Quail Hollow: Future Major Championship Site?

by Ryan Ballengee on May 4, 2009 2:51 PM EDT

There had been a number of rumors circulating in the past couple of years that Quail Hollow and its membership was lobbying hard for it to become a host site of a major championship. That chatter picked up at the "Sixth Major" this week. It was heightened by this in the Charlotte Business Journal.

Quail Hollow President Johnny Harris, in an interview at the course this week with the Charlotte Business Journal, confirmed the club will likely end the tournament in 2014 when the title sponsorship contract with Wells Fargo & Co. expires. Quail Hollow’s deal with the PGA Tour ends the same year.

"Our intent right now would be to do the best job possible until 2014 and then, after that, I would say we’re not predisposed to continue to have a PGA Tour event after that," Harris said.

While almost everyone seems to agree that Quail Hollow is a major worthy course, the logistics of parking, et al, may make it an unsuitable candidate. Davis Love III pointed that out earlier in the week. (Thanks to Geoff Shackelford for the good links.)

Imagine this as a Wanamaker Trophy?

The golf.com crew must not have seen the story, but heard the same rumblings. Personally, I think it's a great idea if the logistics can be worked out. What does that say about the prospects of holding an event for this particular club, though?

Seems to me that Quail Hollow may be interested in being a club more like Congressional (good golf.com example) that can host a major but has a regular Tour stop. Membership at clubs can often waffle on a Tour event because it usually happens during peak playing season. The prestige of hosting the event can be outweighed by the headlock that hosting an event has on a club.

I wonder if the attitude at Quail Hollow represents those of many country clubs that host PGA Tour events, or a minority. Either way, it seems like The Green Mile is more interested in being a major player that a major wannabe.

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Comments

In order to have a 6th major, you'd need a 5th major.

Since there are about 5 tournaments that want to lay claim to that title, I think Quail Hollow is in challenging territory.

by Cairo on May 4, 2009 11:01 PM EDT reply actions

Which 5 are you thinking are claiming to the be fifth? I thought the Players had a strangehold over that name. Maybe the BMW PGA in Europe? The HSBC Champions in China?

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on May 5, 2009 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions

off the top of my head

The ones that have made some sort of claim in the recent past are The Memorial, Bridgestone, TOUR Championship, and CA Championship. Two of them have been co-opted by the WGC, which could be viewed as a collective Fifth major.

by Cairo on May 5, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

wow – I have never heard of any of those getting any sort of serious consideration as a major.

a “collective 5th major” ??

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 5, 2009 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions

There's no set way of determining it.

What’s the 5th-most watched tournament, or the one that’s got the 5th-best prestige, money, tradition, or location on the tour schedule? Jack’s intention for the Memorial has always been to make it the 5th major. In the 1970s it may well have been the case-it ushered in a modern era of extremely well-maintained PGA tour events. Bridgestone’s limited field of top professionals and huge payout has always been prestigious. In the ’90s the TOUR Championship had a go with a large payout, an invitation to only 30 players and a year-end position on the calendar. The CA is extremely popular, has quite a bit of history, and a big payout.

by Cairo on May 5, 2009 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I think various tournaments can definitely try to claim it. Back when Bridgestone was the World Series instead of a WGC was probably when it best laid a claim to it.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on May 5, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions

it's really a dumb argument...

…there are FOUR majors. The Tour isn’t going to say that there is a 5th – it doesn’t matter what the idiots in the media or the marketing wonks want to do – there isn’t a 5th major and won’t be.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on May 5, 2009 4:20 PM EDT reply actions