The PGA Championship may be moving on up -- in the calendar, that is -- in 2016.
With golf returning to the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, the PGA of America's signature championship and the fourth and final major of the men's calendar may have to move from its traditional August date to July.
The 2016 Games are set to begin in Brazil on Aug. 5, 2016, which was Monday of this PGA Championship Week. There's no way the PGA Championship would be contested without the best field possible, so with at least a couple dozen of the highest-ranked players in the world poised to be playing the Olympic tournament that week, the only step is the change the date.
PGA of America president Ted Bishop told Golf Channel's "Morning Drive" on Tuesday that moving forward to July is likely.
"We haven't set a date yet for 2016, but I doubt very seriously that it would be after Labor Day," Bishop said. "I would think that what you're going to see in 2016 probably would be a sliding forward of the majors ... the PGA Championship would probably take place sometime in late July, a couple of weeks after the Open Championship."
Meanwhile, the 2016 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, typically played the week the week prior to the season's final major, should keep that prime slot, according to PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.
The 2016 Open Championship, which normally precedes the PGA by three weeks, will be played at Royal Troon. Baltusrol will be where the '16 race for the Wanamaker trophy is, returning to the New Jersey major mainstay after an 11-year absence.
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