Posted: Aug. 1, 2018 12:01 am
Imagine walking the ropes alongside five-time major champion Phil Mickelson, marveling at how diminutive both Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler are, yet how far they can launch a golf ball, or even being able to join the massive gallery surrounding Tiger Woods.
As an avid golf fan, I was fortunate enough to take in two of those three experiences when the PGA Championship returned to Springfield and Baltusrol Golf Club in July 2016. (I’m still anxiously awaiting my opportunity to watch the greatest golfer of my generation play.)
It’s one thing to watch the television coverage of a golf tournament, with its tracer technology and dozens of camera angles at every turn, but another to witness the strength, accuracy and fortitude of the PGA Tour’s players in person.
Local patrons will have another ideal opportunity to witness the most talented golfers in the world competing on the biggest stage when the 101st PGA Championship returns to the metropolitan area at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., next year between May 13-19. The event will be a precursor to the 2024 Ryder Cup being held on the same course just east of New York City.
Two of the biggest events of their respective golf seasons will be well within driving distance for area golfers, roughly one hour and 40 minutes or 94 miles from the heart of Newton.
The PGA of America announced the ticket options and pricing for the 2019 PGA Championship on Tuesday. Tickets will be sold through a free, no obligation, online registration process, which will close on Aug. 12. Fans can visit www.pgachampionship.com to hold their place to purchase admission when they go on sale later this month.
Fans who do not register will only have access to the remaining inventory after sales to registrants are complete.
Practice round tickets for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday are $35 per person per day. Championship rounds tickets for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are $110.
The event is free for active and retired servicemen and women. Juniors 17 years and under are free to attend with a ticketed adult.
The beauty of witnessing a golf tournament is that every arena is unique.
At the 2016 PGA Championship on Baltusrol’s Lower Course, that meant the fanfare surrounding the iconic par 3 fourth hole and the mammoth two-hole closing stretch — the only two par 5s on the course — that measured north of 1,200 yards.
While the tournament will likely be remembered for the seemingly never-ending rain, I was fortunate enough to dodge the storms for Friday’s second round and follow Jason Day as he birdied seven of the eight holes between No. 8 and 15.
As the legend of Andrew “Beef” Johnston grew leading up to the event, it was hard not to fall in line with the steady “Beeef!” chants that echoed along each fairway.
It was awesome to see the game’s greatest players and one of the world’s most iconic golf courses up close and then see it from a different vantage point on TV. And when the tournament heralded Jimmy Walker as its champion, I was able to recognize where I was standing two days earlier for the completion of several other fabled players’ rounds.
With it being a major championship, the emotions of the players seemed to ramp up a little bit more.
Now, area golfers will be able to attend another major championship within a reasonable drive and forge their own set of memories.
This time, it will take place on a public course, where Woods won the 2002 U.S. Open, that flaunts its challenging nature with a noticeable sign that reads: “WARNING — The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.”
Despite only one water hazard on the course, the metropolitan area’s next major could be remembered for its long rough, tricky bunkers and being a long, accurate hitter’s paradise.
It’s best for area golfers to make sure to take advantage of one of the rare opportunities to see the game’s best on a championship gem of a course — and one that they may even have the chance to play at some point in their lives.
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