In a major championship season that seems to be moving as fast as Jason Day’s driver we are prepping for the final major of the season. The 98th PGA Championship begins Thursday with some players still not over their jet lag from the Open Championship.
Thanks to the Olympics and the condensed schedule our major season will be over at the end of the July. What may have been construed as the best option to fit the PGA Tour, the majors, the Olympics, the FedEx Cup Playoffs and the Ryder Cup into this golf season my have given the PGA Championship the short end of the stick.
Two major championships separated by a national open doesn’t give the PGA the stage it deserves. But that’s what the powers that be came up with. I can’t help but think the boys at the PGA know that got hosed on this deal.
But the PGA won’t lack for history or excitement as Baltusrol Golf Club has hosted its share of majors. The USGA has visited this old A.W. Tillinghast design on many occasions including seven U.S. Opens, four U.S. Amateurs and a Women’s Open.
Jack Nicklaus won two Opens here in 1967 and then again in 1980. In ’67 he killed his “one iron” to the eighteenth green to close out Arnold Palmer.
Phil Mickelson paid homage to Nicklaus when the PGA was last held here and Phil gave the Nicklaus Plaque a tap as he hit his approach to win his PGA Championship in 2005.
I love the old PGA slogan for their championship, “Glory’s Last Shot” and they shouldn’t have dropped it. Unfortunately this year’s shot comes a little bit too early.
Click here for a look at Baltusrol’s history.
Click here for Matt Ginell’s piece on A.W. Tillinghast.
And click here for flyovers of the Baltusrol course.
And here for the viewing schedule.
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