Tag: PGA Professional Championship

Ohio teaching pro who once got a lesson from Tiger Woods earns berth into 2022 PGA Championship

Worthington was one of 20 players to earn a berth into the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

AUSTIN, Texas — Wyatt Worthington II stood just off the 18th green at Barton Creek Spa and Resort and shook his head slowly.

After posting a steady 73 on a blustery day, the 35-year-old teaching pro from a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, saw his name near the top of the leaderboard at the PGA Professional Championship and knew he was in the clear — Worthington was one of 20 players to earn a berth into next month’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

Although this wasn’t the first time he’d made the cut — in 2016, he became the second Black PGA Club Professional to earn a berth in the major, following Tom Woodard of Denver who qualified in 1990 and played in the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick — but the road back made this just as special as Worthington’s first foray.

“Looking around, to even see my name on my leaderboard, I’m still in shock. It hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said. “I know it needs to be a quick turnaround because there’s a lot of things that be done.

“But you know, I’m blessed. I definitely didn’t have my best by any means, but to finish this high and to be in the top 20, and to have another crack at the PGA Championship, I still can’t believe it.”

Worthington, who teaches at The Golf Depot at Central Park in Gahanna, is aware of the game’s need for diversity and inclusion. He hopes his story will help shed light on the need to bring more people of various races into the game, not just as players, but in the industry as a whole.

And while Worthington has made a career out of giving lessons, he once received instruction from perhaps the game’s greatest player — Tiger Woods. During his freshman year in high school at Groveport High School, Worthington was part of a Tiger Woods Foundation event at the now-shuttered Bridgeview Golf Course in Columbus.

“I’m looking at the bigger picture,” he said. “Having this type of exposure for African-Americans not only in the golf industry but it’s seeing the bigger picture in and getting more people who look like me involved in this game, that’s what it’s really about.”

During the final round, Worthington battled high winds on the Fazio Foothills course, but maintained his presence on the back nine, dropping just a single shot on the 13th hole.

“Once the wind picked up, it was like somehow the fairways just got a little tighter, some of them got a little smaller, but I think they kind of just had the trust your lines and trust your numbers,” Worthington said, crediting his caddie Andy Gibson.

Worthington finished in a tie for fourth with Ryan Vermeer at 4 under for the event, a shot behind the duo of Michael Block and Jared Jones and six shots behind champion Jesse Mueller. The low 20 scorers earned exemptions into the 2022 PGA Championship, which will be held May 16-22 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

And how did Worthington plan to celebrate an invitation to a major?

“I need to rest,” he said. “I’m actually in agony right now, a lot of pain with my knees. I thought I was going to withdraw, to be honest. Nothing too crazy. Maybe I’ll have a milkshake.”

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With wife as caddie, Jesse Mueller wins PGA Professional Championship, earns one of 20 PGA Championship berths

Jesse Mueller and his wife celebrated their anniversary this year with dinner from Domino’s Pizza.

AUSTIN, Texas — Jesse Mueller’s idea of the perfect anniversary gift was heavy, time-consuming and required a little elbow grease. And his wife, also named Jessie albeit with a different spelling, wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Just a few days after celebrating his 12th wedding anniversary, the Arizona State University product and golf director at the Grand Canyon University course enjoyed a perfect Wednesday stroll around the grounds at picturesque Barton Creek Resort and Spa. He did so with his wife hauling his clubs around in the fill-in role of caddie, something she did for four days because her husband needed a helping hand.

And Mueller, who held a five-shot advantage heading into the final round of the PGA Professional Championship, did nothing to compromise his comfortable lead during Wednesday’s final round, finishing with a ho-hum 74 to earn take the title and one of 20 berths into the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, next month.

Mueller’s story is familiar — after a stellar high school at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona, and a college career at ASU, he kept grinding through a few years on minor circuits and mini-tours, with a dozen-and-a-half starts on the Web.com Tour sprinkled in.

He said his appreciation for the game has never wavered, but the weight that’s been lifted by his jump into course management has allowed him to enjoy the game a bit more.

“Some of the pressure’s off. It’s not my livelihood to play, so it’s more of a bonus,” he said. “I’m still working on it, practicing, but I might be a better player now than I was when I was playing full-time.”

Mueller — who became the first Southwest Section champ in the tournament’s history, dating back to 1968 — used an impeccable short game to build a big advantage, and while his chipping wasn’t as flawless in Wednesday’s final round as it had been earlier in the week, he managed to pull a few more key shots out of the bag.

