Fan, player experience might look different when PGA Championship returns to Kiawah
Looking 14 months into the future at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course, two questions wrestle for attention:
▪ With the tournament featuring the world’s best golfers moved to May from the August dates of the 2012 major championship there, will the course play differently?
▪ And, after the traffic fiasco that put the only blot on the 2012 Kiawah tournament, have officials solved the challenge of getting fans to the course in a reasonable amount of time?
To the first, the trade-off for cooler temperatures thanks to the date switch will be welcomed by fans. But the change could be a wolf in sheep’s clothing to the players. “The winds tend to be stronger in the spring,” said Roger Warren, the tournament’s general chairman and president of the resort.
The only day the wind blew significantly in the 2012 PGA Championship, only one player, Vijay Singh, broke 70. Rory McIlroy, who finished 13-under-par 275 and won by a record eight strokes, struggled to 3-over 75 on the “wind day” in the second round.
Don’t forget the 1991 Ryder Cup. The wind howled, creating “a perfect course for match play,” Warren said, but similar conditions throughout stroke play would sends scores soaring.
Other than a couple of new tees, course changes have been mostly cosmetic since 2012.
“But there will be over seed more than likely on the Ocean Course for this event, which means the rough will have the potential to be a lot higher,” Warren said.
To the second major question, the tournament chairman acknowledged traffic problems in 2012.
“But we learned from it,” he said, and he hopes communication will help alleviate the complaints.
“One of the things we need to do a better job is create better expectations” for fans, Warren said. “What people can expect; how long is it going to take to get to the golf course; where are you coming from? We know right now that if you’re in downtown Charleston and you’re going to drive to the Ocean Course, it’s going to take you an hour.”
By creating expectations, he said, fans “can plan for it. People in South Carolina love their football. When they go to a Clemson game or a South Carolina game, they know how long they’re going to be in traffic and how long it will take to get out. So, they know what to expect.”
Officials have eliminated the charge for parking. Thus, Warren said, “you won’t have to stop and pay somebody and back the line up.” In addition, the lot itself has been reconfigured to increase traffic flow.
“So, is it going to be a long ride out here? Probably,” Warren said. “But if you plan for it, you won’t be disappointed. ... We understand, and we’re sensitive to it and are committed to making this a better experience than it was in 2012.”
Scott Reid, the PGA Championship director, expects the tournament to sell out with more than 150,000 spectators during tournament week (May 17-23, 2021).
Registration to purchase tickets has opened, and tickets will be sold online only. Fans should register at www.pgachampionship.com and click on 2021 to establish a place in line for an opportunity to purchase tickets after sales begin in May. Volunteers can also register at the same website.
Meanwhile, answers must wait for the two questions, but the debates will increase the anticipation.
Chip shots. The Columbia Golf Ball, a benefit for the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation, will be held April 9 at the USC Alumni Center. For tickets or sponsorship information, contact the SCGA office at 803-732-9311. . . . Josh Branyon (Honea Path) and Blake Williamson (Anderson) combined to capture the SCGA’s 40 Plus Series event at the River Club in North Augusta. . . . Ana Paula Valdes led the Clemson women’s team to a tie for third place in the FSU Match-Up in Panama City, Beach, Fla. . . . Tyler Wilkes (Tampa, Fla.) won the boys’ title and Taylor Roberts (Parkland, Fla.) led the girls in the Dustin Johnson World Junior Championship at the TPC Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet.