Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. — The PGA of America has had more leadership changes than the Banana Republic, but one person has remained consistent over the years. That’s Kelly Hay.
Originally from Doster, England, Haig was a scratch golfer before turning his attention to golf management as a career, but has been at the forefront of every PGA Championship for the past 37 years.
PGA Chief Championship Officer Kelly Haig (left) and PGA CEO Terry Clark speak to the media during a pre-PGA Championship press conference at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania, May 13, 2026.
Former PGA CEO Jim Autry plucked him from Kemper Sports after serving as tournament director at the 1989 PGA tournament held at Kemper Lakes outside Chicago.
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Prior to becoming PGA Chief, Autry served as Director of Operations, overseeing the setup of championship venues. Once, at the 1986 PGA in Inverness, Ohio, he was called out on the seventh green because his putt from the top of the hole didn’t stop on the second step. The green had been single-cut all week, but because it rained that night, the manager double-cut the green, thinking it would be slower than the others. His miscalculation was that eventual champion Bob Tway and second-place finisher Greg Norman both three-putted the green. After another incident at the PGA at Bellerive in St. Louis in 1992, Autry handed over course setting responsibilities to Haig. During one round, the tee was moved back to the 10th position.th A short par 4 with a sharp dogleg. The only problem with this plan was that some players were unable to reach the corner of the dogleg and hit the green.
“We had a good talk that day,” Haig recalled it all years later, leading up to the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. “I told Jim that a good way to do it was to put one person in charge and then fire him if he messed up. We needed someone to take responsibility.”
Mr Oatley agreed, made a management decision and instructed Mr Haig to take over and “get it right”.
“I told Mr. Kelly that I wanted him to start setting a course and I would explain it to the committee. I gave him the authority and he continued to do it for years without any interference. No one would stand in his way,” Autry said. “Kelly is the most consistent guy in the PGA. We’ve never had a problem setting the course since he’s been our manager.”
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After graduating from the University of Leeds, Haig worked for the Professional Golfers’ Association in Great Britain, organizing events across Europe. In 1984, he became a tournament official on the LPGA Tour and played in over 30 tournaments a year.
As the PGA’s Chief Championship Officer, Mr. Haig ensures that all of Aronimink’s grass meets the PGA Championship’s exacting standards. Haig is not a man of many words and won’t let you reveal how fast the greens are at the PGA Championship. He would go no further than to say they are “championship speed.” Asked on Wednesday to reveal this year’s purse, he replied: “Prizes will be announced on Saturday morning.”
His tireless efforts to ensure a winner was announced on Sunday, despite regular unscheduled weather interruptions, did not go unnoticed, and he earned a reputation as being unparalleled in his actions.
“I think Kelly Haig is the best in the business at setting up golf courses,” Rory McIlroy once said. “I’ve been saying that for a long time.”
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Former PGA CEO Seth Waugh once called Haig a course whisperer, and CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz praised Haig as something unique to him.
“Kelly Haig has had an uncanny ability to create thrilling, tense championship races for the Wanamaker Trophy for decades,” Nantz said. “He takes courses that don’t look very interesting at first glance and turns them into great theater. And ultimately, I think that’s what makes them so much fun. The PGA has given us some of the best stories of the year in golf over the last few years.”
Mr. Haig is still based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and is one of the few PGA employees not relocated to the new headquarters in Frisco, Texas. But even at age 67, he shows no signs of slowing down. He has not yet decided on his retirement plans and has not yet named a successor.
“They know who they are. I won’t name them, but nobody is promised anything,” Haig said. “It all depends on how they behave.”
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A37th Haig is energized by back-to-back PGAs this week, but he still believes in the adage that you’re only as good as your next tournament.
“I still love it,” he said. “It’s a great game.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Kelly Haig’s 37 years of PGA Championship course settings
