PGA Championship to move to May starting in 2019

[Tom_Doak]

Maybe now the USGA can go back to traditional venues for a while, and the PGA can milk the possibilities of doing Erin Hills-like deals with new facilities in the south and southwest.  The PGA always has the Ryder Cup to sell to the northern tier courses.


I have pretty much given up caring where they play these events now, as it's likely any host club will have to disfigure their golf course to win the opportunity.  The 8-figure renovation of Southern Hills is a harbinger of the new era.

[Anthony_Nysse]

I bet Trinity Forest will host a PGA in the mid 2025s. Weather is good in May, zoysia will be awake and well. No rough there to grow up.

[Thomas Dai]

The BMW PGA on the European Tour, the Wentworth event, is usually played in late May. Other than The Open it's probably the biggest 'regular' event on the European Tour. ££ time. I wonder how the scheduling will work out? Isn't JN's Memorial usually played late May/early June as well? Private jets in the air?
Atb

[Matthew Rose]

I like the Players back to March.... that's where it belongs IMO. Every since it moved to May I have found myself caring less about it. To me it always works best as a Masters appetizer and a great wrap up to the Florida swing.

As for a May PGA, I agree that it might make playing it in places like Minnesota or Wisconsin difficult.... but having lived in the upper midwest at one time, I think it can work if they held off until the latter third of the month to do it. I always felt like the courses I grew up playing were generally pretty hit and miss at the beginning of the month, but were more or less in prime condition by the end. So I suppose they'd have to think about maybe doing it closer to Memorial Day or thereabouts.

But I'm not really in any hurry to see August become less significant as a golf month. The FedEx playoffs bore me to tears and to me are an anti-climatic to end the "proper" golf season. I suppose if they played The Open maybe a week later so it finished around July 30 it might make it more palatable.

[Howard Riefs]

 
Golf World takes a stab…
 
11 venues that could now host a PGA Championship in May:
 
Bluejack National G.C., Montgomery, Texas
Champions G.C., Houston, Texas
Scottsdale National G.C., Scottsdale, Ariz.
Shady Canyon G.C., Irvine, Calif.
Sherwood C.C., Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Shoal Creek, Birmingham, Ala.
Southern Hills C.C., Tulsa, Okla.
Trump National Doral (Blue Monster), Miami
Oak Tree National, Edmond, Okla.
Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Whispering Pines G.C., Trinity, Texas
 
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/pga-championship-2017-11-venues-that-could-now-host-a-major-in-may

[Matthew Sander]

Hmmm, seems about right. Not too much to quibble with.


Although, I have to say that I will miss watching those late August PGAs at Whistling Straits with the glorious skies. They just seemed a nice cap to the pro-golf season right as the kids were typically heading back to school. Any reservations I have are primarily touchy-feely...

[PCCraig]

Bluejack National G.C., Montgomery, Texas
Champions G.C., Houston, Texas
Scottsdale National G.C., Scottsdale, Ariz.
Shady Canyon G.C., Irvine, Calif.
Sherwood C.C., Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Shoal Creek, Birmingham, Ala.
Southern Hills C.C., Tulsa, Okla.
Trump National Doral (Blue Monster), Miami
Oak Tree National, Edmond, Okla.
Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Whispering Pines G.C., Trinity, Texas
 

Talk about boring....

[David_Tepper]

"The BMW PGA on the European Tour, the Wentworth event, is usually played in late May. Other than The Open it's probably the biggest 'regular' event on the European Tour."

The Euro Tour has announced they will move the BMW (British) PGA to September. Problem solved!

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2017/8/8/bmw-pga-announces-move-to-september-before-ink-is-dry-on-pga.html

[BCowan]

I will be boycotting the PGA from now on, kinda like Kramer.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBjMkiE6BhA
The tourney should be held in September, with Cups in Oct.  Season should be April-End of Oct.  Get rid of Jan and Feb golf, ''The season starts at Doral''- as the Shark used to say.  Tired of Golf constantly turning its back on the core golfer for the cross-over.  Who doesn't like September, especially with some Neil... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVLonpBtkH0

And add shorts in practice rounds on top of it. 

