Will the Tour Return to the D.C. Area?

[HenryReardon]

Curious if anyone has any insight as to why the tour has all but stopped visiting the Washington D.C. area. Congressional is fresh off a renovation, TPC Potomac was a player favorite and that is just scratching the surface of what the area holds. The Mid-Atlantic region seems ripe for a notable event on the schedule, unsure exactly where assuming the current schedule. 

[Maine Golfer]

East Potomac Golf Links to host an alternate event the same weekend as The Masters in 25 😉 

[Creedo77]

Tpc Potomac is one of the best courses on the east coast. It’s a shame that the tour doesn’t utilize it more. 
 

Time of the year is brutal for the tour schedule. It would be an awesome playoff course as the fall is the best time to play the area

 

[RobS]

Congressional has a deal with the PGA of America that runs through 2036 that includes the PGA Championship in 2031 and  the Ryder Cup in 2036.  TPC Potomac may get the Wells Fargo again in 2025 with Quail Hollow hosting the PGA but that's just a one off again..  The BMW is back at Caves Valley in Baltimore in 2025 but Caves will take a few years off before they host an event again.  I'm not sure why there isn't a regular stop in the region anymore.  The privates in the Baltimore and DC area, suitable for PGA TOUR events, aren't interested in hosting a regular stop but I assume TPC Potomac could and would.  Ironically, TPC Potomac is a much better course now than when it was a regular tour stop. 

[caniac6]

6 minutes ago, RobS said:

Congressional has a deal with the PGA of America that runs through 2036 that includes the PGA Championship in 2031 and  the Ryder Cup in 2036.  TPC Potomac may get the Wells Fargo again in 2025 with Quail Hollow hosting the PGA but that's just a one off again..  The BMW is back at Caves Valley in Baltimore in 2025 but Caves will take a few years off before they host an event again.  I'm not sure why there isn't a regular stop in the region anymore.  The privates in the Baltimore and DC area, suitable for PGA TOUR events, aren't interested in hosting a regular stop but I assume TPC Potomac could and would.  Ironically, TPC Potomac is a much better course now than when it was a regular tour stop. 

Wells Fargo dropped their sponsorship, so the future of a regular Tour event in Charlotte is not a certainty.

[RobS]

34 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

Wells Fargo dropped their sponsorship, so the future of a regular Tour event in Charlotte is not a certainty.

Correct, not a certainty. I'm using Wells Fargo generically assuming that the event may remain similar to Houston, Dallas and Palm Beach Gardens who've all had recent sponsor drops/changes.  

[Mcfly]

Places I would never visit:

Coin flip between DC and Tehran.  

[pga43]

On 2/26/2024 at 2:50 PM, HenryReardon said:

Curious if anyone has any insight as to why the tour has all but stopped visiting the Washington D.C. area. Congressional is fresh off a renovation, TPC Potomac was a player favorite and that is just scratching the surface of what the area holds. The Mid-Atlantic region seems ripe for a notable event on the schedule, unsure exactly where assuming the current schedule. 

The tour doesn't just decide to run a tournament at a golf course, they need a sponsor to step up and be willing to drop millions into hosting a tournament.  Then there's the dates for said new event.  Which tournament is willing to move either to different dates or to a new region/golf course.

 

It's not like the Tour doesn't want to have a tournament in the DC area, just a lot of things have to happen before one will be there.

 

 

Greg

[Holy Moses]

The Tour needs DC, Chicago, and NYC to have yearly stops. Can’t be missing these markets. 

[HenryReardon]

1 minute ago, pga43 said:

The tour doesn't just decide to run a tournament at a golf course, they need a sponsor to step up and be willing to drop millions into hosting a tournament.  Then there's the dates for said new event.  Which tournament is willing to move either to different dates or to a new region/golf course.

 

It's not like the Tour doesn't want to have a tournament in the DC area, just a lot of things have to happen before one will be there.

 

 

Greg

Great point Greg, thanks for chiming in. As the landscape continues to shift I’m curious if the sponsor opportunities will present themselves for that area to have another event.

[PhilsFanDrew]

I think part of the issue is the tour schedule as it is with the elevated events.  I don't think anyone regionally like a Verizon is stepping up as a sponsor because they don't want it to become a weak or adjacent field, non elevated event like a 3M or John Deere.  That works okay for the relaxed fanbases in the Midwest but for a big sports market like DC that would be a bit of a slap in the face.  

[RobS]

7 minutes ago, PhilsFanDrew said:

I think part of the issue is the tour schedule as it is with the elevated events.  I don't think anyone regionally like a Verizon is stepping up as a sponsor because they don't want it to become a weak or adjacent field, non elevated event like a 3M or John Deere.  That works okay for the relaxed fanbases in the Midwest but for a big sports market like DC that would be a bit of a slap in the face.  

