TULSA, Okla. — “It’s a major, major golf tournament and we don’t get close to many of them in this area so, you know, I just like the majors,” says Bob Bohnhoff, a Joplin golf fan.
This isn’t Bohnhoff’s first PGA Championship. When the event was last held at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa back in 2007, he made the trip from Joplin then, as well.
Bohnhoff says, “The course is totally different. You know, but, of course Tiger won it. It was great! It was hot though. It was miserable.”
It’s still hot, even though the tournament is in May instead of August, like it was back then.. But the heart hasn’t stopped even the youngest of golf fans from turning out.
Jackson Patterson, a fourth grade golf fan from Carl Junction, says, “[It’s] really exciting and it’s way [bigger than I’ve gone to] before.”
While watching the pros in action is certainly entertaining, it’s also inspiring to young golfers hoping to be on the green someday.
“It’s just really cool cause you get to learn more stuff at your age and get better by watching,” says Patterson. “Yesterday we watched [Tommy] Fleetwood and all them putt for three hours, and that just makes me want to put more.”
Round one of the PGA Championship starts Thursday.