The PGA of America announced Friday the 2021 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship will allow a limited number of spectators on-site at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The event, scheduled to be held May 25-30, plans to welcome approximately 8,000 spectators each day after coordinating with the city of Tulsa and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The health and well being of our volunteers, spectators and players has always been our top priority, and we are thrilled that we were able to work together to find a safe way to bring back this incredible event,” said Deb O’Connor, director of Global Corporate Reputation and Community Relations at Whirlpool Corporation, the parent company of KitchenAid. “With 1,500 people currently employed at our Tulsa Whirlpool plant, we could not be more excited to bring this iconic Championship to such a special community.”
Fans, staff and volunteers in attendance will be required to wear face coverings at all times, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status. Social distancing will also be enforced and sanitation stations will be present around the property.
The PGA of America plans to continue monitoring COVID-19 developments and work with local health officials before and during the event.
The tournament returns to the Champions Tour calendar after being canceled in 2020 at Harbor Shores Resort in Benton Harbor, Michigan, due to a Michigan stay-at-home order as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“After a year away, we’re excited to re-establish the legacy of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship,” PGA President Jim Richerson said in a statement. “Southern Hills, with all of its pedigree, is certainly a special place. It’ll be exciting to watch this great American golf course ー which our friend Gil Hanse restored to Perry Maxwell’s original vision ー on a Major Championship stage, not once, but twice, in as many years.”