Most major companies with a big DC presence have one major problem with sponsoring a high dollar event that has a substantial customer entertainment element.  Their biggest customers are the GSA, DoD,  other Federal Agency or a private sector company that follows the same gift rules as the Federal Government.  If you can't fill your hospitality tents with key clients or prospective clients, it takes a way a big incentive to sponsor an event.  

[pga43]

2 hours ago, Holy Moses said:

The Tour needs DC, Chicago, and NYC to have yearly stops. Can’t be missing these markets. 

Big sports markets but it seem sponsors have decided that they don't get the ROI from a yearly event or there would be one in each of those cities.  Doesn't seem to be hurting the tour cuz their schedule dates are full year to year.

 

When a sponsor leaves, it doesn't seem that the new sponsor wants the tournament moved.  There was an opening when Honda didn't renew their contract.  Hard to move a February date to DC, Chicago or New York and the Tour isn't going to shuffle the calendar for a new sponsor.

 

Greg

Edited February 28 by pga43

[pga43]

1 hour ago, PhilsFanDrew said:

I think part of the issue is the tour schedule as it is with the elevated events.  I don't think anyone regionally like a Verizon is stepping up as a sponsor because they don't want it to become a weak or adjacent field, non elevated event like a 3M or John Deere.  That works okay for the relaxed fanbases in the Midwest but for a big sports market like DC that would be a bit of a slap in the face.  

Verizon was a tournament sponsor for years, long before "elevated" events.  Seems when there's a CEO change and maybe he/she isn't into golf, major corporations bail.  Maybe hard to justify the expense to shareholders..

 

 

Greg

[grm24]

45 minutes ago, pga43 said:

Verizon was a tournament sponsor for years, long before "elevated" events.  Seems when there's a CEO change and maybe he/she isn't into golf, major corporations bail.  Maybe hard to justify the expense to shareholders..

Exactly. At one time they were the title sponsor at the Byron Nelson. Then for a few years at the Heritage.

[bcjim]

On 2/27/2024 at 7:55 AM, RobS said:

Congressional has a deal with the PGA of America that runs through 2036 that includes the PGA Championship in 2031 and  the Ryder Cup in 2036.  TPC Potomac may get the Wells Fargo again in 2025 with Quail Hollow hosting the PGA but that's just a one off again..  The BMW is back at Caves Valley in Baltimore in 2025 but Caves will take a few years off before they host an event again.  I'm not sure why there isn't a regular stop in the region anymore.  The privates in the Baltimore and DC area, suitable for PGA TOUR events, aren't interested in hosting a regular stop but I assume TPC Potomac could and would.  Ironically, TPC Potomac is a much better course now than when it was a regular tour stop. 

Agree.  I think while locals view any venue as a "hassle" (parking etc) because they are, it would do fine in terms of attendance.  The main thing is its hard to find a good calendar spot.  WF (May) is the likely option, move it to TPC.  That date works. June is spoken for,  July (and Aug) is very hot, bent grass is on life support and it would be an opposite field event in  July.  A playoff event is good but Caves Valley may as well be on the moon for DC area people. Maybe some years have it TPC? Thats maybe the best option.

[RobS]

14 hours ago, bcjim said:

Agree.  I think while locals view any venue as a "hassle" (parking etc) because they are, it would do fine in terms of attendance.  The main thing is its hard to find a good calendar spot.  WF (May) is the likely option, move it to TPC.  That date works. June is spoken for,  July (and Aug) is very hot, bent grass is on life support and it would be an opposite field event in  July.  A playoff event is good but Caves Valley may as well be on the moon for DC area people. Maybe some years have it TPC? Thats maybe the best option.

You're right, May is the best fit for the DC area for a variety of reasons.  WF was well attended at TPC in 2022 despite the hassle of getting on site.  Every sports venue in the DMV area is a hassle, so the locals are accustomed to dealing with that.  Caves sounds close but you're spot on.  Only the most hardcore fans are willing to head up north of Baltimore to watch.  A playoff event at TPC Potomac would do well and I know that Caves doesn't want to host an event more than once every few years.

[stinger_gc]

On 2/28/2024 at 12:16 PM, pga43 said:

The tour doesn't just decide to run a tournament at a golf course, they need a sponsor to step up and be willing to drop millions into hosting a tournament.  Then there's the dates for said new event.  Which tournament is willing to move either to different dates or to a new region/golf course.

 

It's not like the Tour doesn't want to have a tournament in the DC area, just a lot of things have to happen before one will be there.

 

 

Greg

I thought part of the reason PGAT enterprises was formed was sponsors leaving. The tour would run these events under the “for profit” umbrella allowing them to keep the money they make off of them and reinvent it back in the tour but then again I might be wrong