PGA Week day three: Final practice round and look at impact of PGA Reach

Evan Bourtis News10NBC

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The final practice round of the PGA at Oak Hill Country Club is Wednesday.

The world’s biggest golf stars including Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and Hideki Matsuyama are gearing up to compete in Rochester. News10NBC has a complete guide to the PGA Championship at Oak Hill here.

Legendary CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz, who has announced for professional football, golf, and basketball along with NCAA men’s basketball, will be honored on Wednesday. He will become the 46th inductee into the Hill of Fame at Oak Hill. Nantz will be inducted at 3 p.m. on his birthday. The ceremony will celebrate his iconic broadcasting calls and commitment to sports journalism.

On Wednesday night, the PGA in Pittsford Family Night will take place at the Pittsford Community Library. It begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes family activities, games, mini-golf, and food vendors. Also, the Canandaigua National Bank has a putting green and enjoy beer and kombucha tastings. The funk and soul band Shine will perform at 6:30 p.m. and fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. You can learn more here.

Live interviews

News10NBC’s Briana Collier spoke with Todd Alfred of PGA Reach, which aims to make golf more accessible to underserved communities, military veterans, and youth. That includes organizing the PGA Jr. League and PGA HOPE which uses golf as therapy to overcome challenges including PTSD.

It also includes the PGA WORKS program, which aims to make the professional golf industry more a diverse workforce. On Tuesday, the PGA held the Beyond the Green event for children in underserved neighborhoods in the Rochester area to network with golf industry professionals. Bills quarterback Josh Allen made a surprise visit to that event. You learn more about PGA Reach and make a donation here.

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Cameron Dinkins, leader of PGA Works, explains how Beyond the Green made an impact on the students who attended. She also spoke about how fellowships and scholarships are helping to make employment in the golf industry more accessible. She said improving accessibility is the only way that the sport can continue to grow and become more diverse.

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Taylor Hunter, a PGA Works Fellow, explained how the program helped her to learn about working in the golf industry. She said programs such as Beyond the Green help youth in Rochester to understand that golf is for everybody.

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More about the PGA

The practice rounds run from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday. Then, competition begins on Thursday and continues through Sunday. Tee times begin at 7 a.m. on Thursday and Friday. They begin at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Monroe County expects the tournament to draw 200,000 visitors and bring nearly $200 million to the region. Tickets are sold out. If you’re planning to attend, here are important things to know:

There is public parking at MCC and Rochester Tech Park, with shuttles running to the course throughout the day.
There’s no daily readmission. If you leave, you can’t return.
There will be Wi-Fi on site and portable phone chargers will be available for rent.
There is a PGA Championship app you can download that features an interactive course map, daily pairings and the schedule.
Don’t bring backpacks or large bags, laptops, coolers or oversized chairs. They are prohibited.
Cameras are only allowed on-site during practice rounds and are not permitted on-site during championship rounds.

The last time Oak Hill hosted the PGA was in 2013, a tournament that Jason Dufner won with a score of 10 under par. The club has also hosted the U.S. Open and Ryder Cup.

PGA Week day two coverage:

PGA Week day one coverage: