Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium, with the PGA Tour's WM Phoenix Open also taking place on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona this week; Watch both events live on Sky Sports
Thursday 9 February 2023 15:10, UK
What happens when you put one of the biggest events in sport in the same city and on the same week as the highest-attended tournament in golf? We’re about to find out!
The NFL season reaches its climax this week as the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, live on Sky Sports, with a sell-out crowd expected at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The stadium is less than 10 miles away from downtown Phoenix, while the other side of the city sees 18 of the world's top 20 golfers and the biggest stars of the PGA Tour tee it up at TPC Scottsdale in the WM Phoenix Open.
A record 719,179 fans went through the turnstiles during tournament week in 2018, including a staggering 216,818 for Saturday's third round - the largest single-day attendance in PGA Tour history - with bumper crowds expected once again for a special sporting week in Phoenix.
The Super Bowl has previously taken place at the same venue in 2008 and 2015, with world No 1 Rory McIlroy interested to see for himself the impact the match has on the atmosphere at one of the strongest events on the PGA Tour schedule.
"It's amazing," McIlroy said about the prospect of a sporting double-header. "I mean, to have two of these huge events in the same city on the same weekend, it's going to be really interesting.
"I feel like Saturday here is going to be a huge day in terms of the numbers and everything and it'll be interesting to see what Sunday is like with people obviously wanting to get to the Super Bowl.
"That stadium can only hold a certain number of people, where obviously this golf course can hold a lot more than that. Hopefully Sunday doesn't feel too much quieter than Saturday."
An iconic feature of the par-71 layout is the par-three 16th, dubbed the Stadium Hole for its huge grandstands and frequently referred to as 'the loudest hole in golf; with last year's runner-up Patrick Cantlay intrigued to see just how noisy the reception will be in this year's contest.
"I think Saturday should be busier than last year's Saturday, but Sunday I think should be actually a little more chilled out than last Sunday," Cantlay said. "I was talking to somebody that had been here the last time the Super Bowl was here, and Sunday was very mellow compared to usual."
World No 3 Jon Rahm is chasing a fifth win in eight worldwide starts, having only finished outside the top-10 once since The Open in July, with the Spaniard - who lives in Arizona - having a vested interest in the outcome of Sunday's Super Bowl.
"Very few sporting events in the world can comfortably happen in the same week as the Super Bowl and still have the impact that they have like this one," Rahm said in his pre-tournament press conference.
"It's hard to make a prediction on one game. It's like one round of golf; anybody can show up and play good. Obviously if the Eagles continue the form they've had, they would be tough to beat, but it's just hard to bet against Patrick Mahomes. Really hard to go against him, so I don't know.
"I'm not confident enough making a prediction. I've played golf with Patrick and Travis Kelce, so just because I've spent some time with them, I would love to see them win, but yeah, I'm not confident enough to make a prediction in that!"
Seven-time PGA Tour winner Xander Schauffele is also interested in Sunday's NFL season finale, although admits he has no preference on which team lifts the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
"I don't have any skin in the game," Schauffele said. "I'd probably bet on the Chiefs if I had to place a bet. I'm just hoping for a close game.
"I'd like to see a game-winning drive there in the fourth quarter. I think that would be really entertaining for selfish reasons, but I'm sure fans from both sides would love a blowout after the second quarter."
Rihanna will perform at this year's Super Bowl half-time show, marking her first return to the stage in over five years since touring in 2017 after the release of her 2016 album 'Anti'.
The performance will begin at approximately 1.15am, Monday morning, following the conclusion of the first half in Arizona, and she has hinted her 12-minute set could well include some special guests on stage.
Last year's half-time show was headlined by Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, along with a surprise guest appearance by 50 Cent. Notable performers in the past include The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Beyonce and Katy Perry.
The WM Phoenix Open is live throughout the week on Sky Sports Golf (channel 405), with early coverage from 3pm Thursday and Friday, 5pm on Saturday and 4.30pm for Sunday's final round.
Super Bowl LVII between the Chiefs and the Eagles will be shown live on Sky Sports NFL (407) and Sky Sports Main Event (401) on Sunday, with coverage starting at 10pm ahead of kick-off at 11.30pm.
