What will it take to bring back PGA Championship?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The success of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill is now being used to further boost our local tourism industry, but what will it take to bring the top golfers and tour back to the Rochester area again? News10NBC talked to the General Chairman of the event to find out.

It’s only been two days since the PGA Championship ended, and already golf fans of all ages want to know when it’s coming back. 

“Every write up, every article that we are reading is just emphasizing how successful they think it is. The feedback from the community is superb,” said Ron Pluta, General Chairman of the 2023 PGA Championship.

Rave reviews continue to pour in after last week’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill. Pluta says this proves that Rochester can hosts major events that garner worldwide coverage. We asked him what are the realistic chances of the tournament returning for a fifth time?

“It’s in the hands now of the PGA America to decide where they want to go. We would love to have those discussions, and I have no knowledge of anything of that sort right now,” said Pluta.

We took that same question to Visit Rochester’s President and CEO Don Jeffries.

“We’d love to have them back, but we have other golf events, and we have other major sporting events. This week we have 1,500 athletes checking in for the NCAA National Championship for Track and Field at Fisher. So, we always have stuff going on,” said Jeffries.

During the PGA, the Rochester area also hosted the week-long Lilac Festival at Highland Park. Two events helping to boost the local economy.

“The restaurants were full. The hotel rooms were full. The grocery stores. I heard that some of the grocery stores were low on hamburger and hot dog buns because of the event. So, I think it just helps everybody,” said Pluta.

Jeffries added, “People had a great experience. So that was so key to us that people have fun, a good experience, and people did. People had fun.”

Festival season in Rochester is just getting started. Next month kicks off the 20th edition of the CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival.