LOUISVILLE, Ky. — When professional golfers from across the world tee up at Valhalla Golf Club for the 2024 PGA Championship in just a few days, Louisville golfers will likely notice the course is different from the one they've played on before.
Redesigning a golf course like Valhalla to be more challenging for the best golfers in the world takes years of planning and preparation.
Kerry Haigh, chief championships officer for PGA of America, is the man behind setting up the tournament's course.
"We've obviously made some adjustments to [Valhalla's] course," Haigh said. "[We've] added four or five new tees, which will again, I think, provide more variety and options for the players."
Haigh and his team examine every detail of the golf course, redesigning what's necessary for the PGA Championship.
This isn't Haigh's first time making changes to Valhalla's course either. He oversaw the course's design in 2014 when the PGA championship was in Louisville that year.
While Haigh tries to approach each new tournament differently, he still looks back for inspiration.
"I watched the rerun of the 2014 championship the other night and they brought back some great memories," he said. "But I think this right now is shaping up, potentially, to be even better and even more exciting."
Now in the final days before the pros step on the carefully curated greens, Haigh hopes the course will speak for itself.
"We want the players to be able to show their talents on what is an incredible golf course. And if we do that fairly, the players will enjoy it. The spectators will enjoy it. The TV audience will really enjoy it. And that's our aim," he said. "We we don't want to be part of the story. We shouldn't be part of the story. "
We will get the first look at the new course when the PGA Championship begins on May 13.
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