PGA, Senior PGA Championships Headed For Tulsa

Tuesday, May 30th 2017, 11:20 am

By: John Holcomb

It's been 10 years, but major championship golf is coming back to Southern Hills. PGA of America announced two upcoming championships for Tulsa during a news conference at Southern Hills Tuesday.

Southern Hills will host the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in May of 2021, four years from now. The PGA Championship will be in Tulsa no later than 2030.

PGA President Paul Levy said returning to Tulsa is an easy decision.

"I don't need to tell you, living here John, this is a great golf course," he said. "It's in the top 25-30 in American. It's got a championship pedigree."

This will be the record fifth PGA Championship and the first senior PGA Championship, Levy said.

"Throw in a few U.S. Opens and I'd say there aren't many courses and clubs in America that have that kind of tradition and commitment to championship golf," he said.

No specific date was mentioned for the PGA Championship, but Kerry Haigh, chief championship officer of the PGA, said it would be a "reasonable time frame" to wait five or six years after the senior championship.

Haigh said Southern Hills has stood the test of time, and "you have to play great golf to win on this golf course."

The last major held at the golf course was 10 years ago. Tiger Woods won the 2007 PGA Championship. The club also hosted the 2008 U.S. Amateur and had hoped to land a U.S. Open, but that didn't happen.

Other PGA Championships were in 1970, 1982, and 1994.. The PGA will be the 8th major hosted by the club.

Southern Hills President Craig Bothwell said their membership is "thrilled" with the announcement. He said 40 percent of the membership hasn't seen a major there, so there's a renewed interest in bringing big events to the club.