PGA Announces Up To 8,000 Fans Can Attend Senior PGA At Southern Hills Each Day

The Professional Golf Association says thousands of fans will be able to attend the Senior PGA Championship at Southern Hills on Memorial Day Weekend.

This could be the largest live sports even in Tulsa since the pandemic began.

Championship director Bryan Karns says 8,000 fans will be able to attend the tournament each day, and they are already seeing a lot of excitement from fans.

"I think a lot of that is just they want to get out, people are getting their vaccines, they're feeling more comfortable, things are kind of on the upswing," he said.

He says they've followed guidance from the CDC and the City of Tulsa to prepare.

"Within the confines of what we can do we feel like this is a great opportunity for people who may be for a year have been waiting to get back to live sports and this is major championship golf," Karns said.

Karns says the city is anticipating nearly $30 million in economic impact from the tournament.

While it is less than if the tournament was at full capacity, Karns says it's much needed after a year of canceled events.

"We love showcasing golf and the greatest golfers in the world, but it means so much to these communities," he said.

He says they will be spending the next two months getting ready to host the tournament and being flexible if anything needs to change.

He says they've looked at other events that have taken place the past few months and are following the advice of what has worked and what hasn't.

"Everybody has been able to dip their toe in and we've taken a lot of best practices from that," he said.

Karns says they are also getting ready for the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, which they hope will be at full capacity.

For information for both tournaments, click here.