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The success of the Truist Championship has led to calls by Rory McIlroy and a number of other PGA Tour stars for more events to be held in the North East of the United States.
With Quail Hollow hosting PGA Championship, the Truist Championship moved to Philadelphia Cricket Club, with both the Wissahickon Course and the local golf fans both drawing widespread praise.
Two of the biggest events in golf will be held in and around the region this year, with Oakmont near Pittsburgh staging the US Open while Bethpage Black in New York hosts the Ryder Cup.
And yet there are no regular PGA Tour stops in the area bar the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, while there are six events in California on the schedule, four in Florida and Texas and also four across North and South Carolina.
The Truist Championship was moved to Philadelphia and the BMW Championship in Maryland later this year is also a moving event, and with so many great golf courses around Philadelphia, New York and the North East in general, players feel there should be a regular presence.
“Look, Philadelphia is one of the best places in the US for golf,” said McIlroy. “There’s so many great courses around here.
“I’m looking forward to coming up and playing here a little more often in the next few years.. We’re playing the PGA at Aronimink next year. We’re playing the U.S. Open in ’30 at Merion.
“There’s a lot of great golf in this area. It’s a beautiful spot. I feel like we don’t play enough tournaments in the North East.”
McIlroy also praised the local fans in Philadelphia, who along with those in New York are some of the most intense sports fans in the United States.
“I said this before, they’re very enthusiastic,” said McIlroy. “They’re loud. They’re relentless in terms of like I must have heard my name a million times this week.”
The likes of Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Tony Finau agreed with McIlroy on the need for more regular stops in the North East with the qualify of courses available.
“I played with Harris English today and (Max) Homa yesterday, we were talking about it,” said Finau.
“Within a 100, 150-mile radius of this place, I think it’s some of the best golf in the world so I’d love to see the Tour make a lot more stops here and this is definitely a good one.”
Thomas added: “I’m honestly kind of bummed that I hadn’t played here beforehand because I selfishly would have tried to go play Merion while I was here.
“But I feel like it’s in my best interest and my job to play the golf course that I’m playing this week. But there really are just so many courses in the North East.”
Fowler exlained that playing an older, shorter course with more nuiances made the Truist Championship so enjoyable – in contrast to many modern properties on the PGA Tour.
“Most of the courses on our typical tour stops are fairly modern big golf courses, there are a few older style ones in a way, but not very many like this place,” said Fowler. “It’s fun to play and a very special place.
“If you’re a member of this place hopefully you don’t take it for granted because this is a good one to have on your list where you can go out and play day-to-day.”
