Crooked Stick Shoots for 2020 PGA Championship


Officials with Crooked Stick Golf Club made a presentation to PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka and managing director of championships Kerry Haigh on August 30 - a week before the course held last week's BMW Championship - to serve as host for the 2020 PGA Championship.

The Indianapolis Star reported the meeting, which turned out positive for the private club with the much-heralded Pete Dye-designed course. "The golf course works and the market is outstanding," Ted Bishop, vice president of the PGA and director of golf at The Legends Golf Club, Franklin, Ind., told reporter Phil Richards (for his full report, visit http://www.indystar.com/article/20120910/SPORTS/209110309/BMW-Championship-Crooked-Stick-Golf-Club-makes-bid-PGA-Championship?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CIndyStar.com%7Cs).

"It just gets down to logistical issues the site presents and, I think, if they can be worked out, there is a great chance it's going to happen."

Because of rain-softened conditions, the players in the BMW were allowed to play lift-clean-and-place through all four rounds at the 7,516-yard layout. Being able to virtually "tee up" every ball hit into a fairway provided ideal scoring conditions; Rory McIlroy shot rounds of 64, 68, 69 and 67 to finish at 20-under 268, two strokes ahead of Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson.

"We're always going to shoot low numbers if you have ball in hand," noted Tiger Woods, who posted 65, 67, 71 and 68 en route to tying for fourth with Robert Garrigus. "But if [the course] dries out, it might present a totally different challenge."

"I think everything else is where it needs to be," added Bishop, who will become the president of the PGA of America in November. "It's just that the logistical aspects of a major are so great."

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem believes the 225-member club near Indianapolis is well-suited to host another major. Crooked Stick also hosted held 1991 PGA Championship (won by John Daly), the 1993 U.S. Women's Open (Lauri Merten champion) and 2005 Solheim Cup matches (won by Team USA).

"Every time any kind of golf tournament of significance has been played here, it's off the charts," PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem told Richards. "This is a great sports town."

The timeline for the selection of the site for the 2020 PGA Championship is pending. Upcoming venues for the year's fourth major are: the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y. (2013); Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville (2014); Straits Course at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis. (2015); the Lower Course at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. (2016); and Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte (2017).

The 100th PGA Championship in 2018 will take place at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis.