‘A centerpiece for golf around the world.’ Gov. Roy Cooper talks Presidents Cup in Charlotte
Charlotte hosting the Presidents Cup this weekend is undoubtedly a cultural and economic feather in North Carolina’s cap — and the state’s top public official said as much when he visited Quail Hollow Club on Thursday.
“We’ve just become a centerpiece for golf around the world,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told reporters on Thursday morning. “And it affects how people view our state. I think it makes us more attractive to businesses because we’re where it happens. Because business people are drawn to sports, particularly golf. So it’s an exciting time for all of us.”
Thursday is the first day of live competition for the 2022 Presidents Cup, an international golf tournament that pits the best American golfers against some of the best golfers from around the world.
The tournament is taking place at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club for the first time, but it’s hardly the first premier golf event the city and state have hosted: The men’s and women’s U.S. Opens are both regularly held at Pinehurst Resort, and the Wells Fargo Championship on the PGA Tour is perennially held in late spring at Quail Hollow. (The Golf Hall of Fame announced its return to Pinehurst earlier this summer, too.)
“When we look at just golf itself in North Carolina, a direct $2.3 billion impact and in excess of $4 billion in indirect impact,” Cooper said. “So we know that it makes a difference.
“When I talk to CEOs, especially across the world, I talk about North Carolina’s 520 golf courses. Quail Hollow and Pinehurst and these courses will come up in the conversation.”
The Presidents Cup’s arrival is just the latest in a string of “wins” for Charlotte. The ACC moved its headquarters to Charlotte from Greensboro, and Charlotte FC of the MLS is embarking on a largely successful inaugural season.
“That win over Chelsea was pretty exciting,” Cooper said with a smile, referencing Charlotte FC’s exhibition win over one of the biggest and best soccer organizations in the world. He added, “Charlotte has, I think, the ability to be a big city with a community feel. One of the things that I hear from people when they come to Charlotte was they have all of the amenities of urban life, but at the same time, people are so welcoming.”
By the time Cooper was carted off to the first tee, about an hour before the first group teed off a little after 1 p.m., the excitement at Quail Hollow was in the air.
“I was talking with some of the officials that people were actually waiting to be let in and they actually ran to the first tee,” Cooper said. “That kind of excitement is palpable. I think you’re gonna see that through the entire weekend, with President Bush coming, with President Clinton coming and maybe with President Biden coming Sunday, I think that will just add to the aura of the event.”
This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 1:55 PM.
