Experience this year’s sauna day, the U.S. PGA Championship "hot campaign" I trust that most spectators have been entirely understood. This is not the first time the U.S. PGA Championship has faced the heat, and I don't meditate on the last time. Next year at Kiawah Island, it may give the crowd a feeling of falling into a bombardment. Now the question is: why does the PGA of America not choose the U.S. West Coast? In August, while there’s a lot of chilly weather elsewhere, the Pacific Rim remains cool. Well, on this issue, the PGA of America said they are a bit helpless.
Six years ago, in New Jersey, you would be sweating just a few chasms to go at Baltusrol Golf Club. Four years ago in Oklahoma, Southern Hills was like an outdoor Turkish bath. Last year at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, there were more mosquitoes than bunkers. As for last week at Atlanta Athletic Club, the U.S. PGA Championship left you feeling both peppery and wet. This makes one wonder if the PGA of America doesn’t know about the U.S. West Coast. Indeed, in August, most parts of the United States experience high temperatures, with the only exception being the Pacific Rim.
First off, it's not that the Pacific Rim hasn't hosted golf tournaments; it's just that the U.S. PGA Championship hasn't chosen to hold its event there. In fact, next year’s U.S. Open will be held at the Olympic Club, and the tour’s final stop will be at Harding Park in Northern California. By 2019, the U.S. Open will return to Pebble Beach.
By comparison, the PGA of America—distinct from the United States Golf Association and the PGA Tour—does not often bring its flagship tournament to the U.S. West Coast, even though there are plenty of regional fans.
From 1977 to 1998, the U.S. PGA Championship was held only five times on the West Coast—at Pebble Beach, Cherry Hills (Denver outskirts), Riviera (Los Angeles twice), and Sahalee (Seattle suburb). In 1998, Vijay Singh won the championship at Sahalee, which was the last time the U.S. PGA Championship was held in the Pacific Time Zone.
The U.S. PGA Championship will not return to the West Coast anytime soon. The 2018 U.S. PGA Championship venue has already been determined—it will go to Rochester, New York, held at Kiawah Island, and also be held in Louisville, Kentucky. This means that among the highest-level golf tournaments, there will be at least 20 years without one stopping in the West Coast.
“We have many great sites on the East Coast and Midwest, although that doesn't mean we won't negotiate some venues on the West Coast,” said Kerry Haigh, tournament director of the PGA of America. “I hope that one day in the future, we can go there.”
Frankly, what really confuses about the PGA of America is mainly the USGA—the organizers of the U.S. Open—who take a completely different approach. Next year will be the third time in five years that California hosts the U.S. Open. San Diego’s Torrey Pines hosted the 2008 edition, and Pebble Beach hosted last year.
Considering that the 2015 venue will be located at Chambers Bay in Tacoma, Washington, that makes it the eighth and fourth U.S. Open held on the West Coast.
Mike Davis, executive director of the United States Golf Association, likes holding events on the West Coast, despite the somewhat tiring flight from New Jersey. Other than that, all appearances are good. Especially in June, he often experiences dry climates here. This means the game will have firm and fast conditions, allowing players to face the most rigorous tests. Moreover, hosting the U.S. Open on the West Coast provides economic benefits. Because the weekend prime time ends later on the East Coast, television ratings often rise.
But the frequent USGA events on the West Coast reduce the options for the PGA of America. Pebble Beach and the Olympic Club have opportunities in the U.S. Open rotation of venues, but they are not interested in hosting the U.S. PGA Championship. Kerry Haigh also pointed out that they do not intend to host major championships in the same market as the USGA.
In recent several periods, the U.S. PGA Championship did not achieve exciting success on the West Coast. In 1995, the Riviera greens had issues, and the audience was quite small. Sa Hali lacks enough space to host modern majors in the 21st century.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is undoubtedly a charismatic newcomer, sufficient to host a major competition, yet it is located on Oregon’s coast, making it too far away for the U.S. PGA Championship and anyone seeking a career Grand Slam.
Therefore, only the most attractive golf course at Torrey Pines remains. San Diego officials want to re-host the U.S. Open, but Mike Davis estimates that a wrong impression of the stadium might make its feasibility less magnificent. Kelly Torrey Pines, recently approached by Haigh to recognize the PGA of America, said he was excited about narrating the charm of this amusement at Torrey Pines.
But at least for 8 to 9 years, the U.S. PGA Championship will not go to the West Coast. However, considering all aspects, if it weren’t for the West Coast, it would truly be ill-conceived. On Thursday when the U.S. PGA Championship is held, during terms like the Atlanta Athletic Club where temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius, San Diego is only 21 degrees Celsius, and it’s just sunny.
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PGA Championship, no refusal to acknowledge defeat because of the U.S. East Coast and West Coast differences.