The Royal and Ancient invests $16 million on The PGA Championship’s host venues – Golf News
The Royal and Ancient (R&A) has invested a total of $16 million on The PGA Championship’s host venues, making it more difficult for players to register low scores during the tournament.
According to Peter Dawson, the Chief Executive of R&A, the investment has been made in order to shape the course with respect to the modern state of the game.
He said that the venues had become quite old fashioned, and players were getting a little fed up with the requirements of the courses.
Resultantly, it was decreasing the quality of the game displayed by the players coming to contend against each other.
He also confirmed that the nine courses have received $800,000 each to bring the necessary changes to the course, which is expected boost the toughness of the fields.
When the reigning British Open Champion Keegan Bradley made a tour last month to the Royal Lytham and St. Annes, this year’s PGA Championship venue, he himself noticed several changes on the course, including its extended length.
Dawson also told that changes at the venue for the 2013 edition of the event, Muirfield, have taken effect and the course is completely ready with a new layout.
According to him, a total of 200 yards have been added to the field that hosted the event in 2002 for the last time. The biggest change was made on the ninth hole by stretching it 60 to 70 yards, making it even more difficult for players.
“Everything has been done at Muirfield and it has been done for a few years now,” he said. “There are quite a few changes, but they are very subtle. Almost all the changes at Muirfield, apart from the ninth tee, you would not notice them”.
Dawson also showed his interest in scheduling the event at the Martin Hawtree-designed course at Balmedie. “It is a spectacular golf course, and it was me who recommended Martin Hawtree to Donald,” Dawson.
“As for an Open Championship being played there, we will have to wait and see. There is every indication the golf course is very strong, but let's see how it matures, and I would say it has a long way to go yet”.
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