Budda Baker talks golf, new Cardinals coach at WM Phoenix Open Pro-Am
Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker shared his thoughts about new head coach Mike LaFleur at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open Pro-Am on Feb. 4.
Former and current NFL players gathered at the WM Phoenix Open Annexus Pro-Am.Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was a major attraction, nearly hitting a hole-in-one on the 16th.
Emmitt Smith, the Pro Football Hall-of-Famer, and Larry Fitzgerald, who is likely to be named to the Class of 2026 this week, shared a greeting and an embrace at the first tee on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at the WM Phoenix Open Annexus Pro-Am.
Fitzgerald went off to join his group while Smith was waiting to tee off. Smith had one more comment to make.
“Hit it good!” he said.
Fitzgerald is a 10-time Pro-Am participant who has made the event an annual tradition, and, by Thursday night, Feb. 5, he will know if he is to be enshrined in Canton.
“You can’t count your chickens before they’re hatched,” Fitzgerald said. “Hopefully one day. You have to do something right to even get into the top 15 (semifinalists). Even to be in there and have your name in the conversation is a blessing.”
Cardinals safety Budda Baker, with teammate Denzel Burke caddying for him, said Fitzgerald has been “everything to the Cardinals franchise.”
Tight end Trey McBride said Fitzgerald has “paved the way for all of us.”
“He’s a guy who’s done it the right way,” McBride said. “The way I see it, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be a Hall-of-Famer.”
Fitzgerald had some fun with Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham, who, after Fitzgerald pushed him out to the tee box to take a shot at the 16th hole, landed a good shot. Fitzgerald celebrated it in the background.
Koepka’s back in Scottsdale
Out of the PGA Tour for three years when he chose to move to LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka made his return to TPC Scottsdale for the first time since 2022.
He was asked about whether he was watching the WM Phoenix Open from afar.
“No. I was asleep when this was going on. Kind of tough to watch,” Koepka said. “But yeah, it’s a golf course I really like. A tournament I like coming to. I think this is always a comfortable event for me.”
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Koepka made his return to the PGA at the Farmers Insurance Open in La Jolla, California, last month. He said TPC Scottsdale suits his eye off the tee and that the course is always in great shape.
“I enjoy the chaos. It’s fun. It can kind of get you in between shots,” Koepka said. “Gives you something to either kind of laugh at or whatever’s going on, there’s always something to see.
“Yeah, you spend a few years here, you’ll see a lot of things.”
Kelce gets ’em pumped
Travis Kelce, the star tight end from the Kansas City Chiefs, was the main attraction of the first group at the first tee in the morning.
The nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl champion took his tee shot to cheers from the crowd, then took a minute to catch up with former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, whose group followed Kelce’s on the tee.
But Kelce got the biggest fan reaction when his iron shot at the 16th hole landed less than two feet from the cup, right after he was handed a microphone and addressed the 16th hole crazies with the words, “This is how we (expletive) do it!”
Kelce showed good form with his swing, let fly and lifted his arms in celebration, then high-fived a member of his group, smiling as he walked toward his ball.
“He hits it long, I’m sure that’s not shocking anybody. He’s got speed and size,” Koepka said of playing with Kelce.
The two have several mutual friends.
Big Dumper’s Pro-Am debut
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, the record-setting home run hitter who led Seattle to within one win of the team’s first World Series, played in the event for the first time.
He joined Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts, new Chicago Cubs infielder Alex Bregman and Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly as the Major League Baseball players in the field.
Raleigh’s caddie carried a Seattle Seahawks jersey, presumably for Raleigh to don at some point during his round on on Feb. 4, in support of the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60.
Merrill’s putting skills, Lloyd’s kicks
Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly, back with the team after a short stint with the Texas Rangers, got his round off to a great start. He reached the green in 2 shots, then sank a long putt for birdie on No. 1.
The footwear of the day belonged to former U.S. women’s national team star Carli Lloyd, who sported green Nikes that appeared to be covered in fake turf.
José M. Romero can be reached at jose.romero@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @RomeroJoseM or Instagram at @romerojosem.