Officials Announce Return of Senior PGA Championship to Oak Hill CC in 2019

On Wednesday, April 26, officials from the PGA of America and Oak Hill Country Club announced the return of major, world-class golf to Rochester and Oak Hill in a special news conference at the club.

 

It was announced that the Senior PGA Championship – the longest-running 50-and-over professional championship, dating back to its origins 80 years ago – will return to Oak Hill in 2019. This will mark the second time that this championship has been held at Oak Hill, which previously hosted the 2008 Senior PGA Championship.

 

Also revealed Wednesday was the official 2019 Senior PGA Championship logo – which will include the KitchenAid name as the recently-added title sponsor of the Championship.

 
“We’re thrilled to return the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship to Oak Hill Country Club,” said PGA of America President Paul Levy. “The support we receive from Oak Hill’s membership and the Rochester community’s collective enthusiasm for golf are remarkable. As for the East Course, it provides a historical context that is rivaled by few in our sport.”

 

As the PGA of America’s Chief Championships Officer, Kerry Haigh has not only been to many of the past PGA-run championships at Oak Hill, he has been instrumental in setting up the club’s famed East Course for these events. For Haigh, memories of these past championships run deep.

 

“I always get goosebumps just driving up to the clubhouse here,” Haigh said of the long entrance drive into the Oak Hill grounds. “This is just such a classic, challenging golf course – and one of the most exciting drives in golf.”

 

Such effusive praise was not lost on PGA of America Senior Director of Communications Julius Mason, who led the panel discussion on Wednesday.

 

“It sounds like you’re asking for a membership here,” Mason said to Haigh – to which current Oak Hill Country Club President Tim Thaney added, “that could be arranged.”

 

Haigh went on to recall several of his favorite memories of past Oak Hill championships – as well as a few interesting asides, such as the fact that Shawn Micheel, winner of the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, will turn 50 in 2019, and will be eligible to play in the 2019 Senior PGA Championship.

 

One of the founding members of the Rochester District Golf Association, Oak Hill’s relationship with the PGA of America is deep and ongoing. The East Course has staged three previous PGA Championships (2013, 2003, 1980) and will do so again in 2023 for a record-tying fourth time. Oak Hill was also the site of the 31st Ryder Cup in 1995, which Europe captured with a stunning final-day comeback, 14½ to 13½.

 

One of the questions asked of the panel on Wednesday – directed at Haigh – referred to the unstated policy of the PGA of America never to return to the host site of a previous Ryder Cup: “would you ever consider breaking your own rule and returning the Ryder Cup to Oak Hill in the future?” But before Haigh could answer, Thaney enthusiastically answered “yes!” For the record, Haigh did not automatically reject the notion, saying, “Absolutely. Oak Hill would be considered as a future (Ryder Cup) host.”

 

PGA of America events aside, Oak Hill’s past has also included quite a history of hosting USGA-run championships, including: the 1998 U.S. Amateur, 1989 U.S. Open, 1984 U.S. Senior Open, 1968 U.S. Open, 1956 U.S. Open, and 1949 U.S. Amateur. With such a track record, the question of hosting more USGA events in the future was also raised.

 

“Of course we would always welcome the return of the U.S. Open – that’s like the ‘Super Bowl’ of championships,” said Thaney. “However, you don’t see too many courses in recent years that host both PGA of America and USGA championships.”

 

Not that anyone at Oak Hill, the PGA of America – or the golf fans of Rochester, for that matter – are complaining in any way about getting a major event like the Senior PGA Championship to return to the area.

 

“On behalf of the Board of Governors and the membership of Oak Hill, we are excited that our East Course will once again host this prestigious championship,” said Thaney. “We are honored that the PGA of America has offered Oak Hill the opportunity to showcase our East Course, our tremendous clubhouse facilities and the hospitality of the Rochester community. Oak Hill is proud to continue our relationship with the PGA of America.”