LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club Rochester is over and Louisville is in for it. In just under a year, the PGA Championship will return to Valhalla Golf Club. Hopefully the players won’t have to deal with a freezing delay like they did in the PGA Championship which just ended with a victory for Brooks Koepka in upstate New York.
But Louisville cannot make any other weather guarantees. The PGA returns with its first major spectator event at Valhalla since 2014. The course has undergone significant changes, as has the PGA Tour. Koepka’s win was the first for a Saudi-backed LIV Tour player in a PGA event.
“With the huge success of the 2023 PGA Championship this weekend in Rochester, we are seeing even more excitement both locally and regionally for the return to Valhalla next year,” said Ryan Ogle, Championship Director for the 106th PGA Championship this week.
With Louisville on deck, here are a few things to know about next year’s PGA Championship, scheduled for May 13-19.
1). THIS WILL BE THE PGA’S SEVENTH SPECTATOR EVENT AT VALHALLA
With the PGA having sold the 486-acre facility off Shelbyville Road to local investors, the future of PGA events on the Louisville East Course is uncertain. But the Jack Nicklaus-designed course, which opened in 1986, has hosted six PGA events, including the 2008 Ryder Cup, two KitchenAid Senior PGA Championships and three PGA Championships. The last PGA Championship at Valhalla dates back to 2014 when Rory McIlroy won his second Wanamaker Trophy and fourth major title.
2). WHAT IS THE EXPECTED ECONOMIC IMPACT?
Louisville officials expect more than 200,000 spectators and about $200 million for the local economy.
In Rochester, local officials estimate the tournament generated $190 million in economic activity, including more than 1,200 jobs.
3). WHAT COURSE CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE?
In anticipation of the championship, Valhalla’s new ownership group has made many updates to the course. This includes the renovation of the clubhouse, the addition of a new agronomy center, a waterfall on the 13th hole and new tee boxes on the first, 12th, 14th and 18th holes.
According to Superintendent John Ballard, the entire course has been grassed, replacing cool season bentgrass with warm season Zyosia grass, which should allow for easier maintenance of the course in the warm season.
The course will play approximately 100 yards longer than it did in 201. The first hole is 50 yards longer and the No. 14 can be played as a 250 yard par three.
4). JUSTIN THOMAS COMES HOME
When the PGA was last played here, Louisville native Justin Thomas had already become the third-youngest player to make the cut in a PGA Tour event in 2009 and was on course to finish fifth on the Web. com Tour for the 2014 season. .
Now a two-time PGA Championship winner, Thomas has a rare opportunity to play a major tournament in his own backyard. And he’s excited about it.
“Growing up in Louisville, and as much as this city means to me and the support I get, it’s going to be really, really cool, to say the least,” Thomas said last month.
He is also aware that there will be challenges playing a major in his hometown.
PGA Tour professional Justin Thomas speaks to reporters at Harmony Landing Golf Club on April 20, 2023.
“I know it’s going to be a busy week. It’s going to be a hectic week,” Thomas said. “I just have to remember that it’s a golf tournament that I’m trying to play. So I’m going to have to be very, very selfish and understand that the job is not to entertain and see people, it’s is to go there to try to do a job and that job is to win the golf tournament.
5). HOW TO GET TICKETS?
PGA Championship tickets will be sold exclusively through the PGA Ticket Registry. This is a free and non-binding registration process. This year, each ticket includes food and non-alcoholic beverages, and includes a generous junior admission policy allowing each adult with a ticket to bring two children ages 15 and under into the park at no additional charge.
Registrations remain open until June 18. Those interested in purchasing tickets or learning more about the 2024 PGA Championship should visit pgachampionship.com/register.
Registration does not guarantee access to purchase any or all ticket types, but is highly recommended and, according to PGA organizers, provides individuals with the best opportunity to attend in person. As the purchase windows approach, registrants will receive direct communication on how to access and purchase tickets available from Opening Monday through Championship Sunday.
For more general information on the 2024 PGA Championship, visit pgachampionship.com/2024.
Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.