Australia will "push to host" the PGA Championship, with PGA of Australia CEO Brian Thorburn "keen to push the case to the organisers of the tournament," according to Brad Elborough of the Melbourne AGE. Thorburn said that he "would love to host the tournament and would be bringing up the topic" with PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua "when they are scheduled to meet in six weeks." Thorburn: "We have the infrastructure here; we've hosted the Presidents Cup and the World Cup." Thorburn added that state government funding "would be required for such an event to go ahead." He "thought each state was able to put a golf course forward that would be capable" of hosting the event (Melbourne AGE, 10/18).
SPREAD THE WEALTH? GOLF.com's weekly roundtable discussed the possibility of the PGA Championship occasionally being played internationally to help grow the game. SI's Alan Shipnuck said, "It's a horrible idea -- last I checked, the A stands for America." SI's Gary Van Sickle: "2016 would be a great time to move the PGA to Europe, because the Olympics is going to foul up the golf schedule and you could squeeze the PGA in maybe two weeks after the Open Championship, making it convenient for Tour players." Golf Magazine's Josh Sens: "We've already got the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup and oodles of other events around the globe. The game seems to be growing fine overseas. Where golf really needs help growing is in the United States." Golf.com's Eamon Lynch said, "Bevacqua is one of the smartest guys in the game and making the PGA Championship the first truly global major can only elevate its stature. Take it to Royal Melbourne, a stunning venue with a storied history." SI's Michael Bamberger: "It's a great idea. The borders have been coming down for years in golf (and most everywhere else) and we in the U.S. are the last to recognize it" (GOLF.com, 10/20). GOLFCHANNEL.com's Rex Hoggard wrote, "Give credit to PGA president Ted Bishop and his refreshing willingness to color outside the lines." Hoggard: "Whether you like the concept of a passport PGA or not really doesn’t matter, Bishop & Co. deserve credit for recognizing the importance of an atlas" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 10/18).
