Instant Poll: Taking The PGA Overseas Once Or Twice A Decade
/It was with much joy that Ron Sirak's exclusive to GolfDigest.com appeared Wednesday. In it he reveals the PGA of America's interest in a possible PGA Championship played overseas. I floated this concept on a certain Golf Channel show during the PGA this summer, only to be scoffed about by Mssrs. Sands and Feinstein.
I'm even more tickled by the idea--on the off-chance it happens--because this could elevate the PGA Championship and have as much of an impact on the game globally as Olympic golf.
The key quote from Sirak's story is CEO Pete Bevacqua's confirmation that this is in the study stage:
"This is an exercise we are going through, an analysis. It is far from a fait accompli that we are going to take the PGA Championship international," PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua said when asked to comment on information obtained by Golf World. "When we sat down to map our strategic plan to service our members and grow the game the question arose as to what impact it would have to take the PGA Championship to an international location once or twice a decade."
Luke Kerr-Dineen considers the possibilities and frankly, based on the quality of the courses we've seen hosting professional events in Asia, I can't get excited.
Naturally, an Australia 2020 PGA played in early spring to help break up the Tokyo Olympic Games scheduling logjam would be super. Perhaps right after the Super Bowl in February? Royal Melbourne anyone?
Done!
Oh wait, there is that whole public perception thing of taking an "American" major offshore. The story leaking out of Palm Beach Gardens could be gauging the golf world's reaction to a "once or twice a decade" PGA played in temperate conditions where Confederate flags are in short supply.
So let's vote!
Should the PGA Championship travel internationally once or twice a decade?
