JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – What has been rumored for months became official on Tuesday afternoon. The PGA Tour announced that the PGA Championship has been moved to May and the Players has been moved back to its March timeframe starting in 2019.
“THE PLAYERS Championship has grown in stature since we moved to May in 2007,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Regardless of the date, THE PLAYERS is clearly one of the premier events in all of golf – the best players in the world, a premier venue in THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, an unmatched fan experience and a significant charitable component that benefits the Jacksonville-area community. THE PLAYERS moving to March in 2019 will enhance an already strong Florida portion of our calendar and play a significant role in an overall improved schedule.”
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The PGA Tour hasn’t announced an official date for the 2019 Players but they’re targeting Mid-March. The official date won’t likely be determined until sometime during the 2018 season.
Getting the course ready for play in March is a big difference from their usual May timeline but Monahan doesn’t feel that will impact the quality of golf.
“We're very comfortable that we will be able to deliver a course that's just as competitive in March as it was in May.”
Starting in the 2019 season the PGA Tour will now have one large scale tournament from March through July: The PLAYERS in March, The Masters in April, The PGA Championship in May, The U.S. Open in June and the Open Championship in July.
“The lead in time frame between January moving into March is going to be pretty spectacular,” said THE PLAYERS Executive Director Jared Rice. “We’re now the first premier event of the golf season and being an overall linchpin to an overall season of compelling golf for fans worldwide is really, really exciting.