ORLANDO, FL. – The PGA Merchandise Show , which takes over the Orange County Convention Center this week, is the annual kickoff to the golf season. All phases of the industry are represented at this mass gathering that spotlights all that’s new in the sport.
The industry-only show, awaiting its 72nd staging, draws nearly 40,000 visitors. It begins with a Demo Day at Orange County National on Tuesday, then three days of exhibits, presentations and special events at the Orange County Convention Center.
This year’s most significant new developments came a few days early, however, with the LIV Golf League making the biggest splash. In the last days before the big show LIV announced that Scott O’Neil will replace Greg Norman as its new chief executive officer and that Fox Sports will broadcast all 54 holes of the LIV’s 14 tournaments in its fourth season. The CW Network handled TV coverage for LIV’s first three seasons. Fox will give the fledgling circuit a big profile boost.
The Saudi-backed circuit has been Chicago’s lone tournament organizer consistently bringing big-time golf to the area in recent years. Chicago’s been a tournament site the first three years of LIV’s existence and Bolingbrook Golf Club will return as the site of its 12th tournament this year, on Aug. 8-10.
The season climax will have a Midwest flavor with the Bolingbrook stop starting it off. New sites will then take over the last two weeks of the season – the Individual Championship at The Club at Chatham Hills in Indianapolis Aug. 15-17 and the Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth, MI., Aug. 22-24. The Cardinal is a Ray Hearn design that opened for play in 2024.
MEANWHILE Chicago golfers have other good things ahead:
The Chicago District Golf Association has announced the largest competition slate in its 112-year history with more that 100 events throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Two of the oldest events have new twists. The 94th Illinois State Amateur will be played at Stonebridge, in Aurora, July 15-17 and the 92nd Illinois State Women’s Amateur will be under CDGA guidance for the first time June 16-18 at The Grove in Long Grove. The CDGA will also move its second Chicago Adaptive Open to Fox Bend, in Oswego.
Batavia-based club manufacturer Tour Edge has extended its partnership with Bernhard Langer, the winningest player in PGA Tour Champions history. He’s won six times since first signing with Tour Edge in 2021.
The John Deere Classic, Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, will put tickets for the July 2-6 event at TPC Deere Run on sale in early April. The JDC was the PGA Tour’s Most Engaged Community and Best Title Sponsor Integration award winner for 2024.
The Illinois PGA has announced its award winners for the 2024 season. Heading the list is Beverly’s John Varner, as Professional of the Year; Christopher Oehlerking, The Golf Practice, Teacher of the year: Ed Stevenson, The Preserve at Oak Meadows, PGA Executive of the Year; Connor Burke, Butterfield, Assistant Professional of the Year; Kevin Weeks, Cog Hill, Youth Player Development Award; and Eva Rogers, Medinah, Player Development Award.
Winnetka Golf Club has been designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, joining an elite group of courses worldwide to be recognized for environmental stewardship.