The Thunderbirds, hosts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open Presented by The Ak-Chin Indian Community, have named Andy Markham Tournament Chairman for the 2017 edition of “The Greatest Show on Grass”, which will be played January 30 – February 5, 2017, at TPC Scottsdale. Additionally, The Thunderbirds announced that Carlos Sugich has been named Assistant Tournament Chairman for the 2017 tournament.

Markham will lead the Thunderbirds in the planning and execution of every facet of the 2017 tournament, including meeting with current and potential sponsors, recruiting PGA TOUR players to the event and developing new on-course venues.

“Our goal this year is to not only continue the tremendous success of the tournament, but also to find new and intriguing ways to make it better,” Markham said. “We have to be constantly aware of new trends and technologies in order to grow our event and raise the bar for community involvement. We’ve got some great new things we are working on for 2017 and can’t wait to unveil to the public.”

Markham has more than 18 years of experience in commercial real estate, specializing in the acquisition, disposition and leasing of industrial real estate in Arizona. Working at a global-leading commercial real estate firm, Cushman and Wakefield, Markham is part of a four-person team that has established themselves as industry experts and one of the Valley’s most respected and admired teams by their clients and colleagues.

The team’s success has earned them Top Producing honors since 2000 and they have been recognized four times by NAIOP as Industrial Brokers of the Year in Arizona. Markham earned the SIOR designation, a professional achievement for highly qualified commercial real estate practitioners with a strong transactional history in brokerage, and was selected by his coworkers to serve on the National Industrial Council Board and National Industrial Project Leasing Leadership Group. An active Thunderbird since 2005, Andy lives in Phoenix with his wife Genny and their three children.

Sugich is a partner with the law firm of Snell and Wilmer, is a member of the firm’s real estate and commercial finance practice group and chairs the firm’s Cross-Border Business Practice. He is currently the Chair of the U.S. - Mexico Bar Association. Since 2013, Sugich has been selected by his peers to The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law and he was named a “Leader in the Field” in Real Estate by Chambers Latin America®. Sugich has been a Thunderbird since 2013 and lives in Phoenix with his wife Aida and their three children. 

The Waste Management Phoenix Open is the best-attended golf tournament in the world and has gained legendary status for being the most unique stop on the PGA TOUR. Last year’s tournament broke three attendance records, including a PGA TOUR record 618,365 fans for the week. The 2017 edition will mark the 82nd playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the eighth as the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 250 “life” members. In 2015 The Thunderbirds raised a record $9.06 million for charity and have eclipsed $102 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932. For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2017 Waste Management Phoenix Open, call the Thunderbirds office at 602.870.0163 or visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.