Scottsdale TPC officials said they hope to see an all-time attendance record this year.

Monday's Pro-Am Tournament and practice rounds were canceled because of water standing on the TPC's stadium course from Sunday's heavy rainstorm and just 4,947 fans showed up, according to TPC figures. But on Tuesday, attendance reached 29,045 - up 11,125 from last year's second day.

And as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, attendance had reached 57,209, 16,784 more than last year's third day.

Tiffany Nelson, Scottsdale TPC's director of sales and marketing, said Wednesday she believes the FBR Open is well on its way to surpassing last year's total attendance of 507,990.

PGA Tour golfers such as Phil Mickelson and Ryuji Imada prowled the course Wednesday to practice amid tens of thousands of fans.

The great autograph chase began for a group of New York Giants fans from New Jersey in town for Sunday's Super Bowl and other "grown-ups" seeking signatures, such as Mary Ann Johnston of Phoenix.

"This made my day," Johnston said moments after Camilo Villegas autographed her white Titleist cap as he arrived at the No. 10 tee.

"Imagine a grown woman like me getting autographs. But I have my particulars I want autographs from. My boyfriend has a picture of me and him on his computer screensaver - I have a picture of Camilo Villegas on mine.

"My boyfriend has fun with that," she went on. "He always sees that picture and says, 'Come to Momma.' Camilo just turned 26 on Jan. 7, and I'm older than that. I have a shrine in my office just for him."

For the first time since 1996, the four-day FBR Open, with play officially beginning at 7:40 a.m. today, is being held the same weekend the Super Bowl is being hosted in the Valley.

FBR organizers are projecting more than 200,000 fans on Saturday - compared with last year's Saturday crowd of 162,000, Nelson said.

"Obviously, we don't know, yet, but we're expecting more people because of the Super Bowl," Nelson said.

"It won't hurt us. We're excited. This brings in new exposure for the FBR on a national and international level. Hopefully, we and the Super Bowl can piggyback on each other, or at least we can piggyback on them. As people come into town for the Super Bowl, they either have a ticket to the game or they don't. If they don't, we have plenty of Jumbotrons here for people to watch the game. We're ready for the crowd," Nelson said.

To accommodate an anticipated larger crowd, FBR organizers have added 21 new skyboxes to the raucous 16th hole, the event's well-known centerpiece of excitement, bringing total skyboxes there to 154.

For those wishing to sip the suds, a new age-verifying wristband program also is in place at the event this year. ID scanners located throughout the venue will determine who is of age to drink alcohol.

As several hundred fans watched the 16th hole with a bird's eye view from the sky terrace areas, Valley companies and businesses flooded in on Wednesday.Roger Vincent of Phoenix said his group was rooting for Phil Mickelson, an Arizona State University graduate. Mickelson won the FBR in 1996 and 2005.

"You have to root for Mickelson," Vincent said. "He's the hometown boy."

The FBR concludes Sunday.