Bay Area Council Announces Alliance with 2020 PGA Championship

The Bay Area Council and the 2020 PGA Championship, along with SF Travel and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, today announced an exciting new strategic alliance to highlight and welcome the arrival of the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park, May 11-17. The agreement comes as the PGA of America embarks on a 13-year run with San Francisco and the broader region that will bring worldwide attention to the Bay Area, generate significant jobs and economic activity and provide philanthropic support for numerous community organizations.

This marks the first time San Francisco and the Bay Area will play host to the prestigious PGA Championship, which runs from May 11-17 and includes a full week of exciting events and activities building up to four days of fierce competition featuring the world’s top professional golfers battling to hoist the coveted Wanamaker Trophy. That’s just the beginning.

Under the PGA’s long-term position in San Francisco, the PGA Championship will return to the Bay Area in 2028 when the Olympic Club will play host, followed by the Ryder Cup in 2032, also at the Olympic Club. The Ryder Cup pits top U.S. players in a team format against the best golfers from Europe and England.

“We’re extremely proud to welcome this world-class Championship to the Bay Area,” said Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman. “The PGA of America is an incredible partner that time and time again has demonstrated its strong commitment not only to putting on an incredible event, but to building lasting local and regional strategic alliances that benefit the broader community. Together with SF Travel and the SF Chamber of Commerce, we’re looking forward to welcoming the PGA Championship and helping ensure it’s a major success.”

“San Francisco is truly a city like no other,” said Barry Deach, 2020 PGA Championship Director. “From the vibrant history, culture, and landscapes, to the tight-knit and diverse communities that make up this city by the bay, I can’t wait to showcase what the PGA and San Francisco have in store for sports fans old and new. Between our great community alliances, the Championship at Harding Park, and looking ahead to the 2028 PGA Championship and the 2032 Ryder Cup, we’re excited for a decade-plus dedicated to bringing the world’s best professional golfers to the Bay, and it all starts this May.”

The event is expected to generate significant economic benefits for San Francisco and the region, attracting visitors from around the world, supporting local jobs and businesses and promoting San Francisco and the Bay Area to a global television audience. The state of New York, which hosted last year’s PGA Championship, estimated that the Championship would support 1,000 jobs and generate $120 million in overall economic activity.

“San Francisco Travel is thrilled to partner with the Bay Area Council and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce to support the first-ever PGA Championship on San Francisco soil this coming May,” said Joe D’Alessandro, President and CEO of San Francisco Travel Association. “Working together with these iconic Bay Area institutions and the PGA of America, I am confident we’ll create lasting memories and host the most unforgettable PGA Championship to date. With the 2028 PGA Championship and 2032 Ryder Cup set to be hosted in San Francisco, this is just the start of a 13-year relationship that we are truly excited to be a part of.”

“The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce is excited to work with the PGA on the 2020 PGA Championship,” said Rodney Fong, President and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. “We’re excited to showcase our city to a global golf audience during San Francisco’s first PGA Championship! The PGA has shown great commitment to promoting San Francisco and our small businesses and we couldn’t be happier for this partnership!”

The PGA of America has already been working to establish a robust and diverse local supply chain to provide some of the many services and amenities that the event requires. In addition, event organizers are working closely with the City and County of San Francisco on a transit-first transportation plan that highlights the City’s existing transportation infrastructure.

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About the Bay Area Council

The Bay Area Council is a business-sponsored, public-policy advocacy organization for the nine-county Bay Area. The Council proactively advocates for a strong economy, a vital business environment, and a better quality of life for everyone who lives here. Founded in 1945, the Bay Area Council is widely respected by elected officials, policy makers and other civic leaders as the voice of Bay Area business. Today, more than 300 of the largest employers in the region support the Bay Area Council and offer their CEO or top executive as a member. Our members employ more than 4.43 million workers and have revenues of $1.94 trillion, worldwide. Learn more at www.bayareacouncil.org.

About the PGA Championship
The PGA Championship features one of the strongest international fields in golf, the fairest setup, and the only all-professional field among golf’s majors. Since 1916, golf’s best professionals have won the PGA Championship: from Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson; to Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory Mcllroy and Brooks Koepka. For more information, visit www.PGAChampionship.com.

About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, with 29,000 professionals who daily work to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.org and @PGA on Twitter and find us on Facebook.

About San Francisco Chamber of Commerce

The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce represents over a thousand local businesses in the City, ranging from small legacy restaurants to large innovation companies. Over 80% of SF Chamber members are small, locally-owned businesses. The SF Chamber advocates for a progressive economy and high quality of life for everyone who lives, works and visits the City. Learn more at www.sfchamber-com.sfchamber.com.

About San Francisco Travel Association

The San Francisco Travel Association is the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. Tourism, San Francisco’s largest industry, generated record-breaking numbers in 2018. More than 25.8 million people visited the destination, spending in excess of $10 billion. More than 82,500 jobs are supported by tourism in San Francisco. Learn more at www.sftravel.com.