PGA Championship brought New York $102.1 million
Jason Dufner won the tournament, but New York state was a big winner as well.
The 2013 PGA Championship had a $102.1 million economic impact on the Rochester region of New York, surpassing the original project of $78 million, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.
The tournament created more than 1,800 temporary, full-time and part-time jobs to support the influx of golf fans.
“This summer, New York played host to a series of international tourism events that generated economic activity and excitement across upstate,” Cuomo said. “Rochester was put on an international stage with the 95th PGA Championship, which attracted golf fans from around the world and resulted in a tremendous economic boost for the region from tourism spending to jobs. With our recently announced agreement to host the 101st PGA Championship and the 45th Ryder Cup at New York’s own Bethpage Black, the good news is going to keep on coming.”
“Oak Hill and Rochester did an incredible job welcoming the PGA Championship this summer and showing all that the Finger Lakes and New York State have to offer,” Lt. Gov. Robert J. Duffy said. “I thank Governor Cuomo for his initiative to support a Taste-NY tent, which further showcased the products our state offers and was one of the highlights at Oak Hill. The $102.1 million economic impact generated by the championship in the region is great news, and I look forward to additional opportunities for Rochester to shine for professional sporting events.”
Greater Rochester Enterprise, an economic development organization focused on promoting the Greater Rochester region as a competitive place for business location and growth, conducted the economic impact study.
“This positive economic impact is a tribute to the numerous state and local organizations that collaborated to host a premier golf event of this magnitude,” said GRE President & CEO Mark S. Peterson. “The region showed beautifully, and we could not be more thrilled with the tremendous benefits this event generated for our community.”
Approximately 225,000 spectators attended the 95th PGA Championship, which featured Taste NY Experience designed to highlight New York’s world-class food and beverages to the event’s international audience. Of those spectators, roughly 70,000 individuals were visiting from at least 100 miles away from Rochester (non-local) — contributing to nearly 5,000 hotel room reservations at an average rate of $600 per stay.
In terms of a larger economic impact that originated from outside the Rochester area, non-local ticket holders spent an estimated $58.2 million over the course of the championship, assuming an average daily spending of $345 per spectator that includes ticket sales, hotel expenses, restaurant spending, transportation costs and merchandise and concessions spending.
The complete version of the PGA Championship economic impact study is available here.
