The 2004 FBR Open, a.k.a. The Greatest Show on Grass, was won by Valley resident Jonathan Kaye as a Super Bowl Sunday record crowd of 90,768 witnessed the exciting dual between Kaye and former Phoenix Open Champions Chris DiMarco (2002) and Phil Mickelson (1996).

Crowds of more than 500,000 golf fans witnessed Valley resident Jonathan Kaye capture his first FBR Open title and second PGA TOUR title (2003 Buick Classic). A final round four-under-par 67 propelled Kaye past 2002 Phoenix Open Champion Chris DiMarco and 1996 Phoenix Open Champion Phil Mickelson. Kaye earned $936,000 for his victory.

The PHOENIX OPEN, a 69 year tradition, continues to host the
largest gallery  in the world for a professional golf event. 

 
An Editorial from
   
October 12, 2003 - It is through the many years of tireless and unselfish contributions by members of the Phoenix Thunderbirds, Leading Business Executives in Phoenix, and the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau that The Phoenix Open has sustained and developed into the success it is today. The Phoenix Open is considered by many Phoenix area residents to be the annual granddaddy signature show case event promoting our lifestyle, commerce, and tourism industry of the Greater Phoenix area to the rest of the world.
  
HotLinkCity.com urges the new title sponsor, FBR, an investment banking firm, to acknowledge to the community that they understand the roots of "our" tournament.  There are many Phoenix area residents, having supported The Phoenix Open for many years, wondering why a firm which is considering opening a Phoenix office would not want to call our tournament "The FBR Phoenix Open." Phoenix area residents feel The Phoenix Open is “their” tournament.  Deleting "Phoenix" in front of "Open" changes the tradition and could have a very negative effect on area support.   
  
Is it really a good deal for The Phoenix Open to have more dollars available for the tournament purse and charities at the cost of losing its namesake and tradition?  We don't believe so.  
  
It is our opinion if FBR desires to have the good will of Phoenix area residents, their management team needs to acknowledge the efforts made by community leaders in the mid 70's which, virtually overnight, turned The Phoenix Open, a local event, into a national television event promoting the Greater Phoenix Area. In a future editorial, those efforts will be detailed.  
  
Ken Cohen
Executive Director
HotLinkCity.com
ken@hotlinkcity.com 

An Editorial from

January 26, 2004 - It was almost thirty years ago, leaders of the Phoenix Thunderbirds were looking to promote the greater Phoenix area and The Phoenix Open golf tournament to a national TV audience.  Thunderbird leaders approached Phoenix Television Executives with the plan.

Back in 1974, before the Phoenix Open was barely recognized nationally, a fine gentleman by the name of Tom Chauncey stepped up to the plate and got national exposure for The Phoenix Open on the CBS Television Network.  Tom, along with Gene Autry and Homer Lane owned the CBS affiliated television station KOOL-TV Channel 10, which was recognized as the number 1 affiliate of the CBS television network.  Why was KOOL-TV the number one affiliate?  Because KOOL-TV cleared (“aired”) more network programs than any other CBS affiliate in the country.  Now the powers to be at CBS first balked at televising a golf tournament from Phoenix.  The story goes that Tom told CBS if they wanted KOOL-TV to remain their number 1 affiliate, CBS would be airing the Phoenix Open nationally.  And so a 3 year contract was signed.  By the way, Tom was also instrumental in getting national coverage for the Fiesta Bowl.

It is a tragedy that this year our golf tournament will be promoted and referred to nationally on the USA and ABC television networks only as “The FBR Open”, period.  FBR has insisted upon this.  On the other hand, they have no problem if we say “of Phoenix” on a local basis.

This certainly was not the intent of anyone involved with the Phoenix Thunderbirds or KOOL-TV when the grand plan for national promotion was conceived.  Tom Chauncey, who passed on almost 2 years ago, can’t help us maintain the integrity and the sacred tradition of the Phoenix Open.  The rest of us can.

I believe we have a sacred tradition here that necessitates keeping the name Phoenix in the title of our PGA Golf Tournament.  I look at FBR and The Phoenix Open as a modern day marriage.  It's very common these days in a marriage to maintain the names of both partners.  It is a slam dunk to call this partnership "The FBR Phoenix Open".

FBR maintains they respect and desire to carry on the traditions and the integrity of our tournament.  Let’s call upon them to step up to the plate and hit a grand slam home run for “The Greatest Show on Grass.”

It is important for the greater Phoenix area to maintain it’s identity.  If you feel the same way as we do, please let the FBR Management and Phoenix Thunderbirds know your opinion.  Below, we are providing names, phone numbers, and web links for FBR Investment Services and the Phoenix Thunderbirds.

