Golf's PGA Arizona FBR Open - Tragic Start

by harringtola | January 28, 2009 at 08:48 pm

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Tuesday's FBR Open dinner -- a formal affair for around 700 people -- was cut short after an acrobat who was performing stunts involving chains fell from the rafters and died.

It appears that the performer (San Diego resident Jose Angel Vera, 33) was performing without a net and fell to the asphalt floor. Attempts to resuscitate at the scene were not successful. The incident happened between 7 and 7:15 pm and he was transported quickly to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn, where he was pronounced dead at 7:30 pm.

For the second time in his career Phil Mickleson will make this his season debut. Formerly known as the Pheonix open, the FBR is not only one of golf's first events of the calendar year, it is also one of the best attended. One reason is the weather and another of course is the caliber of golfers in play. Last year it was attended by more than 500,000 people.

With this years economy of course the event (planned from January 25th through February 1st) was hoping to maintain at least.

With the economy in shambles and the PGA Tour quietly struggling to keep certain sponsors, some of the more elaborate events are kept quiet, so as not to flash wealth in the public face. It certainly can't help matters when just before the first tournament featuring one of the Big Two, a performer dies while providing entertainment.

The first round of play starts on Thursdsay January 29th and ends with the fourth and last round on Sunday February 1st.