PGA Professional Champion Jesse Mueller poses with the Walter Hagen Cup after winning the 54th PGA Professional Championship at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa on April 20, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

For example, Mueller saved par on No. 14 with an exquisite chip to a few inches that kept the lead at five strokes.

“On the first three days, I could not have chipped any better,” he said. “I chipped in three times for the week and I was just getting up and down all over the place. Out here, you have to because it’s so hard to hit all the greens with how windy is. So you have to get up and down out here.”

Despite a pair of bogeys coming down the homestretch, Mueller still finished the four-day event at 10 under, topping Jared Jones and Michael Block by five strokes.

Among those who also made a big move in the wind on Wednesday was Shawn Warren, a 37-year-old pro from Maine who qualified for his third PGA Championship by lighting up the windy course on Wednesday. While others were going backward, Warren fired a 66 — the best of the day — to leapfrog his way into the top 20. Warren, a former four-year captain at Marshall University, first reached the major in 2018.

But the big story was Mueller, who has previously played in one major— the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. His wife has been training for a climb this summer at Mount Rainier, and that helped as the two traversed the rolling Austin hills.

And although her anniversary dinner consisted of Domino’s Pizza — since the pair finished their round late on Sunday and couldn’t find any nearby restaurants still open — Jessie insisted it was well worth the change in plans.

“It’s been a roller-coaster, for sure,” she said. “But he’s a phenomenal player, and I know that. The key was just to keep things going and have his game working at the right times, which he did this week.

“I’m really, really proud of him.”

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Jesse Mueller fires 66, holds sizable 54-hole lead at PGA Professional Championship

Barring a major meltdown, the Arizona State product will get a second crack at a major.

The only time Jesse Mueller qualified for a major — the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco — he did himself proud, making the cut and finishing T-51 with a host of others, including current PGA Tour member Branden Grace.

Barring a major meltdown, the Arizona State product will get a second crack at a major when the PGA Championship gets underway at Tulsa’s Southern Hills in May.

Mueller maintained a hot hand, firing a 66 during Tuesday’s third round to take a sizable lead into the final day of play at the 2022 PGA Professional Championship in Austin, Texas.

While playing the Fazio Foothills course at Barton Creek Spa and Resort, Mueller was consistently attacking the stick on a windy, overcast day in the Texas state capital. He dropped just a single shot, on the long par-4 13th, but posted birdies on two of the last three holes to take a commanding five-stroke lead.

Mueller, the Director of Golf at Grand Canyon University’s Golf Course in Phoenix, sits at 13 under through three rounds. Casey Pyne is 8 under while three players — Kyle Mendoza, Colin Inglis and Michael Block — are all six shots back at 7 under.

Through a solid and steady front nine, Mueller dropped a birdie on No. 4 and then had a spectacular hole-out birdie on No. 8.

A total of 103 players made the first cut Monday night and the field will be cut again in advance of Thursday’s final round with the low 70 scorers and ties playing again on Fazio Foothills.

The lowest 20 scorers will be offered a spot in the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 16-22.

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Omar Uresti set to defend at PGA Professional Championship on home soil in Austin

The 2022 PGA Professional Championship is being held April 17-20, at the Omni Barton Creek Resort.

At 52, Omar Uresti became the second-oldest PGA Professional Championship winner last year when he took the title at the Wanamaker Course at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Uresti was only behind Hall of Famer Sam Snead, who was 59 when he won in 1971, and the victory earned the Austin native a spot in the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island as well as six PGA Tour exemptions over the next year and a spot on the 2022 U.S. PGA Cup team.

But it also afforded the veteran of nearly 400 PGA Tour starts the chance to defend his title on home turf at the 2022 PGA Professional Championship being held April 17-20, at the Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa.

Uresti, who went to Crockett High School and the University of Texas — where he twice earned All-American status — is part of an elite group of multiple winners of the event that includes Larry Gilbert (1981, 1982, 1991), Mike Small (2005, 2009, 2010), Roger Watson (1974, 1975), Tim Thelen (2000, 2003) and Matt Dobyns (2012, 2015).

Omar Uresti
Omar Uresti reacts to his putt on the 16th hole during the final round of the 54th PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club. (Photo: Montana Pritchard/PGA of America | Palm Beach Post)

“It’s pretty cool to sleep in my own bed and get some support here locally. You cannot put a price on that,” said Uresti.