[Tim Martin]

I will be boycotting the PGA from now on, kinda like Kramer.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBjMkiE6BhA
The tourney should be held in September, with Cups in Oct.  Season should be April-End of Oct.  Get rid of Jan and Feb golf, ''The season starts at Doral''- as the Shark used to say.  Tired of Golf constantly turning its back on the core golfer for the cross-over.  Who doesn't like September, especially with some Neil... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVLonpBtkH0

And add shorts in practice rounds on top of it.

Ben-I think the fear in September is trying to duke it out with both college and pro football. And then taking the cups out even farther you potentially run into the same problem. As far as the shorts it seems a little weird but I think it's a sign of the times. I am ok with it until there is a push to institute it during tournament rounds as I still got a little purist left in me.

[Matt Bielawa]

Get rid of Jan and Feb golf, ''The season starts at Doral''- as the Shark used to say.  Tired of Golf constantly turning its back on the core golfer for the cross-over.  Who doesn't like September, especially with some Neil... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVLonpBtkH0

Personally, I couldn't disagree more.  I watch more golf on TV in January and February than any other time of year...because I am cooped up in the house and can't play.  How is this golf turning its back on the core golfer?  The core golfer in the North wants to be able to see golf on TV when he/she is unable to play.

[jeffwarne]

Big difference between early May and late May for many places.
Even in April, we are in our best condition out here on the east end-firm and fast as no worries about heat causing loss of grass.
Of course it would require aerifying in the fall not the spring to ensure healthy surfaces the year of the event.


It would be nice to see play in a sweater-rather than shorts.


Doesn't seem like the GA is a major now that they've dropped the P.


Sad because they were already fourth....

[Wayne_Kozun]

If the PGA tour doesn't want to compete with football then let's have more if an international season starting in September like the BMW PGA. And it gives tour players more opportunities to play in events in the SH like in Australia and SA where summer is about to begin.

[BCowan]

Get rid of Jan and Feb golf, ''The season starts at Doral''- as the Shark used to say.  Tired of Golf constantly turning its back on the core golfer for the cross-over.  Who doesn't like September, especially with some Neil... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVLonpBtkH0

Personally, I couldn't disagree more.  I watch more golf on TV in January and February than any other time of year...because I am cooped up in the house and can't play.  How is this golf turning its back on the core golfer?  The core golfer in the North wants to be able to see golf on TV when he/she is unable to play.

I too watch lots of golf in Jan and feb, moving to more college hockey, bowling, simulator golf.  Golf is turning it's back on core golfer as the tour championship used to be held the end of October.  They then added Jan events I believe that used to be non sanctioned Fred couples big pay day silly season events. I think u and others would watch whether it is sanctioned or silly season Jan event.  I watch the Aussie events in December.


 September is the peak for many courses north of the dixie. It comes down to bowing down to watching obese men in tights running into each other in the fall and the cross over fan. The golf channel has the chance for change imo.  So you don't watch the US Open, thee Open, and PGA because they are in the golf season? I wanna see the Cups in October and PGA in September.  The guys need an off season.

[V. Kmetz]

Personally, I couldn't disagree more.  I watch more golf on TV in January and February than any other time of year...because I am cooped up in the house and can't play.  How is this golf turning its back on the core golfer?  The core golfer in the North wants to be able to see golf on TV when he/she is unable to play.

I too watch lots of golf in Jan and feb, moving to more college hockey, bowling, simulator golf.  Golf is turning it's back on core golfer as the tour championship used to be held the end of October.  They then added Jan events I believe that used to be non sanctioned Fred couples big pay day silly season events. I think u and others would watch whether it is sanctioned or silly season Jan event.  I watch the Aussie events in December.

September is the peak for many courses north of the dixie. It comes down to bowing down to watching obese men in tights running into each other in the fall and the cross over fan. The golf channel has the chance for change imo.  So you don't watch the US Open, thee Open, and PGA because they are in the golf season? I wanna see the Cups in October and PGA in September.  The guys need an off season.

"Bowing down?" How about acknowledging a long-standing practical truth and acting on it to maximum possible advantage? The people voted with their feet on this one; kudos to the PGA for finally recognizing it. If you want to truly kill the PGA Champ. for everybody but yourself, go ahead and put it on a post-Labor Day weekend in September and October...Some core golfer you are.


You say cross-over fan like it's a degradation or unnatural. What; a person can't like football and love the football season's promise at its open (opening at summer's end, in September, like the schools that first promulgated it, long before golf had a multi-slate of "sanctioned" tournaments, schedules OR "silly-seasons" to fuss about) without showing a disloyalty to golf?


How about the charlatan golfers who also have been secretly following baseball (gasp) or his favorite team all season and now is engaged with the pennant races, playoffs, the World Series; is he a cross-over double agent too? They could have flung open the doors to Chicago Golf Club in October and there still would be core golfers stopping at #9 to go watch the Cubs the last few seasons.


My lord, the number of people you lumping in the mob beneath your perch is in the tens of millions


And all of this, up to and including your proclaimed boycott of the PGA because... why?


To read your remarks, it's because "The PGA and the culminating schedule won't all be in the months I prefer." Or possibly, "I don't know how to work the remote or the DVR."


There, there Veruca darling...let Daddy talk to Mr. Wonka...


cheers   vk

[BCowan]

Personally, I couldn't disagree more.  I watch more golf on TV in January and February than any other time of year...because I am cooped up in the house and can't play.  How is this golf turning its back on the core golfer?  The core golfer in the North wants to be able to see golf on TV when he/she is unable to play.

I too watch lots of golf in Jan and feb, moving to more college hockey, bowling, simulator golf.  Golf is turning it's back on core golfer as the tour championship used to be held the end of October.  They then added Jan events I believe that used to be non sanctioned Fred couples big pay day silly season events. I think u and others would watch whether it is sanctioned or silly season Jan event.  I watch the Aussie events in December.

September is the peak for many courses north of the dixie. It comes down to bowing down to watching obese men in tights running into each other in the fall and the cross over fan. The golf channel has the chance for change imo.  So you don't watch the US Open, thee Open, and PGA because they are in the golf season? I wanna see the Cups in October and PGA in September.  The guys need an off season.

"Bowing down?" How about acknowledging a long-standing practical truth and acting on it to maximum possible advantage? The people voted with their feet on this one; kudos to the PGA for finally recognizing it. If you want to truly kill the PGA Champ. for everybody but yourself, go ahead and put it on a post-Labor Day weekend in September and October...Some core golfer you are.


You say cross-over fan like it's a degradation or unnatural. What; a person can't like football and love the football season's promise at its open (opening at summer's end, in September, like the schools that first promulgated it, long before golf had a multi-slate of "sanctioned" tournaments, schedules OR "silly-seasons" to fuss about) without showing a disloyalty to golf?


How about the charlatan golfers who also have been secretly following baseball (gasp) or his favorite team all season and now is engaged with the pennant races, playoffs, the World Series; is he a cross-over double agent too? They could have flung open the doors to Chicago Golf Club in October and there still would be core golfers stopping at #9 to go watch the Cubs the last few seasons.


My lord, the number of people you lumping in the mob beneath your perch is in the tens of millions


And all of this, up to and including your proclaimed boycott of the PGA because... why?


To read your remarks, it's because "The PGA and the culminating schedule won't all be in the months I prefer." Or possibly, "I don't know how to work the remote or the DVR."


There, there Veruca darling...let Daddy talk to Mr. Wonka...


cheers   vk

The drivel you write is nauseating.  Does Baseball change its schedule like Professional Golf has?  Answer is a NO. Thanks for making my point for me!  Now people are voting with their feet, lol. The Ryder Cup gets very high ratings the end of September during college football.  Again smashing your points.  The PGA is during August a horrible month for major championship Golf.  The PGA isn't dead, it's not being maximized.  You are using Cubs fans, the most fair weather bunch as ur anaolgy with CGC.  Thanks again for proving my point.  Cirba agrees that September is better. Why don't u ask Jack how the weather is in Columbus during late May? 


