“We are excited and honored to sponsor the Annexus Pro-Am for another year. It’s another opportunity to give back to our community and one of the most popular days at the Open. It’s going to be a great time for an excellent cause.”

Ron Shurts | CEO and co-founder of Annexus

The Thunderbirds is the philanthropic organization that founded the Phoenix Open in the 1930’s, and continue to host the WM Phoenix Open every year. Through Thunderbirds Charities, the Thunderbirds assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in Arizona. The Thunderbirds and the WM Phoenix Open have raised more than $190 million in their 89-year history.

“The Thunderbirds have been incredible hosts of the WM Phoenix Open, growing it into the most-attended golf event in the world,” says David Rauch, president of Annexus and a former WM Phoenix Open tournament chairman. “They do life-changing work in the Valley, and we intend to continue our commitment to them and our community. Phoenix is our home.”

So far, the 2024 roster of players includes:

Pros: Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Cameron Young, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas.

Celebrities: Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith and two-time Olympic gold medalist Carli Lloyd with more to be announced soon.

Tournament Chairman George Thimsen is looking forward to the Pro-Am, too.

“Anticipation is building for the Annexus Pro-Am, a true crowd-pleaser each year,” he said. “Our hopes are high as we gear up to feature an array of world-class celebrities and athletes. We’re honored to partner with Annexus as the Pro-Am sponsor once again.”

About Annexus

Annexus designs solutions to help Americans grow and protect their retirement savings. For over a decade, Annexus has developed market-leading fixed indexed annuities and indexed universal life insurance products. Annexus has forged relationships with many of the industry’s leading insurance carriers and the world’s largest investment banks. Find out more about Annexus and its products.

About the WM Phoenix Open

Annexus designs solutions to help Americans grow and protect their retirement savings. For over a decade, Annexus has developed market-leading fixed indexed annuities and indexed universal life insurance products. Annexus has forged relationships with many of the industry’s leading insurance carriers and the world’s largest investment banks. Find out more about Annexus and its products.

About The Thunderbirds

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 280 “life” members who have helped the tournament eclipse $190 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932 (through the 2023 tournament). For more information on the work they do through Thunderbirds Charities, visit ThunderbirdsCharities.org.