Mike DeCola is the 2018 PGA Championship General Chairman and has played a central role in the planning of this historic event. He was recently interviewed by the St. Louis Business Journal.
In 2018, St. Louis will host the 100th PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club. It is an event city leaders and the local PGA Championship committee have been anticipating and planning for since 2011. The tournament is expected to generate more than $100 million in economic development for the city.
Mike DeCola, CEO of HBM Holdings, is the 2018 PGA Championship general chairman. He believes the event has the potential to be one of the greatest sporting events ever held in St. Louis. Its residents certainly agree, as they make up approximately 30% of the volunteer base. DeCola is also hopeful to beat the senior championship record for corporate hospitality sales of $3.6 million.
Organizing the event is no small feat, as it will require 5,000 volunteers and 85 committees to plan and run the event smoothly. Barry Deach, the 2018 PGA Championship tournament director was amazed the city has already been able to fill 4,000 volunteer positions, an effort that normally takes six months to achieve.
Why St. Louis? Mike DeCola explained at a recent news conference that he believes the non-profit, PGA Reach, influenced the PGA’s decision as it became apparent that St. Louis had more to offer than just being the host city. St. Louis is the third most philanthropic city in the country and launched PGA Reach, which now has chapters in 41 other cities. PGA Reach partners with local organizations that already make a positive impact on children in the St. Louis area. The aim is to keep kids in school and provide them with an opportunity to develop a love of golf and achieve personal fitness goals.
The 100th PGA Championship is an event not to be missed. You can read the full St. Louis Business Journal article here.