November 14, 2017
On Tuesday, we found out that championship golf is returning to the Philadelphia area in the not-so-distant future.
Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square was awarded a pair of major tournaments in the next decade – the 2027 PGA Championship and the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship (formerly known as the LPGA Championship).
“The PGA of America is thrilled to return major championship golf to Aronimink Golf Club,” said PGA of America President Paul Levy. “We’re certain that the best players in the world – both men and women – will be pleased, and, when the time comes, sufficiently challenged by one of America’s special layouts. We’re excited to twice celebrate golf and to plug into the enthusiasm for sport that Philadelphia is famous for.”
Last month, it was announced that the PGA would return to Aronimink for the 2018 BMW Championship, the penultimate FedEx Cup event, next September. The course last hosted a PGA event in 2010 and 2011 (AT&T National) and last hosted a PGA Championship in 1962, as well as a Senior PGA Championship in 2003.
“The membership of Aronimink welcomes the PGA of America back to the site of Gary Player’s 1962 PGA Championship,” said Joe Fabrizio, Aronimink president. “We are very excited to be the host venue for these two great championship events. Our golf course, recently restored to Donald Ross’ original design, will be a true test of golf for both the women and men.”
In recent years, however, only the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion brought the world's top golfers to the Philly region. In June 2016, the Champions Tour made a stop in Philly for one of its five majors, the Constellation Senior Players Championship, at the Cricket Club.
Other than that, local golf fans have either had to travel or watch from the comfort of their couches – despite the success of the 2013 Open. With Aronimink now set to host three big events in the next decade, including a pair of majors, perhaps this region is reminding the golf world that it has too many fans – and too many historic courses – to be ignored.
Here's a look at the other future sites for the PGA Championship and the KPMG Women's PGA Championship that have been announced so far:
2018: Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, Missouri
2019: Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, New York
2020: Harding Park, San Francisco, California
2021: The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island (South Carolina) Golf Resort
2022: Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, New Jersey
2023: Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, New York
2027: Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
2028: The Olympic Club, San Francisco, California
2024-30*: Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma
2018: Kemper Lakes Golf Club, Kildeer, Illinois
2019: Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota
2020: Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
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