‘It’s a big deal.’ Tickets nearly sold out for PGA Championship finale
Tickets are selling fast to see the winner of the Wanamaker Trophy be crowned.
Already sold out for Friday and Saturday of the PGA Championship, fans can still get to Quail Hollow Golf Club for this week’s main event.
Long known for its sports passion, Charlotte continues embracing this role as host with pride. Before players and vendors were at Quail Hollow during a rain-washed Monday, NASCAR drivers and Charlotte FC professional soccer players were among the local crowds that have been out on the course throughout the weeks leading up to the men’s golf major.
“The local community is so important to us,” competition director Jason Soucy said Monday. “There are so many different things that people in Charlotte associate with. A rising tide lifts all boats, and everybody wants to get in on the action and make sure the rest of the country sees what a great sports city that Charlotte is.”
‘This is a major historical legacy for sports in this city’
Players walked the course in between raindrops Monday morning.
Competition begins Thursday, and the best golfers in the world are running through their fitness routines. There are various workout areas where some players spend time with personal trainers, along with getting out on the greens and hitting cue balls.
Rain is also expected Tuesday, while higher temperatures and cloudy skies are anticipated later in the week. Heat, precipitation or not, the golf world is ecstatic to have landed in one of the nation’s most prominent sports cities for its second PGA championship in eight years.
“Whether it’s (Charlotte Motor) Speedway, whether it’s Bank of America Stadium, there are so many great venues that host incredible competitions all the time,” Soucy said. “I’d put Quail Hollow Club up there too. The Presidents Cup, the PGA Championship, this is a major historical legacy for sports here in this city. There’s huge sports fandom here.”
New biography tells story of Rory McIlroy
A new book is out about Rory McIlroy.
The reigning Wells Fargo Champion’s story is inseparable from the tangled legacy of Northern Ireland. Titled “Rory Land,” author Timothy Gay explores how McIlroy’s upbringing in a region marked by political strife has echoed throughout his famous career.
McIlroy’s family history is woven into Northern Ireland’s past, which is marked by conflict, resilience and pride. Those roots shape him as the four-time major champion competes on the world stage.
“(McIlroy) started off as a very outspoken opponent of LIV (Golf), and kind of confused everyone by becoming an outspoken proponent of an accommodation with LIV — doing it in a way that upset a lot of his peers,” Gay said. “That is not an aberration. That is Rory.”
“Rory Land” is on shelves now, starting at roughly $35 for a hardcover copy.
‘A city as excited as we are’
There’s no course like Quail Hollow.
This week still feels like a shot to win a major championship for Curtis Strange, the World Golf Hall of Famer and former All-American at Wake Forest who is now an ESPN analyst. He understands the significance of these moments for these competitors — and as a commentator, he wants to be as prepared as possible.
Scott Van Pelt, Andy North, Geoff Ogilvy and Strange will anchor ESPN’s coverage of the PGA Championship, which includes most of the action Thursday and Friday. CBS takes over for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, while ESPN still has coverage until 1 p.m. those days.
“Any time a big event comes to town, it’s a big deal,” Van Pelt said. “But I think it’s cool because it’s well-built for this. They’ve done it, but now the elevation of it being a major, it ramps up everybody’s anticipation. For me to walk it and actually see, especially 16, 17, 18, it helps so much to actually walk it with the players and get a sense of strategy.
“We’re incredibly fired up, as we always are, to get to a city as excited as we are for the event.”
TV and streaming schedule for the PGA Championship
Both ESPN and CBS will broadcast this week’s events from Charlotte:
Thursday, May 15: 7 a.m.-noon (ESPN+), noon-7 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, May 16: 7 a.m.-noon (ESPN+), noon-7 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, May 17: 8-10 a.m. (ESPN+), 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN), 1-7 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, May 18: 8-10 a.m. (ESPN+), 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN), 1-7 p.m. (CBS)
Note: ESPN+ start time on Saturday and Sunday could be adjusted after tee times are released.
This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 5:33 PM.
