From May 14-17, the world’s finest golfers were only fifteen minutes from campus. The 108th edition of the PGA Championship, one of the four majors in golf, took place at the Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, with 156 players competing for the Wanamaker Trophy.
Aaron Rai, a 31-year-old golfer from England, sealed his first major championship with one of the most memorable shots of the tournament: a 68-foot putt on the seventeenth hole. With this win, he became the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship since 1919. A large portion of the school community was there to witness it, including computer science and statistics teacher Mr. Stuart Alden, who volunteered at the event and was thus able to see it firsthand.
The interesting aspect of the event was not with the players—it was the spectators. With the PGA installing a tall fence around the course, neighbors whose houses border the property lost their usual view, so they got creative. Homeowners built raised platforms in their backyards, giving them free views of the action.
To build a broadcast center for the tournament, Aronimink needed to clear roughly ten acres of trees on its property, though the club committed to replanting hundreds of trees afterward.
Newtown Square felt different for the entire week as well. Traffic on West Chester Pike was heavier than usual, and restaurants near the course were packed. Many smaller spots—coffee shops, delis, and places unrelated to golf—had their busiest weeks in a long time. Some even posted signs welcoming fans. Nearby hotels were fully booked.
Pulling off an event of this size in a residential area is no small task. For months leading up to the tournament, Newtown Square had been preparing. Roads were marked, shuttle routes were mapped out, and large open fields were converted into temporary parking lots. Local police coordinated with the PGA to manage traffic, and thousands of volunteers signed up to help run the event. The Episcopal Academy, located right next to Aronimink, closed for the week.
Even residents who were not directly involved had to plan around it. The preparation itself was not without controversy. To build a broadcast center for the tournament, Aronimink needed to clear roughly ten acres of trees on its property, though the club committed to replanting hundreds of trees afterward.
The PGA Championship is just the start. Philadelphia is set to host matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, and the city will also host the MLB All-Star Game.
For a region that does not always receive the national spotlight in the way New York or Los Angeles does, this stretch is a chance to show what the Philadelphia area is capable of.