PGA Championship sets ticket, hospitality sales records
THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP returns to Valhalla Golf Club this week near Louisville after a decade-long absence, and the tournament has set sales records for both general tickets and hospitality.
The tournament has sold out of general admission tickets for Thursday-Sunday, which fall under its Championship+ offering that includes food and nonalcoholic beverages. Those tickets were going for $199 (Thursday) and $249 (Friday-Sunday).
Overall, the PGA of America expects around 200,000 fans for the entire week.
Without disclosing exact figures, the PGA said the hospitality sales mark this week breaks the previous record set in 2017 at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club. For hospitality sales, 70% of passes were sold to companies or people within Kentucky. As of May 1, more than 200 companies had bought a hospitality ticket for the event.
“These are great golf communities,” PGA of America Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Price said. “Each one has a depth of love and passion for the game that certainly comes out, and then when you can showcase cities of that size to a global stage, the communities really respond. And Louisville certainly has stepped up this year.”
The PGA has several new sponsors this year, led by T-Mobile, which has come on as an official partner and will host a “Club Magenta” on the property that includes fan activities as well as food and beverage, said Luke Reissman, PGA senior director of global partnerships. The mobile phone company also is sponsoring a driving range show that will be distributed on social media, the tournament’s mobile app and event website.
In addition to T-Mobile, new partners for the PGA this year include betting company William Hill and High Noon, the hard seltzer company that has made a big push into the golf industry in recent years.
Elijah Craig (spirits) and Michelob Ultra (beer) are coming back in the alcoholic beverage categories; Anheuser-Busch just extended its deal with the PGA. Lexus also recently signed on as the official vehicle of the PGA Championship and the official vehicle of PGA Frisco.
Chase Sapphire will have its name on the PGA Shops merchandise area again, while Corebridge Financial returns as a sponsor of the 20 PGA club pros who are competing during the week.
Also new this year: The PGA has a completely revamped mobile app, working on the overhaul with D.C.-based Perfect Sense, which will integrate ticketing for the first time, said Rob Smith, the PGA’s general manager of digital.
Once the tournament ends in Louisville, the app will switch over and be used for the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship later this month and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June, events that didn’t previously have dedicated mobile apps.
For the third straight year, a free fantasy game will be available on the app in which users select four main players and a wild card for an attempt to win a $5,000 swag bag from the PGA. One of the four main selections must be one of the 20 PGA professionals playing in the event.
On-site, fans can expect to see less signage touting the PGA of America’s initiatives compared to the last two editions in Rochester, N.Y. (Oak Hill, 2023), and Tulsa, Okla. (Southern Hills, 2022), as the organization takes a less-is-more approach, said Fahad Zahid, the PGA’s head of brand and digital marketing.
“We have so many programs involved in our foundation,” Zahid said. “Sometimes, our message gets lost because there’s so much. There’s a concerted effort now to clean that up a little bit and focus on some of the core things that we’re doing with telling our story.”