2013 Senior PGA Championship parking, road closure and spectator information

2013 Senior PGA Championship parking, road closure and spectator information











PGA.COM May 17, 2013 3:53 PM

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ST. LOUIS -- The PGA of America today announced new and important information for spectators planning to attend the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, which will be contested starting next week, May 21-26, at Bellerive Country Club. The most important information is listed below, and additional information can be found at spga2013.com and in the Senior PGA Championship spectator guide. PARKING General public parking for spectators attending the Championship will be located at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights. Complimentary shuttle service to and from the Main Entrance is also included. You do not need to have a ticket to utilize this parking lot.

ROAD CLOSURESRoads surrounding Bellerive will be closed daily during the Championship and will only be accessible with the appropriate access credential. From Tuesday, May 21st -- Sunday, May 26th, from 6 AM -- 8 PM each day, the following will be in effect: -- MoDOT will close Ladue Road to through traffic from Mason Road to Highway 141. Westbound Ladue Rd traffic will be routed south on Mason Rd. -- St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic will close Mason Road from Ladue Road to West Walling Drive. -- Note: Only vehicles with proper hang-tags, school buses, Metro buses, US Postal Service vehicles, and emergency vehicles will be allowed to travel within this area. Local service and delivery vehicles will be allowed.

TICKETS Tickets are still available by clicking here or by calling 800-PGA-GOLF (742-4653). Tickets will also be available daily at the Will Call/admissions trailer -- located at the main entrance to the Championship across the street from the Kirk of the Hills Church. As a reminder, attendees do not need a ticket to board the shuttle buses from Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (Week of May 20) Gate HoursMonday: Closed to Public Tuesday & Wednesday: 7:00 AM -- 7:00 PM Thursday & Friday: 6:45 AM -- 8:00 PM Saturday & Sunday: 6:30 AM -- 6:00 PM Public Shuttle Hours Monday: Closed to Public Tuesday & Wednesday: 6:45 AM -- 8:00 PM Thursday & Friday: 6:30 AM -- 9:00 PM Saturday & Sunday: 6:00 AM -- 7:00PM Tuesday, May 21: Pro-Am/Practice Rounds Pro-Am playing times: 9:00 AM -- 2:00 PM Contestant Practice Round playing times: 2:00 PM -- 7:00 PM Wednesday, May 22: Practice Rounds Playing times: 7:00 AM -- 7:00 PM Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24: First and Second Round Starting on both Hole #1 and Hole #10 (groups of three) Morning starting times: 7:15 AM -- 9:20 AM* Afternoon starting times: 12:30 PM -- 2:30 PM* Completion of rounds: 7:30 PM* * Subject to change. Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26: Third and Final Round All players starting on Hole #1 (groups of two) Starting times: 7:00 AM -- 12:51 PM Completion of rounds: 5:00 PM* * Subject to change

MOBILE DEVICE POLICY Those wishing to use their mobile devices will be asked to adjust the volume setting to "silent" or "vibrate" while at the Championship. -- Guests may accept or make phone calls in designated areas throughout the golf course, primarily near concession stands. -- Digital messaging and checking data is allowed on the golf course. -- Mobile device camera use is NOT permitted during the Championship Rounds. -- No video recording will be permitted at any time during Championship Week. Spectators attempting to use their mobile device in unauthorized areas or in ways not sanctioned will be asked to surrender the device and pick it up at a designated location after they depart the golf course.

ITEMS TO LEAVE AT HOMETo ensure that all attendees enjoy a safe, enjoyable experience at the Championship, the items listed below are strictly prohibited on the grounds of Bellerive Country Club. All bags will be searched upon entering the Championship. -- Personal electronics such as hand-held games, radios, televisions, iPods, iPads, etc. -- All oversized chairs with wide arm rests (small, portable/folding chairs are permitted). -- Bags larger than 10" x 10" x 10" in their natural state. -- Backpacks of any size. -- Prohibited bags will not be accepted/stored at Bellerive Country Club. -- Weapons of any kind (regardless of permit). -- Coolers, ladders, milk crates, signs, posters, banners, dogs and other pets. -- Food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages). -- Other items deemed unlawful or dangerous by Championship Security personnel, at their sole discretion. Please leave all prohibited items in your vehicle as they will not be permitted at the Championship.