Although you might expect Uresti to have a major advantage since he lives in town, he admitted he doesn’t often play the two (of four) courses on the property that will be used for the event — the Coore Crenshaw course and Fazio Foothills.

“I have not played the two golf courses as much as you’d think,” said Uresti. “At least not recently. I played them a lot when I was in college, when they were new, but that was a while back. I went out (last week), but the winds were up to 25 mph., so it was tough to get a good feel.

A number of past champions will make the trek to Austin with Alex Beach (2019), Rich Berberian Jr. (2016), Michael Block (2014), Dobyns, Scott Hebert (2008), Darrell Kestner (1996), Rod Rerry (2013), Ron Philo Jr. (2006), Jeff Roth (1993), Steve Schneiter (1995), Bill Schumaker (1984), Small, Bob Sowards (2004) and Ryan Vermeer (2018) all joining Uresti at the PGA Professionals’ signature event, which offers a total purse of $675,000.

The Championship field will have a 36-hole cut Monday to the low 90 scorers and ties, and a 54-hole cut Tuesday to the low 70 scorers and ties. The low 20 scorers earn a berth in the 2022 PGA Championship, which will be played May 16-22 at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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PGA of America institutes ‘Omar Uresti rule’ for Professional Club Championship

Uresti has been criticized for taking advantage of the rules to compete despite not working full-time as a club pro.

The PGA of America announced it is tying up a loophole in its eligibility classifications for the Professional Club Championship, one that drew the ire of some of its membership. Call it the Omar Uresti rule.

The PGA Board of Directors approved a change to the eligibility classification for the PGA Professional Championship and the NCR Assistant Professional Championship that makes its Life Members ineligible from those competitions.

“The Committee felt strongly that the PGA Professional Championship is for working PGA Professionals in an active classification,” the PGA said in a release. “Reverting back to the standards in place prior to 2006 when Life Members were not eligible for the PGA Professional Championship was determined to be the best way to align with the Committee’s perspective; however, Life Members will remain eligible for the Senior PGA Professional Championship.”

Uresti, 53, was vilified on social media and criticized within the club pro fraternity for taking advantage of the rules to compete in the championship despite not working full-time as a club professional and earning one of the coveted exemptions given to the top-20 finishers in the competition into the PGA Championship.

Uresti turned professional in 1991 and played 11 full seasons on the PGA Tour, making 380 starts and earning nearly $4 million. Along the way, he earned PGA Class A status by being a member of the PGA Tour for 20 years, but he and others who took advantage of the “Life Member Active” category worked in a non-traditional role compared to the majority of the field. It became a sensitive topic as Uresti won the title in 2017 and 2021 and also finished among the top 20 to qualify for the PGA Championship in 2015, 2016 and 2018 (the 2020 championship was canceled due to COVID-19). Uresti never qualified for the PGA Championship until using this loophole via the PGA Professional Championship.

The PGA Tournament Committee vetted the eligibility change for the past year when reviewing guidelines for the PGA Professional Championship. Prior to the change in eligibility standards, the competition was open to any PGA member who is a Class A PGA professional and made less than 10 starts on professional tours (including developmental and senior tours) during the last 12 months, not including majors.

These changes will start with the 2022 Section Championships that advance players into the 2022 NCR Assistant PGA Professional Championship and into the 2023 PGA Professional Championship. These changes do not affect the eligibility of players in the 2022 PGA Professional Championship.

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Omar Uresti hangs on to win 53rd PGA Professional Championship

Omar Uresti started Wednesday’s final round of the 53rd PGA Professional Championship with a seven-shot lead, and he needed most of it.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Omar Uresti started Wednesday’s final round of the 53rd PGA Professional Championship with a seven-shot lead, and he needed most of it.

After playing flawless golf for the first 54 holes, Uresti struggled throughout the final round. The Austin, Texas, resident was 4-over after four holes and saw his once-invincible lead shrink to two shots on the back nine of the Wanamaker Course at PGA Golf Club.

But he got back to what he does best, grinding away for pars, and held on for a three-shot victory over Frank Bensel Jr. of Jupiter, Florida. Uresti etched his name on the Walter Hagen Trophy for the second time in four years, having also won in 2017.