Now let’s go out and enjoy our tournament.

Ken Cohen
Executive Director
HotLinkCity.com
ken@hotlinkcity.com 
 
We invite our readers at HotLinkCity.Com to comment.  Please send to opinion@hotlinkcity.com 
 

  READER RESPONSE at

January 31, 2004 - To (F)B(R) or not to B the FBR Phoenix Open - I write this as the snow is falling having tried and failed to get a game in zero degrees at my club Ardeer today. In the West of Scotland it is still known as the Phoenix Open. As far as my friends & I are concerned it will always be the Phoenix Open. It highlights the start of the US tour for us with extensive coverage on cable / satellite. If my memory serves me right (having visited the TPC in Nov. 2003) the winners board in front of the TPC clubhouse shows the names of the winners at the home of the Phoenix Open. It would be better if the sponsors FBR revisited the name of the tournament and called it 'The FBR Phoenix Open.' Ask most golfers where the FBR Open is held: what answers will you get? However ask most golfers where the FBR Phoenix Open is held and most could guess. Surely the sponsors then would receive world wide recognition!

Yours in golf & tradition,
JC


January 3, 2004 - Until FBR changes the name to at least FBR Phoenix Open, I am boycotting the event.

Bill Kreitzer


November 13, 2003 - Since I discovered the excitement of watching golf in the early 90’s, I have become a passionate attendee of the Phoenix Open.  I would like to express my concern about the omission of Phoenix from the 2004 FBR Open.  I understand the Thunderbirds’s concern to find a replacement partner like they had with Xerox and I am happy for them that they have filled this with FBR.  FBR, not an easily recognized name as with Xerox, has commented, “…We don’t want to take it over.  We just want to be a part of an event that wants to be the best.”  My question to them is then why omitting Phoenix from the name?  Xerox very easily made it known they were the official sponsor of the Phoenix Open without having to name change the event.  I have no real issue with the Phoenix Open changing names; however, if FBR were solely interested in “charities” what harm is there in being the FBR Phoenix Open?  Besides what would the event have to be renamed if after the five years they decide to sponsor another event and not the Phoenix Open? 

I have read John Davis’ article in today’s The Arizona Republic and have to believe that the Thunderbirds are selling out in the name of charity. Wasn’t the intent of naming  “Phoenix Open” given by the Thunderbirds to gain national recognition for Phoenix ?  I for one would like to see Phoenix remain in the name of the Open with or without the addition of FBR.  When exposure is the name of the game under the pretext of “helping charities”, someone needs to take a look and see what the real motivation is behind the name change. 

Elizabeth Brown


October 26, 2003 - A transplant to Phoenix, which most are, there are many components that strengthen my desire to live here and call this “home”.  A sense of community, a willingness of many to pitch in and build a pride in what we have to offer as a city.  These are just a few of the many reasons I would think that FBR has also chosen to invest in Phoenix through “our” open.  Over the years, although I am not a golfer, I have seen many different businesses invest their revenue in support of this effort and because they invested in the PHOENIX OPEN, they have realized a significant return on that investment.  What dose FBR hope to gain by dropping the name of the event and replacing it with their logo?  What we have to offer, took years of hard work to build, and now they hope to cash in on it.  The major sponsorships over the past have been willing to proudly display their company logos in support of the OPEN, not the OPEN promoting their companies.  Hopefully FBR will choose to rethink their actions and prove to the community and the country at large, since everyone watches the open, that they truly are a supporter of a successful venture.  

Marion Wm. Gleason

We invite our readers at HotLinkCity.Com to comment.  Please send to opinion@hotlinkcity.com 

Tournament News
The Birds Nest

2004 FBR OPEN MILLER LITE BIRDS NEST ENTERTAINMENT LINE-UP ANNOUNCED

The Thunderbirds are proud to announce the 2004 entertainment line-up for the Miller Lite Birds Nest at the FBR Open (formerly the Phoenix Open).  The all-star line-up features Jimmy Eat World (Wednesday, January 28), Cheap Trick and Fountains of Wayne (Thursday, January 29), Cowboy Mouth (Friday, January 30), and Hairbangers Ball (Saturday, January 31).  The Birds Nest runs in conjunction with the FBR Open at WestWorld in Scottsdale . Happy hour band Azz Izz will open the Birds Nest nightly beginning at 4 pm and will be followed by Duck Soup at 7 pm on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings (Fountains of Wayne will perform Thursday evening).  Headline entertainment will take the stage at approximately 8:30 . The Birds Nest is located at WestWorld – one mile east of the TPC of Scottsdale at the corner of Bell Road and Pima Road .

More Birds Nest Information     The Birds Nest Hotline:  602-843-6378