Golf fans who want to see the 2012 PGA Championship on Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course will have fewer chances than usual to buy a ticket.
The PGA of America and Kiawah Island Golf Resort said Tuesday that ticket sales will be capped at a level nearly 30% below what is typically allocated for a PGA Championship. The announcement came at a news conference in downtown Charleston, according to the organizations’ release.
Fans can preregister at pga2012.com for a six-week sales window that runs from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31. Those who register earlier will get earlier access when sales open.
“Consumers’ access to buy tickets will be assigned based on how early they have pre-registered,” said Brett Sterba, director of the 2012 PGA Championship. “Registrants can purchase tickets as soon as their assigned tier’s exclusive sales window opens. This represents a different procedure than past PGA Championships, but with smaller galleries, we want to give potential spectators some control over their opportunity to obtain the tickets they want.”
Smaller crowds will make it easier to move around the course and see the play, according to the release. The PGA of America also wants a “more intimate atmosphere” for businesses that use the championship to entertain clients.
The release billed the event as the first major golf championship ever contested in South Carolina.
“In terms of international appeal and media exposure, the 2012 PGA Championship will be the highest-profile sporting event held in South Carolina since we hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup,” said Roger Warren, president of Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell, who co-chairs the championship’s Champions Committee, said the event “will generate exposure for our state like never before.”
The resort, south of Charleston, includes The Sanctuary, a 255-room oceanfront hotel and spa; 600 private villas and homes that it manages; nine restaurants; and five championship golf courses, according to the release.