“I had a pretty good lead and got off to a rough start, so there was a little frustration early,” Uresti said. “I just tried to grind it out. I didn’t putt like I did the first three days, but I was able to hang in there and make some 2-putts.”

PGA Professional Championship: Leaderboard

Uresti’s 75 left him at 11-under 276. At 52, he became the second-oldest PPC champion behind Hall of Famer Sam Snead, who was 59 when he won in 1971.

The win also earned Uresti a spot in next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, six PGA Tour exemptions over the next year – Uresti has played in 377 career PGA Tour events – and a spot on the 2022 U.S. PGA Cup team.

“I’ve never played at Kiawah, so I’m looking forward to it,” Uresti said. “That’s a long course. I’m 5-foot-6 and 52, so that’s going to be a fun week.”

Bensel started the final round 11 shots back of Uresti, but charged into contention with four birdies on his first 10 holes while Uresti was struggling. Bensel’s birdie at the 16th moved him within two shots of the leader for the second time on the back nine. Bensel had the day’s second-lowest round, a 68.

“We got to the sixth hole and I saw Omar was 4-over and I was 3-under, so I knew I had a chance,” said Bensel, a PGA Teaching Professional at Century Country Club in New York. “It’s tough to play with a big lead, so I just kept wanting to play well and keep making putts. I’m really happy with how I played.”

Ben Cook of Vero Beach, Florida, had three late birdies to rally for a 74 and finish third at 6-under 281. Larkin Gross of Center Cross, Virginia, couldn’t match his third-round 64, shooting a 76 that left him fourth, a shot ahead of Ben Polland (73-284) of Bloomington, Minnesota.

While Uresti hung on for the win, most of the focus Wednesday was to see which PGA Professionals finished in the top 20 to land a precious spot in the 2021 PGA Championship.

Stuart Smith of Reno, Nevada, made the day’s biggest move with his 7-under 65 propelling him 60 spots up the leaderboard into sixth place at 1-under 286. Smith was tied with defending champion Alex Beach (70) of Stillwater, Minnesota. Brett Walker (70-287) of Ukiah, California, earned a PGA spot by finishing tied for eighth with Danny Balin (71) of Lake Success, New York; Tyler Collet (72) of Vero Beach, Florida; Peter Ballo (72) of Stamford, Connecticut; Joe Summerhays (73) of Syracuse, Utah; Derek Holmes (78) of Cottage Grove, Minnesota; and Brad Marek (74) of Berkeley, California.

There was a five-way playoff for the final four PGA spots between Mark Geddes (74) of Coronado, California; Greg Koch (73) of Orlando; Patrick Rada (74) of Jupiter, Florida; Sonny Skinner (75) of Sylvester, Georgia; and Cody Haughton (76) of Canton, Michigan. Haughton was odd man out after missing out on the PGA with a bogey.

Omar Uresti player to beat as 53rd PGA Professional Championship heads to final round at PGA Golf Club

Omar Uresti is in a perfect spot to play his way onto the tee sheet for next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Omar Uresti doesn’t hit the ball 330 yards. He doesn’t have a mullet or a catchy nickname. Heck, he’s old enough (52) to be eligible for some AARP discounts.

All he has is a game that travels – usually near the top of the leaderboard.

The Austin, Texas native has emerged as the player to beat at the 53rd PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club.

Uresti started Tuesday with a one-shot lead, birdied four of the first seven holes and signed for a 7-under 65 on the Wanamaker Course that left him with a seven-shot advantage entering Wednesday’s final round.

At 15-under 200, he’s in a perfect spot to add to his victory in the 2017 PPC and his name to the tee sheet for next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

All you can say is “Oh, my” for a player looking to win at PGA Golf Club for the sixth time in the last three years.

“The ball striking was good early,” Uresti said. “It got a little shaky near the end, but I was able to scramble. I made a lot of good putts today. I putted really well.

“I’ve gotten to know these courses. You have to hit it straight. You don’t have to hit it super long. Experience helps a lot here.”

When Uresti wasn’t making birdies, he got up-and-down on three consecutive holes (9, 10 and 11) where he missed the green. He is fourth for the tournament in greens in regulation, fifth in putting and has made one bogey in his last 47 holes.

“I have to try and keep playing the way I have been playing,” Uresti said. “I know they’re going to come after me. I can’t let up. I have to keep playing smart golf.”

