Highlighting the field at the 87th PGA
Championship, the last leg of golf's
Grand Slam, will be two-time PGA Champion
Tiger Woods, who will be playing his
first competitive professional golf
ever in the State of New Jersey. In
addition, as the season's final major,
the PGA Championship traditionally boasts
golf's greatest International field
and includes such stars as Vijay Singh,
Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love
III, Mike Weir and Sergio Garcia to
name a few. In fact, the event, which
features more Top 100 World ranked players
than any other golf major, boasted 96
of the top 100 players at last year's
PGA Championship in Rochester; won by
Shaun Micheel who hit the seven iron
shot heard 'round the world' into 18.
The 87th PGA Championship at Baltusrol
Golf Club will mark the first time
in 63 years that the event has been
played in New Jersey. It was last
played in the Garden State in 1942
at Seaview Country Club in Atlantic
City, where golf legend Sam Snead
captured the first of his seven major
championships.
Adds Jeffrey, "New Jersey has
not seen this prestigious event in
many years. This, along with the fact
that Tiger Woods will be playing his
first tournament golf in the State,
makes this a must-have ticket."
During its 109-year history, Baltusrol
Golf Club has hosted 15 national golf
championships, including seven U.S.
Open Championships, four U.S. Amateur
Championships, two Women's U.S. Open
Championships and two U.S. Women's
Amateur Championships. The championships
at Baltusrol, which have been some
of golf's most memorable, are highlighted
by the great Jack Nicklaus who captured
two major championships at Baltusrol.
The PGA Championship is one of four
premier golf events conducted by the
PGA of America. Others include the
Ryder Cup Matches, the Senior PGA
Championship and the PGA Grand Slam
of Golf, which brings together winners
of golf's four major championships.
Since 1916, golf's best professionals
have been competing for the PGA Championship's
coveted Wanamaker Trophy. Past champions
include Tiger Woods, Davis Love III,
Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead and Walter
Hagen, among others.
Baltusrol continued to host golf's
major shows. In 1961, the Women's
U.S. Open witnessed an extraordinary
performance by Mickey Wright, which
reporter Herbert Warren Wind hailed
as one of the best tee to green performances
he had ever seen by a man or woman.
In 1967, Jack Nicklaus emerged and
shocked the world of golf by winning
the U.S. Open, defeating the legendary
Arnold Palmer in a classic final round.
When the U.S. Open returned in 1980,
Nicklaus, who the golf media had written
off as over the hill, was again victorious,
setting a new tournament scoring record
along the way and letting golf fans
everywhere know that "Jack was
Back!" In 1985, the Women's open
returned to Baltusrol and thirteen
years to the date of Nicklaus's victory,
Lee Janzen claimed the U.S. Open trophy
in a classic duel against Payne Stewart.
At the turn of the millennium, Baltusrol
was honored to host the 100th playing
of the U.S. Men's Amateur, which was
won by Jeff Quinney.
As tremendous as the past has been
for this splendid Golf Club, the future
looks just as bright. The 87th PGA
Championship comes to Baltusrol in
August of 2005. This will be only
the second playing of the PGA in New
Jersey. With Baltusrol's history of
hosting national championships and
so many memorable tournaments over
its more than 100 year history, Baltusrol's
future will remain in golf's limelight.
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