PGA Championship returning to Ocean Course in 2031
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The PGA Championship is coming back to the Lowcountry.
The PGA and the Kiawah Island Golf Resort announced on Wednesday that the Ocean Course will once again host the PGA Championship, this time in 2031.
It marks the 3rd time the Ocean Course has hosted the event following 2012 and 2021. They’ll become just the 9th course in the country to host the major championship 3 or more times.
“We are ecstatic to bring the Junior PGA Championships and PGA Championship to The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in 2029 and 2031,” PGA of America President John Lindert said in a statement. “Past PGA Championships at Kiawah Island have provided no shortage of memorable moments and historic performances, all taking place along a breathtaking coastal setting. The Ocean Course’s challenging layout and rich history make it an ideal destination for our Championships.”
The previous 2 PGA Championships on Kiawah have provided historic finishes.
In 2021, Phil Mickelson became the oldest man to win a major championship by shooting -6 for the weekend at 50 years old.
Rory McIlroy finished -13 in 2012 to win by 8 strokes breaking the record for the largest margin of victory in the tournament that was set by Jack Nicklaus in 1980.
“We are proud to again be selected as the host course for the 2031 PGA Championship,” Kiawah Island Golf Resort President Roger Warren said in a statement. “The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Pete Dye’s brilliant seaside design, will present a formidable challenge for the strongest, all-professional field in major championship golf. We are confident our partnership with the PGA of America and the local community will produce another world class event.”
The Ocean Course has also hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup, 2005 PGA Professional Championship and the 2007 Senior PGA Championship.
The Ocean Course, designed by Pete and Alice Dye from 1989-91, is widely regarded as one of the best golf courses in the country. Located on the easternmost end of Kiawah Island, it boasts the most seaside holes in the Northern Hemisphere with 10 hugging the Atlantic and the other eight running parallel to those. Although the course was originally planned to sit behind the dunes, Alice Dye suggested raising the entire course to give players unobstructed views of Kiawah Island’s stunning coastline on every hole.
Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.
