Though the PGA of America said Wednesday it is displeased with North Carolina's House Bill 2, there is no plan in place to move the 2017 PGA Championship from Charlotte.
Pete Bevacqua, CEO of the PGA of America, did say there is a possibility the organization will not hold future PGA Championships in North Carolina if the law isn’t repealed.
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“We’re opposed to it, and we are going to stay opposed to it," Bevacqua said. "We’re going to do everything we can within our power to make this as inclusive a championship as possible. We’ll cross those bridges and deal with those hurdles when they come. We hope it changes.”
HB2 was passed as a reaction to a Charlotte ordinance that extended nondiscrimination protection to LGBT people. It mandates that transgender individuals must use the bathrooms in government buildings that correspond to the gender identity on their birth certificates. HB2 also sets a statewide definition of nondiscrimination that excludes gender identity and sexual orientation.
“We are trying to do everything we can, as part of our strategic plan for our organization of golf, to make the game as inclusive as possible,” Bevacqua said. “We’re not perfect. We’re trying. We thought it was important that we voiced our opinion.
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“It’s also to be noted, (Quail Hollow Club) is a private facility. So we intend to do everything within our power to make it a welcoming and an inclusive environment. We have every intention of having our restroom policy be like it is every year: where you use the restroom you identify with. That’s our stance.”
The NBA announced July 21 it was moving the 2017 All-Star Weekend out of Charlotte because of the state law. The PGA of America, though not ready to make a similar move, has taken notice of the NBA's precedent.
“Quail Hollow has been terrific,” he said. “We made this decision well in advance of HB2. We’ll continue to let people know where we stand and what our mindset is. We’ll continue to be vocal about our opposition. We hope (the law) changes.
“We want the game of golf to be as inclusive as possible. We can only control so much. We can’t control the policies, rules and regulations around the country, municipalities and states. We’ll try to make that PGA Championship like we do every PGA Championship: inclusive and shine a great light on our organization and the game of golf.”