How to make the famous WM Phoenix Open ‘Thunderdog’

Welcome to GOLF.com‘s Clubhouse Eats with 3 Pieces of Pecan, where Chance Cozby –– our contributing at-home chef –– turns on the camera to walk you through signature dishes and drinks synonymous with the game we love. They’re damn good!

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This week’s PGA Tour stop, the WM Phoenix Open, known as the The Greatest Show on Grass, is notable for a lot of things, but attendance and atmosphere would be high on the list. And for 26 years, spectators have also had the chance to experience the best darn hot dog in golf: the famous Thunderdog.

What’s a Thunderdog? Glad you asked. There’s no one better to explain it than Thunderbird Executive Director Chance Cozby, whose food-focused Instagram account, @3piecesofpecan, boasts a following of more than 400,000. (The Thunderbirds are the philanthropic organization that puts on the WM Phoenix Open every year).

This week, Cozby shares the secret behind the Thunderdog’s preparation, and some onsite viewing tips for those lucky enough to be among the attendees this week at TPC Scottsdale.

How to make the WM Phoenix Open’s famous Thunderdog, according to Chance Cozby

1. Start with quarter-pound, all-beef hot dogs.

2. Place the hot dogs into a hot foil pan (Cozby puts his on a Traeger Flatrock Griddle), and cover them with two bottles of Coors Light, topped with water to make sure the hotdogs are fully submerged.

3. Chop up two white onions and two bell peppers. While the hot dogs warm up in their beer bath, drizzle some avocado oil on the griddle, and dump the onions and peppers in it to cook.

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4. Once the peppers are onions are soft, set them aside and place the hot dogs directly on the grill to finish them off.

“You want to let them get nice and crispy and crunchy on the edges,” Cozby says.

5. Toast the bun on the grill — just for a minute.

6. Place the hot dog in the bun and add yellow mustard down each side.

7. Top with your grilled peppers and onions, and enjoy!

WMPO attendees can find Thunderdogs at the Lifebird Grill, next to the 11th tee at TPC Scottsdale. The ‘dogs are served by a small army of Thunderbirds, who donate every cent collected to charity, resulting in about $30,000 each year, thanks to sales of around 6,300 hot dogs.

“Pro move: grab a dog with peppers and onions and a little bit of mustard — never ketchup,” Cozby says. “Grab a Coors Light, tip ’em well, and head to the 16th hole.”

If crowds aren’t your thing, Cozby suggests heading to the Fairway House at No. 12 — the highest point on the golf course where you can see five or six holes. Fans of craft beer will also love the Desert Oasis, located between holes 4, 5, 6 and 7, where you can enjoy barbecue and a beer garden.

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But regardless of where you choose to spend your time at TPC Scottsdale, one thing’s for sure: Your day absolutely must include a Thunderdog. Take it from Cozby: “It’s damn good.”

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Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.

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