The Sixth Major Really, Really Wants To Move Up Two Slots

For all of the joking about Quail Hollow's sixth major status, it sure sounds like the player raves for those Mercedes courtesy cars the wonderfully narrow course, it seems the talk has gone to the club's head, as Erik Spanberg reports in the Charlotte Business Journal (thanks reader Bill for this):

Quail Hollow President Johnny Harris, in an interview at the course this week with the Charlotte Business Journal, confirmed the club will likely end the tournament in 2014 when the title sponsorship contract with Wells Fargo & Co. expires. Quail Hollow’s deal with the PGA Tour ends the same year.

“Our intent right now would be to do the best job possible until 2014 and then, after that, I would say we’re not predisposed to continue to have a PGA Tour event after that,” Harris said.

Ahh...with majors in their eyes...

Bringing a major to Quail Hollow has been mentioned by players and others around the game since Harris and then-Wachovia chief executive Ken Thompson created the tournament in 2003.

“If they wanted to, they could host a U.S. Open or a PGA Championship or a Ryder Cup, no question,” says CBS golf broadcaster Jim Nantz. “As far as the quality of the course, they’ve got the system in place — they operate the tournament right now as a five-star operation.”

Generally, the USGA and PGA of America don't like it when you publicly lobby for a major, though there are exceptions if you have a luxury hotel, an irresistibly compelling course or financial possibilities that are just too good to pass up.

But there's also the logistical issue, which could be cleared up by 2014 if corporate hospitality is still verboten. Otherwise, Davis Love noted the limitations of Quail Hollow as nicely as he could in a press gathering recently:

Q. With so much influx on the Tour, one of the things that's been suggested for us in Charlotte is that perhaps some day 10 years, 15 years, Quail Hollow might host a Major championship. How would that course fit the Major Championship profile? And how tough would it be if they narrowed down the fairways with more rough?

DAVIS LOVE III: There's a lot of courses that can handle a Major championship, certainly Quail Hollow as a golf course can, it's the infrastructure that goes around. If Johnny Harris said you all come look at Quail Hollow for a U.S. Open or a PGA, they wouldn't look much at the golf course to start with. They'd say wait a minute, is there room for parking? And is there room for corporate hospitality? Is there room for buses? All the things they do well there with a medium-large tournament. But if you get an extra large tournament, can you handle it? That's the argument at Marion, that's an argument at so many places, can you get people in and out? Is the infrastructure big enough?

The golf course is great. It's certainly hard enough. Our argument is it doesn't have to be hard, it's still a great golf course, no matter what score you shoot. Like last week, 11-under is a great score to win The Masters. That's what your score should be. If it's 5-over, somebody has made the course too hard. And if we don't shoot under par something is wrong, the course is too hard. Just like if you went to an NBA game and nobody dunked it and nobody made a three-pointer, you'd say wait a minute, somebody made the bucket too small or the basket too high. Quail Hollow, sure, they've got deep rough and fast greens. It would certainly handle a Major championship. But I don't think there's enough room for everything else that goes with it.