Yes, I'm degrading management and tours for pissing on the hardcore golf fans and ruining our season for fair weather golf fans..


Why do I boycott, I already stated. You don't agree w me and I seldom agree with most things you write.  Though I don't own a dvr, I do know how to work one and I also know that taping a major in august is most likely to be a mud ball fest of dart throwing. How fun

[V. Kmetz]

The drivel you write is nauseating.  Does Baseball change its schedule like Professional Golf has?  Answer is a NO. Thanks for making my point for me!  Now people are voting with their feet, lol. The Ryder Cup gets very high ratings the end of September during college football.  Again smashing your points.  The PGA is during August a horrible month for major championship Golf.  The PGA isn't dead, it's not being maximized.  You are using Cubs fans, the most fair weather bunch as ur anaolgy with CGC.  Thanks again for proving my point.  Cirba agrees that September is better. Why don't u ask Jack how the weather is in Columbus during late May? 

Yes, I'm degrading management and tours for pissing on the hardcore golf fans and ruining our season for fair weather golf fans..

Why do I boycott, I already stated. You don't agree w me and I seldom agree with most things you write.  Though I don't own a dvr, I do know how to work one and I also know that taping a major in august is most likely to be a mud ball fest of dart throwing. How fun

1. Baseball certainly HAS changed it schedule and its scheduling structures of play...season used to commence two weeks later, be done by October 10...added an All star break in 1933...more games in 1960...LCS in 1969... Div and WC in 1995...now 2 Wild Cards... day games a rarity as opposed to the rule. Why do you think most playoff (and never WS) games aren't played during the day on weekends now?...bingo...football.


1a. And in micro-context, it changes its schedule EVERY year...the Yankees do not play the Red Sox the same time every year, sometimes home, sometimes away, now (with interleague play [yet another change]) you play different teams every season at different times...still adds up to 162.


2. MLB doesn't have to account for international play, players, other tours, lesser tours, ladies tours, senior tours, a strictly amateur season...


3. To the extent Baseball's season has not changed, it also isn't able to schedule where and when its championship is played, that (until domes) it must be played in reasonable weather as far north as it might go, so the season kinda must be the same.


4. Golf is one of the few sports that isn't successfully adaptable to night play...it loses a third of the time that other sports do...and the further its played to and past the equinox, and toward the DST in early November, the less and less warm daylight the players have to play and the course has to grow, be maintained and used.


5. Yes, the Ryder Cup does get favorable ratings...enough of us cross over fans do support it that way...as long as one day (Fri) has no conflict, and half of the weekend action is contested before football starts...in the morning.


5a. But I'm surprised that the purist in you promulgates the Ryder/President's Cup on even a portion of that basis...I can't believe in recent years that it isn't a big, over-hyped fart to your disposition, which provokes fan rancor and boorish "football fan" behaviors, mindless "U-S-A" cheering, tedious panels and pressers to announce captain's picks and other dressage.


Rivalry/national team pride...UK? Europe? Australia? Are you kidding me? Many of these guys have spent their entire adult lives living in Florida, Texas and Arizona...they're all at the Bears Club in the winter. Rory and Adam Scott are every bit as "American" as Jim Furyk at this point. What rivalry? I won't quibble much about the quality of golf often seen...its good enough, but the most popular, I-can-compete-with-football part you're attempting to cite, is not the part that I would think stirs a hardcore purist golf fan to be misty-eyed.


6. It's not just your golf season. As the 44th US President said, "You didn't build that." (Mark McCormack did).


cheers   vk

[BCowan]

1.  You just keep proving my points. Baseball extended there season later into the heart of Football season.  They didn't Cow tie and retract it.


1a. Has nothing to do with anything.


2. Please, the majors take precedent. 


3. Baseball season hasn't dramatically changed like golfs, some could agree baseball improved by lengthening it's season further into footballs. Thanks for keep proving my point.