DIRECTIONS TO PGA PARKING (VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATER) From the North (Chicago) -- Take I-55 South to Exit 20B -- Merge onto I-270 West toward Kansas City -- Continue on I-270 South -- Take Exit 20A-20B to merge onto I-70 W toward Kansas City -- Take Exit 231A for Maryland Heights Expressway -- Merge onto MO-141/141/Maryland Heights Expressway -- Turn right onto Riverport Drive -- Follow PGA Public Parking signage to the entrance of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater From the East (Metro East -- Illinois) -- Take I-64/40 West -- Continue on I-64/40 West -- Take exit 25A-25B for I-270 S/I-270 N toward Memphis/Chicago -- Take exit 20A-20B to merge onto I-70 W toward Kansas City -- Take exit 231A for Maryland Heights Expressway -- Merge onto MO-141/141/Maryland Heights Expressway -- Turn right onto Riverport Drive -- Follow PGA Public Parking signage to the entrance of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater From the West (Kansas City) -- Take I-70 East -- Follow I-70 over Missouri River -- Take exit 231A for Earth City Expressway S -- Turn right onto Riverport Drive -- Follow PGA Public Parking signage to the entrance of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater From the South (Memphis) -- Take I-55 North to Exit 196 -- Merge onto I-270 North -- Take exit 20A-20B to merge onto I-70 W toward Kansas City -- Take exit 231A for Maryland Heights Expressway -- Merge onto MO-141/141/Maryland Heights Expressway -- Turn right onto Riverport Drive -- Follow PGA Public Parking signage to the entrance of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater About the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid Begun in 1937 on the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf. The Championship brings together both the legends of the game and the newest members of senior professional golf to new audiences throughout the United States. Follow the 2013 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid on Twitter (@2013SeniorPGA) and Facebook. The 2014 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will take place at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich. About The PGA of America Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf. About KitchenAid Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Over 90 years later, the KitchenAid brand now offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars. To learn why chefs choose KitchenAid for their homes more than any other brand visit www.KitchenAid.com. About PGA REACH PGA REACH was created to utilize the upcoming PGA of America Championships at Bellerive Country Club as a catalyst to "Improve Lives Through Golf" and will focus on the areas of Recreation, Education, Awareness, Community, and Health. PGA REACH will work with existing organizations that are already positively affecting the lives of young men and women in our community by extending their capabilities and impact, making additional time, talent and financial resources available to them. The collaborative and focused activities of these groups will have a significant influence on youth in the St. Louis area.

About Bellerive Country ClubOpened in 1897, Bellerive Country Club has a 100-year history of hosting spectator and championship golf. With the 2013 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, Bellerive will become only the third club in the United States to host all four traveling men's professional major championships: PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and U.S. Senior Open. Bellerive will also host the 100th PGA Championship in August 2018.

How to Qualify for the U.S. Open in 5 Easy Steps

How to Qualify for the U.S. Open in 5 Easy Steps











Ryan Ballengee May 17, 2013 6:19 PM


COMMENTARY | Your chances of qualifying for the U.S. Open are pretty slim.



The USGA reported 9,860 players ponied up to go through the process that can include local and sectional qualifying -- in total, a gauntlet of up to 54 holes offering less than 1 percent
of entrants a berth in the national championship.





A year ago, I tried to qualify for the Open. It began as a quest to learn how to play muscleback irons, but eventually developed into a journey to see just how far my much improved game could take me.



I failed miserably in my local qualifier. I shot 87. After a par at my first hole, almost every tee shot after that was a disaster. However, I learned a lot that day, playing alongside a contestant that nearly earned a spot in sectionals, as well as covering Golf's Longest Day for Golf Channel in Columbus, Ohio, after the Memorial Tournament.



With local qualifying having ended May 16 and sectionals on June 3, I wanted to share my top five lessons from the experience for the trimmed field of hopefuls.



1. Play a practice round or two



I know it sounds obvious, but scheduling and actually playing a practice round or two at your qualifying site is a great idea. Developing a comfort level with the course takes some pressure out of the experience and saves you the embarrassment of flailing your arms around every time a putt doesn't move like you expect. The expletives -- both the silent and very audible varieties -- dissipate when you know what's coming.



Playing a practice round also means that you might actually be committed enough to do well in qualifying. Don't be like and try to qualify after flying back from covering The Players Championship. Learning by osmosis didn't work sleeping on my textbooks in college and they definitely didn't work watching Matt Kuchar and Tiger Woods for four days. Take a day off of work to give yourself a chance.



2. Don't get intimidated by who's in the field



At the sectional level, the odds are that there will be a number of PGA Tour and Web.com Tour pros in the field. Many may blend in the background at their day job -- after all, they're not good enough to be exempt from qualifying -- but they sure stand out in this setting. The staff bag. The clearly put-together attire. A caddie. Those traits are easy to spot when the only people in the gallery are parents and friends of other competitors, namely the ones without a job.



Pros are people just like you and me, however. They're outstanding players, but they get nervous, too. They want to be shoved into qualifying as much as an NFL team wants Tim Tebow. If you've made it to sectionals, the pros have no special powers that you don't.



3. Get a good night's sleep beforehand



A qualifying day is a long one. Though the local qualifying is just 18 holes, the round can easily drag on past five hours. Tack on an extra 18 for the sectionals, and the day feels like you're attached to a polygraph machine for 15 hours, asked constantly if you're sure you are who you say you are.



Getting seven or eight hours of sleep will give you enough pep in your step to make it through the day. Whether you qualify or not, seven or eight beers will help you get through the night after it's all over.



