Louisville mayor 'very optimistic' the PGA Championship will return to Valhalla Golf Club

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said he and the owners of Valhalla Golf Club are "working hard on some really exciting things" a month after the PGA Championship was held, adding that he's "very optimistic" that the major championship will be held in Louisville for a sixth time.

Valhalla hosted its fourth PGA Championship from May 16-19. Xander Schauffele won his first major championship by one shot with a birdie on the 72nd hole.

PGA of America leadership held a news conference May 15 in advance of the first round, sounding confident in Valhalla as a future venue.

"Louisville shows up and they show up in every way," PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said. "... It's an amazing town that gets behind things, which is fantastic."

But what happened Friday morning of that week changed things in many people's minds. A man working security for the event was hit and killed by a bus in the morning darkness early May 17, and, as extra police presence was on scene for traffic control, Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, was arrested after Louisville Metro Police said he ignored an officer's commands as he was trying to enter Valhalla's main gate to prepare for his second-round tee time.

The charges were eventually dropped, but the national attention the arrest garnered didn't paint Louisville in the kindest light in many golf fans' eyes. So after Valhalla held four such events in 28 years, Louisville golf fans are skeptical of the future at Valhalla.

Greenberg, however, sang an optimistic tune Tuesday in front of the Interim Joint Committee on Local Government in Frankfort when asked about logistics at the event.

"They left Louisville, as I believe, incredibly impressed with our city and incredibly impressed with the new ownership of Valhalla," Greenberg said. "As you might recall, the PGA sold the course to four local business folks who have invested millions and millions of dollars in that course to, as you said, make it one of the most amazing golf courses in the country, to make it an amazing experience for people who are playing there but people who are also enjoying tournaments like the PGA Championship as well."

And before Friday's tragedy and subsequent arrest, the general thought was that of optimism too, and it may not just have been lip service to the local fans. A source tells WDRB that the PGA of America has, in fact, discussed a return to Valhalla for the PGA Championship. It's in a group with four other courses for the next available date, which is 2032.

Those other four courses being considered for the PGA of America's next announcement — Bethpage Black Course, Oak Hill Country Club, Atlanta Athletic Club and Southern Hills Country Club — all very well may appear on the calendar before Valhalla.

"The fact that we don't announce something this week or next week or even next year doesn't mean Valhalla isn't a great venue that we are thinking about," Waugh said.

Greenberg said the city has an "incredibly strong" relationship with PGA of America leadership and he's focused on the positives from the week that make Louisville an attractive host city for a major championship.

"I am very optimistic that there will be more PGA Championships at Valhalla and that we will have other really impressive, world class, important golf events that are happening at Valhalla as well," Greenberg told lawmakers. "So stay tuned for a little bit, but the owners of Valhalla and myself and others are working hard on some really exciting things, and I think you're gonna see some more. The PGA, though, was incredibly pleased with the relationship with the city, with the new ownership and with the results of the tournament, with record attendance, record speed to sell all the corporate venues that were out there. The ratings were up significantly, year over year. I'm excited about the future of working with Valhalla."

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