4.  Love prime time golf on west coast/Hawaii.  Courses south of dixie are mint in October I've found in my limited experience. 


5.  You are seeing the light, there is hope.


5a.  I don't really watch it, dislike flag worshiping, chanting, and match play. Oh most importantly folks saying they rather win cup then major, time to get out of the house. I don't want the Cups taking up the month of September which is prime PGA weather and firm and fast conditions typically are found.  Cups go to October, we follow baseball lead and go back to enjoying fall golf.


6. If that's the way they view the hardcore golf consumer, I'll find another sport to watch. Looking into learning Rugby. 


Good day

[Martin Toal]

Rivalry/national team pride...UK? Europe? Australia? Are you kidding me? Many of these guys have spent their entire adult lives living in Florida, Texas and Arizona...they're all at the Bears Club in the winter. Rory and Adam Scott are every bit as "American" as Jim Furyk at this point. What rivalry? I won't quibble much about the quality of golf often seen...its good enough, but the most popular, I-can-compete-with-football part you're attempting to cite, is not the part that I would think stirs a hardcore purist golf fan to be misty-eyed.



cheers   vk

Well I don't know about Adam Scott, but I suspect that when Rory thinks of football, he thinks of Manchester United.

[Martin Toal]

Rivalry/national team pride...UK? Europe? Australia? Are you kidding me? Many of these guys have spent their entire adult lives living in Florida, Texas and Arizona...they're all at the Bears Club in the winter. Rory and Adam Scott are every bit as "American" as Jim Furyk at this point. What rivalry? I won't quibble much about the quality of golf often seen...its good enough, but the most popular, I-can-compete-with-football part you're attempting to cite, is not the part that I would think stirs a hardcore purist golf fan to be misty-eyed.

Well I don't know about Adam Scott, but I suspect that when Rory thinks of football, he thinks of Manchester United.

He didn't attend a US college so escapes this curious lifelong affiliation to teams at a college he only attended for a year.

[Kalen Braley]

Trying to compare baseball and golf in this context is not even apples and oranges....its way worse


Baseball plays 162 games per year per team with a few extra teams playing 5-15 more at the end of the season. Additionally they play in set venues at set times and for the most part are limited to playing in the months of the year when the weather is the most likely to cooperate.


Golf has zero of these limitations as they have far far far more latitude in how they can schedule things.....with far fewer events to boot.


Put me in the camp of VK on this one....there is nothing like the cool crispness in the air to go along with the anticipation of top level football after a near 8 month layoff.  And the PGA knows this too, and have made their changes accordingly.

[BCowan]

Trying to compare baseball and golf in this context is not even apples and oranges....its way worse


Baseball plays 162 games per year per team with a few extra teams playing 5-15 more at the end of the season. Additionally they play in set venues at set times and for the most part are limited to playing in the months of the year when the weather is the most likely to cooperate.


Golf has zero of these limitations as they have far far far more latitude in how they can schedule things.....with far fewer events to boot.


Put me in the camp of VK on this one....there is nothing like the cool crispness in the air to go along with the anticipation of top level football after a near 8 month layoff.  And the PGA knows this too, and have made their changes accordingly.

Baseball and Golf couldn't be more similar.  Both have courses/parks in cool and warm climates.  Both play similar series/tourneys.  Baseball could of pushed opening day to March or late Feb and have Northern teams play southern series then and more home series in warmer months.  Instead they logically expanded to later in the fall.  Imaginary boundaries you have. 

The Golf Season is 9 months practically and has events year round. It's very long like the baseball season.  I believe the NFL playoffs are in January, yet the tour starts then, so that makes no sense to your argument. 

You are basically saying that there isn't baseball cross over fans that follow football.  Unlike Golf, Baseball extended their season later into the fall.  Nobody is preventing you from watching college football/pro.  The real hardcore golf fan likes Golf in the fall and it would be great to have the PGA during peak times up North which is Mid September and to think that the viewer wouldn't tune in September is hilarious.  The PGA has sold out, May is one of the wettest months of the year in many areas with lots of great golf.