At the other end of the age scale, Larkin Gross of Center Cross, Virginia, at 23 the youngest player in the field, made the biggest move Tuesday. He shot an 8-under 64 – thanks to 11 birdies – to vault from 19th to a second-place tie with Ben Cook (70) of Vero Beach.

Gross’ score could have been better without a double bogey on the second, a bogey at the 11th and a drive into the penalty area for a par at the reachable par-5 16th. The 64 tied the lowest third round in PPC history.

“I just went out and tried to play freely and make some aggressive swings,” Gross said. “It helped that I had my dad (Roger) on the bag. He just kept reminding me, ‘Remember what we talked about on the range … make aggressive swings.’ “

Gross and Cook are the only two players within nine shots of Uresti. Tim Pearce (68) of Birmingham, Michigan, is fourth at 5-under 205, a shot ahead of Colin Inglis (71) of Creswell, Oregon, Ben Polland (70) of Bloomington, Minnesota, Rob Labritz (72) of Pound Ridge, New York, and first-round leader Frank Bensel Jr. (75) of Jupiter, Florida.

While Uresti appears headed for the win, the rest of the 72 players who made the 54-hole cut have one goal: To finish in the top 20 to earn a spot in next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. Only 20 players advance to Kiawah, so there will be a playoff if there are ties.

John O’Leary of Sterling, Virginia, shot 69 to move into ninth place at 3-under 212 with Cody Haughton (71) of Canton, Michigan. Sonny Skinner of Sylvester, Georgia, shot 70 to move into 11th place at 1-under 214 alongside Marty Jertson (70) of Phoenix and Brad Marek (75) of Berkeley, California.

Tied for 14th at 1-under 214, are Yong Joo (68) of Ashburn, Virginia, Tom Cooper (68) of Glen Cove, New York, Greg Koch (71) of Orlando, Patrick Rada (71) of Jupiter, Derek Holmes (71) of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, and Joe Summerhays (74) of Syracuse, Utah.

Tied for 20th, hoping to avoid a playoff are Zac Oakley (70) of Lewes, Delaware, Peter Ballo (70) of Stamford, Connecticut, Tyler Collet (71) of Vero Beach, Eric Williamson (72) of Shoal Creek, Mark Geddes (72) of Coronado, California, Bob Sowards (73) of Dublin, Ohio, Mick Smith (73) of Sumit, Wisconsin, and Jim Troy (74) of Strongsville, Ohio.

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PGA pros vie this week for a chance to play in the PGA Championship

The top 20 finishers (no ties) at the 53rd PGA Professional Championship earn spots in next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida — PGA Professionals spend most of the year giving lessons, staging tournaments for their members, fitting equipment and running junior programs.

But this week, it’s their game that’s most important.

This week, they are hoping to land a spot in one of golf’s most precious events – a major championship.

The top 20 finishers (no ties) at the 53rd PGA Professional Championship earn spots in next month’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. The PPC, with 312 players in the field, starts Sunday and ends Wednesday at PGA Golf Club.

“It’s a great reward for the top 20,” said Jupiter, Florida, resident Patrick Rada, a PGA Professional at McArthur Club in Hobe Sound. “It’s an honor just to be a part of the tournament because everyone had to earn their way in.”

Rada is among 14 area players in the field, joining Jupiter residents Frank Bensel, Rushi Oza and Del Ponchock, Riviera Beach’s Matt Cahill — who takes over as Seminole Golf Club’s head pro in the fall — Dakun Chang of North Palm Beach, Tyler Collet and Ben Cook of Vero Beach, Matt Doyle of Hobe Sound, Rick Gomes of Tequesta, Kirk Hanefeld of Port St. Lucie, Alan Morin of Royal Palm Beach, Zac Oakley of Palm City and Jason Robinson of Palm Beach Gardens,

The odds are not in their favor. Only about 1 out of 16 players at the PPC will get a chance to tee it up alongside defending champion Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy (who won at Kiawah in 2012) and the rest of the world’s best players.

Then again, 20 PGA Professionals will be playing in the year’s second major championship. Everyone at the PPC has a chance.

Alan Morin, shown competing in the Honda Classic in 2016, has been one of the most successful players in the PPC in the last two decades. (Palm Beach Post file photo)

Morin, a PGA Professional at The Club at Ibis in West Palm Beach, has been one of the most successful players in the PPC the last two decades. The reigning Player of the Year in the South Florida PGA (in both the regular and senior categories), he has qualified for six PGAs in 16 tries. It will be harder for the 51-year-old competing against players half his age.

