Rio Olympics could force PGA to July MyZA

Ted Bishop. Photo: Gallo Images

Golf’s major championships will probably have to move forward a few weeks in three years to allow for the sport’s return to the Olympic lineup at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

So says Ted Bishop, president of the PGA of America, whose final major tournament of the year finds itself in direct schedule conflict with the first Olympic golf event since 1904.

“In all likelihood the PGA Championship would probably be played the latter part of July in 2016,” Bishop said Wednesday on the eve of the start of the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.

Bishop said nothing has been officially decided regarding the 2016 schedule, but a change will be needed with the Olympics moving into the time frame of the PGA, which in 2016 will be staged at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey.

Pushing the event back into September or October, where it could cause issues for the US PGA Tour playoffs or the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. – AFP

Watch a video on how the 2016 Olympics will affect the PGA Championship here.