Hershey Country Club to Host 2011 PGA National Championship

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Hershey (Pa.) Country Club, the former home to two of golf's legendary players and the host of the 1940 PGA Championship, has been named the site of 2011 PGA Professional National Championship.

The showcase event for PGA Professionals, the 44th PGA Professional National Championship will be conducted June 26-29, 2011, over Hershey Country Club's West and East Courses, with the final two rounds contested on the East Course.

Founded by chocolate company magnate Milton Hershey, Hershey Country Club's West Course was designed by Maurice McCarthy in 1930 and set an early standard for excellence in American championship golf. The par-72 West Course will play to 6,847 yards, while the East Course, designed by George Fazio, opened for play in 1969 and will play to par-70 and measure 7,039 yards.

PGA Champions and World Golf Hall of Fame members Henry Picard and Ben Hogan each served terms as host professionals at Hershey Country Club. Picard, the 1939 PGA Champion, was the club's PGA head professional from 1934 to 1941, while Hogan, who captured the 1946 and 1948 PGA Championships among his nine career major titles, served from 1941 to 1951.

Another golf legend, Byron Nelson, captured the 1940 PGA Championship on Hershey's West Course by defeating Sam Snead, 1-up, in the 36-hole match-play finale.

"The merge of a rich tradition of championship golf at Hershey Country Club and the great PGA Professionals who have served its membership forms a most appropriate setting for The PGA Professional National Championship in 2011," said PGA of America President Jim Remy. "We are very pleased that we can bring our National Championship to Hershey Country Club and we anticipate a great National Championship."

The 44th PGA Professional National Championship field will feature 312 players representing the 41 PGA Sections. The Championship's Sunday through Wednesday format will be televised live by Golf Channel. The field will be trimmed to the low 70 scorers and ties to compete over the final 36 holes.

"It is truly an honor to be chosen as the host site for this Championship and an exciting opportunity to showcase the quality golf offerings in Hershey," said Ted Kleisner, president & CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, which owns Hershey Country Club as part of its Hershey Golf Collection. "In its early days, Hershey Country Club was home to two of the leading professionals in the world with Henry Picard and Ben Hogan, and we feel we are coming full-circle in welcoming today's finest professionals to our club and courses. I am confident the players and The PGA of America will see why Hershey is The Sweetest Place On Earth."

Hershey Country Club's West Course, which also hosted the LPGA Lady Keystone Open, is a classic American parkland design demanding the best in shot-making, while providing a view of the nearby city.

The East Course, a modern parkland layout, has hosted Nationwide Tour's Reese's Cup Classic and is considered the most challenging of the courses on the property.

For more information, including photo images of Hershey Country Club, contact Kay Maghan at (717) 534-3396, or kmmaghan@hersheypa.com.

Established in 1968, The PGA Professional National Championship roster of Champions includes past and present Tour professionals Sam Snead, Bob Rosburg, Don Massengale, Ed Dougherty, Larry Gilbert and Bruce Fleisher.

The PGA Professional National Championship is presented by Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra; and Club Car. Golf Channel is an exclusive media partner, and the PGA Tour is the Supporting Sponsor of PGA of America Member Championships. The 41 Section Championships and the National Championship offer a combined purse of $1.5 million.