THE PGA
OF
AMERICA
WELCOME
Welcome to the
91st PGA Championship
It is my distinct honor to speak on behalf of the more than 28,000 men and women Professionals who comprise The PGA of America in welcoming you to the 91st PGA Championship and Hazeltine National Golf Club.
“The Season’s Final Major… Glory’s Last Shot” is poised once again to crown a major champion in the state of Minnesota, where four previous PGA Championships have been staged, most recently in 2002 at Hazeltine National, when Rich Beem held off a furious final-round charge by Tiger Woods to claim the
Wanamaker Trophy. Prior to that, The PGA saw the recently-deceased Bob Rosburg claim our Championship in 1959, while Chick Harbert won in 1954 and Olin Dutra in 1932, all in Minnesota.
Also the host of two U.S. Opens, two U.S. Women’s Opens and a U.S. Senior Open, Hazeltine National truly ranks among our nation’s finest venues for staging major championships, and we are pleased to be returning to this excellent Robert Trent Jones design for this Championship, as well as for another of our premier events, the 2016 Ryder Cup.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the members and staff of Hazeltine National, including PGA Head Professional Mike Schultz, for serving as our hosts this Championship week and during the weeks and months of preparation that came before it. I’d also like to thank the many volunteers from the Twin Cities region and beyond, as well as the local community leaders and residents of Chaska, for your assistance in helping us stage a major championship here in your community.
Speaking of your community, it’s important to note that hosting the PGA Championship means more than bringing the world’s best golfers to town. It also brings a significant economic and charitable impact to local businesses and non-profit organizations, and I’d like to call your attention to the PGA Championship Community Relations Program brochure within this Official Souvenir Journal that details how the 91st PGA Championship has touched dozens of charitable organizations and the local residents they serve.
Of course, it’s the players themselves who make all of this possible, and with the strongest all-professional field in golf assembled here this week, I’d like to salute each competitor for the skills and determination they will showcase on the course, and extend my best wishes toward the successful pursuit of a major championship.
Also, I’d like to thank our friends and partners in the media, including broadcast partners CBS Sports and TNT, radio partner XM Radio, and all the print and electronic media representatives on hand for bringing the stories from our Championship on and off the course to the millions of fans tuning in, listening or reading about it around the world.
Finally, a very special thanks to you, the fan, for your support of this Championship and the sport of golf in general. Golf benefits our communities in many ways – as a healthy recreational activity, as a creator of jobs, as a protector of green spaces, as a driver of charitable initiatives – as well as being a thrilling spectator sport, and we are glad you are here to be a part of this. We wish you an unforgettable week at the 91st PGA Championship!
With Best Regards,
Jim Remy, PGA
President,
The PGA of America