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Return Of Men's Golf To Olympics Shakes Up Summer Schedule For '16 PGA Tour Season

The '15-16 PGA Tour schedule is a "study in changes all owed to the return of golf in the Olympics," according to Jim McCabe of GOLFWEEK. Things "won’t look out of place" for the first five months of the '16 calendar, but with the men’s Olympic golf tournament scheduled for Aug. 11-14, a "big knuckleball was tossed at officials with both the PGA Tour and PGA of America." It started with moving the PGA Championship "from its traditional mid-August date to July 28-31 and therein created the challenge" for the PGA Tour. There were "six weeks available for a half-dozen tournaments, but it would require some movement from traditional times." The Travelers Championship will move from its traditional June date to the week after the PGA Championship, played Aug. 4-7. Meanwhile, the John Deere Classic will also "move off its traditional date." Instead of being the week before the British Open, the tournament will "move back five weeks, to Aug. 11-14 and opposite the Olympics." A countdown calendar on the Greenbrier Classic's website puts it in the week of July 7-10. Sources said that the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is "penciled in for June 30-July 3," meaning that the Quicken Loans National "would be played June 16-19, the week after the U.S. Open." On the surface, it would "appear as if the Travelers and John Deere lost dates that they like very much." But sources on both sides said that it "spoke to the cooperation that exists with these partnerships" (GOLFWEEK.com, 7/23).

DATES
TOURNAMENT
June 2-5
The Memorial
June 9-12
FedEx St. Jude Classic
June 16-19
U.S. Open
June 23-26
Quicken Loans National
June 30-July 3
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
July 7-10
Greenbrier Classic
July 14-17
British Open
July 21-24
RBC Canadian Open
July 28-31
PGA Championship
Aug. 4-7
Travelers Championship
Aug. 11-14
Rio Olympics
Aug. 11-14
John Deere Classic
Aug. 18-21
Wyndham Championship
   

TRAVEL EXPENSES
: In Hartford, Tom Yantz notes the Travelers Championship's new date "gives additional time to complete enhancements at TPC River Highlands," which are "scheduled to start in the fall." The enhancements are "part of a multimillion project" that is "scheduled to be completed next year." Updates include "new areas for grandstands, spectator viewing areas at holes 15-18 and modifications to greens and renovations to the bunkers." Tournament Dir Nathan Grube said, "The additional five or so weeks gives everyone working on the course time to make it even better" (HARTFORD COURANT, 7/24).

NOW ON THE TEE: The CP's Stephen Whyno noted Golf Canada "hasn’t yet chosen a site" for the Canadian Open in '17, a decision that "must be made with title sponsor RBC, and the possibility exists that Glen Abbey will host three years in a row." Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons on Wednesday insisted that "no decision had been made, even with back-to-back events happening at the same venue." Simmons: "This is a little bit of an experiment for us. We’re looking at every possible option or angle. ... I think what we’re trying this year with ’15 and ’16 at the Abbey is, ‘What can we learn from back-to-backs?"’ Simmons, Golf Canada President Paul McLean and first-year Tournament Dir Brent McLaughlin "hope having the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey two years in a row generates some local and national momentum." Glen Abbey hosted the Canadian Open 16 times in a row from '81-96, and "given its popularity and proximity to Toronto would make sense as a permanent or semi-permanent home for golf’s third-oldest open championship." But McLaughlin said Golf Canada’s "mandate has always been to move our championships around the country." Simmons upon becoming CEO "assured the tournament would move around the country." Whyno noted title sponsor RBC "seems to prefer Glen Abbey, and it's popular with players and Toronto-area golf fans" (CP, 7/23).

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