Woods’ Masters triumph triggers ticket frenzy for US PGA Championship

Tiger Woods title triumph at the Augusta Masters has triggered a ticket frenzy for the PGA Championship.

While tickets for the final two days of the 16 to 19 May championship at Bethpage Black in Farmington, New York had already sold out prior to the Masters, Woods’ win prompted a surge in demand for the remainder.

Seth Waugh, chief executive of the PGA of America, said the decision to move the US PGA Championship up the golf calendar to the second major of the season has gone from being a “smart” move to a “brilliant” one, off the back of Tiger Woods’ victory at The Masters last month.

Waugh said Woods’ triumph at Augusta, his fifth green jacket and 15th major, was a sporting equivalent of the Moon landing, and had triggered a ticket frenzy for the PGA Championship.

Speaking at a PGA Championship media day, Waugh said: “Tiger, you know, he has impact, sort of the Moon landing. It’s not golf; it’s where were you when, kind of stuff.

“The impact immediately afterwards was extraordinary in terms of ticket sales. We were basically sold out for the weekend, but the requests just poured in across the board in lots of ways.”

The PGA Championship has traditionally taken place in August as the last major of the year, but will now occupy a permanent May slot in the calendar.

The rationale for the switch was twofold: to avoid a clash with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (golf returned to the Olympic programme at Rio 2016, but its inclusion meant that the fourth major of the year had to be brought forward to July); and to raise the profile of the tournament, which is widely regarded as the least important of the majors.

It will now be followed by the US Open in June and the British Open in July.

Meanwhile, Woods’ yacht is ready for the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, even though Woods likely isn’t there yet.

The $20 million yacht ‘Privacy’ has reportedly arrived at Oyster Bay on Wednesday.

Presumably Woods will stay on the yacht during PGA week, as it’s currently docked just 13 miles away from Bethpage Black. He also stayed on his yacht during the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and, more recently, docked on Long Island during the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

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