It’s Time: The PGA TOUR needs to give the Northeast the love it deserves

Golf fans in the Northeast have been getting the short end of the stick from the PGA TOUR for far too long. Outside of the Travelers Championship and the occasional major or playoff event, this golf-obsessed region barely sees the best players in the world.

One Year Only: The Truist Championship at the Philadelphia Cricket Club

Good Morning from the Philadelphia Cricket Club. ⛳️ #TruistChampionship pic.twitter.com/t2EYzgCvtr

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) May 7, 2025

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Hey PGA TOUR, that’s criminal considering the Northeast might have the deepest bench of historic golf courses in the country.

Philly. New York. Boston. These are cities that breathe sports. The fans here aren’t just casual observers—they care, and they show up in droves.

Don’t take it from me, even though I am a credentialed PGA TOUR big-time journalist these days. Just ask Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas. I was there when they both spoke about it after Wednesday’s practice round at Philly Cricket.

Rory McIlroy: “Philly is one of the best places in the U.S. for golf…”

“Philly is one of the best places in the U.S. for golf,” Rory said on Wednesday at the Truist Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club. “There are so many great courses around here… I feel like we don’t play enough tournaments in the Northeast.”

Couldn’t agree more, Rory.

McIlroy isn’t alone either. Justin Thomas, who’s in town this week trying to keep the momentum going after his win at the RBC Heritage, echoed those same thoughts.

Justin Thomas on PGA TOUR golf in the Northeast:

“It’s spectacular,” JT said of Philly Cricket. “I’m honestly kind of bummed I hadn’t played here before. I would’ve loved to sneak out and play Merion. But seriously, there’s just a different look and feel to golf up here—it’s got this old-school charm, the kind of stuff you don’t get in a lot of places.”

The Liberty Line is at the Truist Championship all week. Full coverage here >>

That “old-school charm” he’s talking about is baked in the DNA of Northeast golf.

Bentgrass fairways. Rolling terrain. Tillinghast bunkers. Oak-lined fairways that frame the shot but don’t suffocate it. These courses have character. They test shot-making. They demand strategy. And they look absolutely beautiful on TV.

So the obvious question is why the PGA TOUR ignores the Northeast and more specifically, Philadelphia….

Gone are the days of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston or the regular FedEx Cup stops at places like Ridgewood or Plainfield. The New York metro area hasn’t seen a non-major TOUR event in years. The Philly area hasn’t had a full TOUR stop since the BMW Championship at Aronimink in 2018.

That’s a damn shame.

This week’s Truist Championship is already proving what we all knew—Philly can more than hold its own on the PGA TOUR stage. Philly Cricket is a proper test. The fans are fired up. The field is stacked. And the vibe is everything you’d want in a big-time event.

The PGA TOUR cannot allow the Truist Championship to be a one-off.

We need the Northeast to be part of the regular TOUR rotation. Bring TPC Boston back. Give Aronimink a Signature Event. Let Merion host something other than a U.S. Open every 20 years.

Put the spotlight on these classic courses. Give these fans what they deserve.

Because if the players want it, and the fans want it…What exactly is the TOUR waiting for?

The Liberty Line is at the Truist Championship all week. Full coverage here >>

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