4. Bring an extra pair of socks and shoes



To get the whole field through 36 holes of sectional qualifying at each site, the action begins early. In a lot of places, that means dew on the grass that will almost assuredly find its way through your supposedly waterproof shoes and absorbed by your socks.



By the end of your morning round, your feet will be shriveled, if not your confidence from how you played. Either way, change your socks and shoes for the second round. It'll keep your dogs from barking. Besides, there's no need for a massive blister to be your parting gift in the event you don't make it.



5. Wear sunscreen



Who am I, an utter loser, to tell you to succeed at what I couldn't do? When I thought about that, I immediately thought of the Baz Luhrmann song, inspired by a 1997 piece written by reporter Mary Schmich.



"The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience," Schmich wrote.



On a long, hot June day, it's good advice.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.

Rory McIlroy’s Management Shift Is Best for the Long Term

Rory McIlroy’s Management Shift Is Best for the Long Term
Reports Confirm That World No. 2 Is Dumping Horizon for His Own Start-up











Chris Chaney May 17, 2013 6:43 PM




COMMENTARY | Rory McIlroy just wants something that fits.

From his new Nike clubs and threads to his public relations roller coaster, 2013 has been a bit rough on the 24-year-old Northern Irishman, both o
n the course and off.



A dubious start to the year began with a missed cut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and was compounded by McIlroy's walk-off at the Honda Classic two months later. McIlroy's schoolboy charm and flawless motion through the ball endeared him to golf nuts, media and everyone in-between.

Finally, it seemed, there was a world-class talent with a down-to-earth, likable personality; somebody kids could look up to as a true role model in all aspects of his life.

But everything wasn't as simple as McIlroy was making it look.

Golf is hard, and not even McIlroy was immune to its difficulty as we found out at the 2011 Masters when McIlroy imploded on the back nine at Augusta National. Still under the wing of International Sports Management's Andrew "Chubby" Chandler, the man by whom he was represented since he turned pro in 2007, McIlroy gave one of the best mea culpas in recent memory. McIlroy stood up to the fire admirably as he answered every question with poise and candor following his final-round 80, presumably at the urging of his agent and ISM's PR staff.

Two short months later amid a flurry of doubt and predictions of scar tissue build up, McIlroy scorched Congressional Country Club as well as the field to win the 2011 U.S. Open by eight shots. His folly at Augusta now chalked up to growing pains, McIlroy was back on track to becoming the next big thing in professional golf.

And yet, McIlroy wasn't happy with his representation.

A burgeoning star, those close to McIlroy were not surprised when he chose to leave ISM to join Horizon Sports Management in 2011. Horizon was a Dublin-based agency nowhere near the size or stature of ISM, boasting a modest stable of capable athletes that included McIlroy's close friend Graeme McDowell.

While assumptions were made of McDowell wooing his younger compatriot for the agency, more promising theories were asserted that McIlroy was not receiving the attention he required from the larger, more encompassing ISM group.

Chandler, a former professional golfer himself, was much closer with older clients and friends Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, giving them more time and attention than his up-and-coming star, McIlroy.

Horizon presented a more tight-knit company that had McIlroy and his growing brand atop its priority list. Connor Ridge and Colin Morrissey, the co-founders of the then six-year-old management group took the reigns to McIlroy's affairs.

From a business perspective, what Horizon has done for McIlroy in the past 18 months has been nothing short of impressive. McIlroy, under Horizon, has inked deals most notably with Nike, Omega and Bose, while still keeping logos off of his golf bag. His mostly logo-less bag (with the exception of Santander Bank, a deal rolled over from his time with ISM) has allowed McIlroy to capitalize locally and publicly with his "6 Bags Project," an endeavor that benefits a different local charity at each tournament he plays in.

Once again, despite the prestige, good will and dollar amounts his latest management group has brought upon McIlroy, the Ulsterman has chosen to part ways for greener pastures.

This time, instead of jumping on with a young group in its infancy, Rory is conceiving the group himself. The Associated Press reported that McIlroy will start his own management group that includes his father, Gerry, and other close friends and associates.

Following the model of other successful family-oriented superstars such as Lionel Messi, Roger Federer and Adam Scott, McIlroy will surround himself with those who have his best interests and brand goals as not only among their top priorities, but also as their only priority.

The makeup of the inner circle that McIlroy surrounds himself with will be interesting to note. The business experience and acumen necessary to manage a top-tier talent requires the ability to walk a fine line between brand growth and over-extension of the client. His new group will have to find the balance between marketability and performance that allows McIlroy to continue to perform as one of the best players in the world.

While there is no doubt that Horizon, and ISM before it, had McIlroy's best interest at heart, there is no better luxury than having the people that you know the best and trust the most in charge of your career, brand and, eventually, legacy.

McIlroy will have that luxury going forward and for the affable kid from Norn Iron, it can only mean good things for his brand and his golf game.

Chris Chaney is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based sportswriter. He has written for multiple outlets including WrongFairway.com, Hoopville.com, The Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer and The Clermont (OH) Sun.

Follow him on Twitter @Wrong_Fairway.