The PGA of America has announced its new Championship Director for the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and he is no stranger to the community of Michigan’s Great Southwest by a long shot. He is Brandon Haney, and he takes the reins for the 82nd Championship event slated to take place at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor from May 26th through 29th of 2022.
Haney will be joined in laying the groundwork for the return to Harbor Shores by former Chairman of the Board and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation, Jeff Fettig who returns as General Chair of the big event.
Due to the stay-at-home order in the state of Michigan and growing concerns for the health and safety of the community, KitchenAid and the PGA of America canceled the 2020 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship earlier this year, and the next Championship is currently scheduled to take place at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma from May 27th to the 30th of 2021.
Haney is anything but a stranger to the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, having served as an operations assistant in 2014 and Operations Manager in 2016 and 2018, with the responsibility of setting up all of the infrastructure it takes to host a major event each time. For the past two years, he was Operations Manager for the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, which was rescheduled to 2021 as a result of the pandemic. He will continue in both positions until after the Ryder Cup. Haney, who is a native of DeForest, Wisconsin, earned his degree in Business and Marketing from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and has nearly a decade of experience in sporting events and management.
Haney says, “Benton Harbor is such a special place, and working with the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship has been one of the true highlights of my career.” He adds, “When the opportunity presented itself to take on the role as Championship Director, I knew I could not pass up a chance to be part of this historic event, which has become so important to Southwest Michigan.”
KitchenAid and Whirlpool Corp. have been proud to bring Major Championship golf to Southwest Michigan since 2012, showing the world that Benton Harbor is an incredible place to live, work and play. The Championship makes a positive impact on the local economy each year, and is deeply embedded in the fabric of the community.
Jeff Fettig says, “It is an honor to welcome back Brandon to Benton Harbor to help us continue to grow the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, which helps us every other year invite the world to consider visiting or moving to our incredible community,” and adds, “I look forward to assembling a Championship Steering Committee of passionate community leaders who will work with the fantastic volunteers to host one of the most historic events at one of the best venues in Major Championship golf.”
The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship brings together nearly 1,500 volunteers each year. The Major Championship is known for exceptional hospitality for the players and guests, incredible brand experiences by KitchenAid and deep support from the surrounding communities.
In addition, 2020 marks the ten-year anniversary of the grand opening of the Harbor Shores Resort. The Resort, which includes the Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course and The Inn at Harbor Shores, is the realization of a vision made possible by $900 million in strategic investments and a collective array of relationships and community partners, including Whirlpool Corp. To help celebrate this important milestone, Whirlpool Corp. and Harbor Shores released a four-part digital series that tells the story of how the community collaborated on multiple projects, including the resort development, as part of a multifaceted transformation of the surrounding Southwest Michigan area.
For more information on the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, you can visit http://www.srpgachampionship.com.
The photo of Haney accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is courtesy of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship Facebook page.
