In 2025, non-Americans won almost half of the 44 tournaments sanctioned by the PGA Tour. That includes the WM Phoenix Open, which was captured by a foreign-born player – Thomas Detry of Belgium – for the 11th time since the tournament was first played in 1932. Here’s a historical list of those winners, along with global bites and sips available in or around the TPC Scottsdale to victually honor them.
George Knudson
Canada
Championship Year: 1968
Arguably Canada’s all-time greatest golfer, Knudson had an epic February in Arizona in 1968 – winning the Tucson Open just a week after becoming the Phoenix Open’s first foreign champion.
WMPO Food Rec: You’re unlikely to find poutine, a gooey mix of french fries, cheese curds and hot gravy, at the Open – but you will find a verion of it at Canadian-owned OEB Breakfast Co. just down the street.
Bruce Crampton
Australia
Championship Year: 1973
Five years after Knudson’s feat, Crampton similarly backed up his Phoenix Open win with a Tucson Open chaser – two of his 14 career PGA Tour wins.
WMPO Food Rec: Tim Tams – chocolate-covered biscuits – are an Aussie favorite, and available at World Market across from TPC Scottsdale on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard.
Sandy Lyle
Scotland
Championship Year: 1988
Two months after his win in Phoenix, Lyle won his first and only major championship at The Masters, defeating Mark Calcavecchia, who won the first of three Phoenix Opens the next year.
WMPO Food Rec: Head to The Scotch Library at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa for a wee dram of Scotland’s finest whisky.
Vijay Singh
Fiji
Championship Years: 1995 and 2003
Sandwiched between his Phoenix Open wins, Singh won two of his three career majors: the 1998 PGA Championship and The Masters in 2000.
WMPO Food Rec: The closest thing to kokoda, a traditional Fijian meal with fish, citrus and coconut milk, might be the ceviche (available both in salmon and aji amarillo/white fish versions) at Toro inside the TPC Scottsdale clubhouse.
Jesper Parnevik
Sweden
Championship Year: 1998
Best known for his eclectic wardrobe, and for having introduced Tiger Woods to Elin Nordegren, Parnevik won four more times on the PGA Tour.
WMPO Food Rec: Put some Swedish meatballs from the IKEA in Tempe on the menu. Take them home frozen or eat them hot in the cafeteria. Also available in a vegetarian version.
Aaron Baddeley
Australia
Championship Year: 2007
This Scottsdale resident never quite fulfilled his potential as a professional, although he did rack up four career PGA Tour wins.
WMPO Food Rec: Fancy an Aussie meat pie, mate? The AZ Pie Guys offer beef and cheese, steak and Guinness, and lamb with rosemary options.
Hideki Matsuyama
Japan
Championship Years: 2016 and 2017
One of only seven players to win consecutive Phoenix Opens, Matsuyama peaked in 2021 when he became the first golfer from Japan to win The Masters.
WMPO Food Rec: Sushi joints aren’t exactly scarce in Scottsdale. Kodo Sushi on Mayo Boulevard near the TPC is a good one. Try the Sexy Salmon or OMG Roll.
Nick Taylor
Canada
Championship Year: 2024
Taylor loves playoffs. Three of his four PGA Tour victories have come in extra holes, including his 2024 Phoenix Open win over Charley Hoffman.
WMPO Food Rec: Cool off with a frosty Canadian beer, like a Labatt Blue or Molson.
Thomas Detry
Belgium
Championship Year: 2025
In 2025, Detry joined Parnevik (and 12 other previous champions) by making the Phoenix Open his first win on the PGA Tour.
WMPO Food Rec: Grab yourself some TPC french fries, douse them with mayo, and voilà! You’ve got pommes frites, a popular street treat in Belgium.
