PGA Championship bringing financial boom to Charlotte
Tens of thousands of golf fans are in town for this week's PGA Championship in south Charlotte and they were out in full force for the first round on Thursday.
Channel 9's Joe Bruno spoke to fans who are enjoying the world-class golf at Quail Hollow Golf Club.
'Oh, it's fantastic, all the different cultures, different people; it is wonderful,' fan Nat Gorham said.
RELATED: PGA Championship brings business, spotlight to local suppliers
Fans are also praising the course's conditions.
'The course is immaculate. It's great it drains well. The rain doesn't really affect it much,' Reece Dorton said. 'You can't ask for a better golf course to play on.'
The large crowds are also bringing in tons of extra cash for local businesses.
Back in 2017, the event brought in 100 million dollars of economic impact, according to the CRVA. Tournament officials are hoping to surpass that as the world descends on Charlotte to watch the top golfers at Quail Hollow.
Charlotte is counting on those out-of-towners to spend big while here.
In 2017, hotel demand was up 50 percent compared to the same period the year before. And AirBnb said at the time, the Friday of the tournament was the biggest night ever in the city for guest arrivals
It's a hard ticket to get.
Passes will run you a couple of hundred dollars if you don't already have one.
But at least, unlike the last PGA Championship, all food and non-alcoholic drinks are included.
The PGA Championship follows the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow in 2022. The 200 thousand attendees that year brought in more than 130 million to our economy. Fans hope the Queen City keeps landing big golf events
'It brings more attention,' Dorton said. 'I've been here all my life and I think this brings great attention and economy to the city."
Nearly half of the attendees of the Presidents Cup stayed at some point overnight, with more than 145-thousand hotel rooms sold during that 6-day event.
Charlotte's figures for the PGA Championship will be released in a couple of months.
(WATCH BELOW: Fans, golfers take on PGA Championship practice rounds after Monday's washout)
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I turned my two-car garage into an Airbnb to afford living in my dream town. I've made $35,000 a year and get to share the area I love.
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US Ryder Cup captain Bradley wins the Travelers. Lee and Jimenez take major titles
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Keegan Bradley wins shocker at Travelers, denying Tommy Fleetwood first Tour win
Johnson Wagner catches up with Keegan Bradley from Quail Hollow's 14th hole, where the 2011 PGA Championship winner breaks down why the course is so "difficult" and how he approaches his prep. CROMWELL, Conn. — Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley rallied from three shots behind with four holes to play and birdied the 18th hole before a delirious home crowd Sunday for a 2-under 68 to win the Travelers Championship. The victory only strengthened the case for Bradley to bring his clubs to Bethpage Black for the September matches against Europe. He moved to No. 9 in the standings. And he wound up beating Tommy Fleetwood, who scored the clinching point for Europe at Marco Simone two years ago. One shot behind Fleetwood going to the 18th hole, Bradley stuffed his approach to just under 6 feet below the hole. Fleetwood, looking like this might be the time he wins a PGA Tour title, came up some 50 feet short and took three putts for bogey and a 72. Bradley kept his feet planted when the putt dropped and shook his fist. New England's favorite son delivered a stunner at the TPC River Highlands, capping off the finish in oppressive heat with a 35-foot birdie putt on the 15th and the 6-footer at the end. 'Of all the shots and all the putts I hit, I think I'm going to remember that one the most,' he said of his final birdie. It was crushing for Fleetwood, the 34-year-old from England who has built a reputable record around the world but is 0 for 84 in regular PGA Tour events. He got off to a rough start, steadied himself and failed to convert a pair of putts in the 6-foot range over the last five holes. Russell Henley chipped in from across the 18th green for birdie and a 69 to join Fleetwood one shot behind. Henley called a one-shot penalty on himself in the second round when he saw his golf ball move the length of a dimple as he was playing a chip. He notified the rules staff, checked with them on the ruling and added one to his score for a penalty only he saw. Bradley has two wins against world-class fields in the last 10 months — only Scottie Scheffler has won more since August among players ahead of him in the Ryder Cup standings. When asked on the 18th green if he should be playing, Bradley said only, 'Go USA!' He heard plenty of that on a sunbaked day with the heat index approaching triple digits, especially when he holed a 65-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole to stay in the mix. Bradley was tied with Fleetwood, who bogeyed three of his first four holes, going to the back nine. But the Englishman began to pull away with a pair of birdies and was who shots clear when he hit wedge to 6 feet on the 14th hole. Bradley one-hopped his approach over the green into a plugged lie in the bunker, and all he could do was blast out to 40 feet and make bogey to fall three behind. Golf Channel Staff, But he made the 35-foot birdie putt on the 15th. Fleetwood went long on the par-3 16th, chipped downhill some 20 feet by for bogey to narrow the margin to one shot and set the tone for the turnaround that gave Bradley his second Travelers win in three years. They're all special for the Vermont native playing in the only PGA Tour stop in the northeast. This one carried chants of, 'USA! USA!' after every big putt, especially the last one. Bradley finished at 15-under 265 and won $3.6 million for his first title in a signature event. He also won the BMW Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff event, last August at Cherry Hills outside Denver. Bradley, who turned 39 earlier this month, won on the one-year anniversary that he received the call asking him to be Ryder Cup captain. Harris English (65) boosted his Ryder Cup hopes by tying for fourth with Jason Day (68). Scottie Scheffler, who had a share of the 36-hole lead until a 72 in the third round, closed with a 65 and tied for sixth with Rory McIlroy, who also shot 65. They were three shots back. Scheffler and McIlroy already have clinched spots on the Ryder Cup team. Bradley is assured of being there, too. Still to be determined his what role he plays.