“This is our major for club pros,” Morin said. “It’s really special to represent your section and your facility. The members love seeing your name up there. We take a lot of pride in that.

“I think the best reason for my success is my consistency. More of the courses we play on are set up like major championships. Pars are a good score. You don’t have to go out and shoot 66 every day. But the courses are definitely getting longer for me every year.”

Cook is hoping to play in his third consecutive PGA, having finished among the top 20 in the PPC in 2019 and earning enough points last year when the PPC was canceled because of COVID-19 and the PGA of America relied on rankings.

Cook didn’t just make it to Harding Park in San Francisco, he got plenty of TV time because he had the good fortune of playing alongside Haotong Li, who shot a 65 that Friday to become the first Chinese golfer to lead a major.

“I made sure to walk ahead of him, so I’d get on TV,” Cook said with a laugh. “That was a great experience. He made it look super simple. He played most of his approach shots to the middle of the greens and was just hoping to make 15-to-20-footers.”

Pars won’t be a bad score at the PPC, as Morin mentioned, with the Wanamaker and Ryder Courses stretched to 7,000 and 6,850 yards, respectively. The courses should play firm and fast, which is the way the best players like it. There will be a cut to 90 players and ties after the second round and 70 players and ties after the third round.

Hall of Famer Sam Snead won this tournament in 1972 when he was 59. Hanefeld is one of the oldest players in this year’s field (64), so his expectations are toned down.

“Lately, the only thing I’m known for is doing something for my age,” said Hanefeld, who qualified for the first of his two PGAs in 1990. “My realistic goal is to play in all four rounds. This tournament is always special for club professionals because you’re playing with some of the best players in the country.”

With last year’s tournament canceled because of COVID-19, Alex Beach has been the defending champion for two years. All players had to be tested prior to the event and spectators will not be allowed except for family.

How to watch

Sunday, 3-6 p.m., Golf Channel

Monday, 4-7 p.m., Golf Channel

Tuesday, 4-7 p.m., Golf Channel

Wednesday, 3-7 p.m., Golf Channel

PGA Professional Championship canceled after rise in Texas COVID-19 cases

The event at Omni Barton Creek was scheduled for July 19–22 after the original event, slated for late April, was postponed on March 16.

The Omni Barton Creek Resort was preparing to host the PGA Professional Championship on its Fazio Foothills and Coore Crenshaw golf courses from July 19–22 after the original event, slated for late April, was postponed on March 16 due to rising numbers of COVID-19 cases.

But now the rescheduled event is off the table, too.

“Despite a deep desire to stage our signature Member Championship on behalf of its talented field,” the PGA said in a statement Monday, “it became apparent after consultation with local health authorities in Austin last week that this could not be done responsibly.

“With the health and well-being of our PGA Members, volunteers, rules officials and staff serving as our guiding principles throughout this effort, recent COVID-19 surges in the area and various travel restrictions made our collective pursuit prohibitive.”

Spencer Cody, the director of golf operations for the resort, said health risks to traveling participants and staff members as well as a spike in cases among Texas and Florida residents led to the event’s cancellation.

The highest number of new positive tests in a single day in Travis County was reported Sunday — 636. The county’s second-highest number of cases was reported Monday with 508.

“It became very clear to all involved that it should be canceled for this year,” Cody said, “and we’re working very closely with PGA of America to host in a future year.”

After the event’s initial postponement, the resort worked with Club Car to bring in an additional 200 golf carts in anticipation of each participant needing to use their own golf cart for the duration of the championship.

According to Cody, the resort will have “no changes” to its operations team as a result of the event’s cancellation. Volunteer members who signed up to assist are being notified.

The office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in Austin did not make anyone available for comment Tuesday. A statement provided by a City of Austin spokesperson cited Governor Greg Abbott’s mandate to draw back his initial plan to reopen businesses in Texas.

“Austin-Travis County is working to keep our community safe. Last week, the Governor amended GA-26 to give (the) mayor or county judge, in consultation with the health authority, the ability to impose restrictions on outdoor events over 100 people where previously the authority was for events over 500 people.”

The resort has previously hosted three PGA events, all in 2019. The Men’s PGA Cup began in September while the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup, the Senior PGA Professional Championship took place in October.

Discussions to schedule another meeting are still in the preliminary stages, and the event could resume next year or later, Cody said.

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