A big announcement came last week at the start of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in North Carolina; Southern Hills Country Club will host the 2032 PGA Championship. It will be a record-extending sixth time for the Tulsa golf course to host the PGA Championship and only ten years since the last time the PGA Championship was in Tulsa.

Southern Hills previously hosted the 2022, 2007, 1994, 1982 and 1970 PGA Championships as well as the 2021 Senior PGA Championship.

“We could not be more excited to return to Southern Hills Country Club for the 114th PGA Championship in May 2032,” said PGA of America President Don Rea Jr., PGA Master Professional and Owner/Operator of Augusta Ranch Golf Club (Arizona). “Southern Hills and its incredible members as well as the entire Tulsa community have always welcomed the PGA of America, our PGA Members and our Major Championships with authentic, neighborly hospitality. We look forward to bringing the PGA Championship back to not only a first-class community, but a world renowned golf course that will challenge the world’s best golfers as they compete for the iconic Wanamaker Trophy.”

At the 2022 PGA Championship, Justin Thomas began the final round T-7 and seven strokes off the lead before shooting 3-under 67 on Sunday. He then birdied two of three holes in the aggregate playoff to edge Will Zalatoris and captured his second PGA Championship title.

“We are honored that Southern Hills Country Club will host the 2032 PGA Championship,” said Brett Pratt, President of Southern Hills Country Club, in a statement released by the PGA. “We are grateful to continue our wonderful long-standing partnership with the PGA of America. Hosting this Championship for a record sixth time underscores our club’s rich tradition and commitment to the game of golf. We eagerly anticipate welcoming the world’s best golfers and spectators to our course and sharing Southern Hills, the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma with the entire world.”

As a member of the media, I am looking forward to once again covering a major golf tournament at Southern Hills.

THUNDER ADVANCE – NEW ARENA COMING SOON

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat Denver, 125-93, in game seven of the Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday and opened the Conference Finals on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Thunder is in a very interesting position. They will be getting a new arena in a few years, while teams in other sports are battling their local municipal leaders for funding for arenas while at the same time making plans to move to other markets.

A local sales tax was overwhelmingly passed by Oklahoma City residents in December 2023 despite the fact that the Thunder haven’t had much playoff success (prior to this season) and a poor track record for similar measures in the rest of the country in recent years. 71% of voters chose to extend an existing sales tax for six years called MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects), which would have them pay $850 million for a new $900 million arena for the team. Thunder ownership will cover the other $50 million.

What’s amazing is taxes to fund stadiums in cities such as Kansas City, Phoenix, Oakland, Tampa Bay, and elsewhere have all failed, as American voters have become less willing to foot the bill when teams ask for public funding.

Oklahoma City mayor David Holt was the architect of the sales tax measure, but admitted the city didn’t have much of an option.

“Cities like ours never have leverage in these situations,” he told Front Office Sports. “We in Oklahoma City haven’t had the team long enough to forget what it was like before we had the team.”

Oklahoma City is the third smallest market in the NBA. The franchise moved from Seattle to OKC in 2008 after Starbucks magnate Howard Schultz sold the team to investment banker Clay Bennett. Neither owner was able to secure public funding for a new arena in Seattle, so Bennett paid Seattle $45 million in a settlement and moved the team to OKC.

Renderings for the new arena are expected this summer with the venue expected to open for the 2029–30 season. The one-cent sales tax will begin April 1, 2028, when the current one expires. The Thunder and the city are still negotiating a lease for the new arena, but the city will own and operate it. The team currently pays $1.6 million to rent the Paycom Center for the regular season.

The state-of-the-art Paycom Center was completed at a cost of $89.2 million and opened its doors on June 8, 2002, making it only 27 years old when the new arena opens. Again, there are a lot of teams that would love to have a new stadium or arena every 30 years or so.

TULSA BEACON RADIO

Tune in to “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” radio show every week, featuring interviews with local and national level guests, talking about everything from politics to family issues. My guests this week will include local American Idol contestant Kolbi Jordan. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.