Michiganders, rejoice. The PGA Tour may soon be returning to your state.
According to a report by the Detroit News, the Tour is nearing a deal to stage a new event at Detroit Golf Club. The event could be sponsored by Quicken Loans, which is headed by Dan Gilbert, and would begin in 2019. Gilbert was born and raised in Detroit and earned a law degree at Wayne State University, which is also located in the city.
The Tour left Michigan in 2009 when the Buick Open folded along with the near-collapse of the auto industry during the financial crisis. The Buick was held in Grand Blanc, about 60 miles northwest of Detroit. But Gilbert is reportedly pushing for the new Tour stop to take place in Detroit’s city limits to further boost the revitalized city. That makes Detroit Golf Club, a private enclave on the city’s north side, a logical landing spot. It has the infrastructure to host the crowds and also features 36 holes that can be rerouted for a Tour-quality 18.
Currently at least two Tour stops are being played without title sponsors: the Houston Open, which was staged in its traditional spot the week before the Masters, and the National, which is slated for June 28-July 1 and hosted by Tiger Woods.
The Tour typically announces its schedule in late summer. No matter what happens in Detroit, there will be wholesale changes in 2019, as the PGA Championship shifts to May and the Players Championship moves to March.
