PGA won’t drop N.C. courses over bathroom bill
PGA of America doesn’t plan to follow the NBA’s lead by moving one of its premier events out of North Carolina because of the state’s House Bill 2, which limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and forces those individuals to use bathrooms that correspond to their birth gender.
The organization vehemently opposes the law, chief executive officer Pete Bevacqua said Wednesday, but still plans to play the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Char- lotte, N.C., next summer. It also would not rule out playing future tournaments in North Carolina without the law being repealed.
PGA of America’s stance is that because Quail Hollow is a private facility, it is not subject to all of the HB2 guidelines, and the club plans to allow those in attendance be able to use the bathroom corresponding to the gender with which visitors identify.
“We intend to do everything we can within our power to make it a welcoming environment and an inclusive environment,” Bevacqua said on the eve of Thursday’s first round of the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J.
Davis Love III was right — European captain Darren Clarke believes the U.S. should be considered the favorite in this fall’s Ryder Cup despite falling short the past three times and in six of the previous seven.
“With the teams as we stand right now at the moment, you’d have to say Americans would be favorites,” Clarke said. “But that’s al- ways if you’re going to look off world rankings. Invariably that’s the case. But when you get there, it’s 12 guys against 12 guys in match play, and anything can happen.”
After the 2014 loss, a U.S. Ryder Cup task force was created by PGA of America to help end the skid and give players more say in the decision-making process.
“I think we have a completely different attitude and culture this time around,” said Love, the U.S. captain. “Our assistant captains have been invested in this since December of 2014. It’s a little bit earlier start than we’ve gotten in the past.”