They are the ‘lifeblood’ of the PGA Championship. Meet some of the 3,000 volunteers helping ‘idiot-proof’ Aronimink for fans.
From Newtown Square to New Zealand, the volunteers have come from all over — and are helping make the Delco major possible.
The PGA Championship is expected to bring 200,000 spectators to Aronimink Golf Club before it crowns a winner on Sunday. That’s a lot of foot traffic making its way around the Newtown Square course, which is hosting the year’s second major championship — one that wouldn’t be possible without the more than 3,000 volunteers who will be on site this week.
“We truly could not do it without them,” said Jacob Wilson, the volunteer operations manager of this year’s PGA Championship. “They’re the lifeblood of the championship with everything they do. They help our team at PGA of America operate. And they also create a warm, welcoming guest experience for everyone on the property.”
The volunteers will be involved in over 20 committees, ranging from championship services and spectator services to player services and administration.
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Some of their more popular committees are the scoring committees, the marshals, and the PGA shop — which has about 800 volunteers, including Berwyn native Scott Lamb.
“We’re a very well-oiled machine,” Lamb said. “We know how to get everybody through as quickly as possible. So it’s pretty much idiot-proof. Everybody here is happy. They’re excited. They can’t wait to get out on the course. So we’re happy to help.”
The PGA Championship is the 10th PGA event Lamb has attended — but this was his first as a volunteer, and the experience has not disappointed.
“It’s been great,” Lamb said. “It’s been a lot of fun helping out. I think the biggest purchase I had was $2,100. Somebody brought $2,100 worth of stuff. So it’s like Christmas in May.”
This wasn’t 70-year-old Bill Phillips’ first rodeo. Phillips was a volunteer at the 2018 BMW Championship, the last PGA Tour event at the course, and the Wayne native only lives about two miles away. He’s also a member at Aronimink, so he knows the course like the back of his hand — and now he’s getting to know the 18th hole a little better as a marshal for the week.
“This morning I came here at 8:30 a.m.,” Phillips said. “I’ll be here through 2:15 p.m. And we rotate through the different positions on 18. So right now, I’m crossing guard. I was a fairway marshal. And I’ll move up to the grandstand and then eventually maybe make it to the tee box.”
In terms of preparation for the event, the PGA sent out an instructional video on how to be a marshal.
“The PGA is really organized,” Phillips said. “The video is about 20 minutes long, and it’s really helpful.”
Phillips isn’t the only local lending a hand in their own backyard. Newtown Square native Ski Szymanski, her left arm still in a sling, wasn’t letting April rotator cuff surgery stop her from “giving back to the community” as part of the ShotLink committee.
“If they lose the ball off the [Toptracer] rangefinder, then I go find the ball,” Szymanski said. “It’s crucial. They could never do an event like this without volunteers. Everybody else working here is a paid person and it’s amazing. I’ve been watching this place go up for months and it’s amazing. The intense labor that goes into it. The planning, the logistics, it’s crazy.”
While on-course volunteers are important, they’re just as crucial off the course — especially at the PGA Championship, where food and beverages are included with each ticket.
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Andy DeStefano, a 32-year-old Pottstown native, volunteers in the food and beverage area and spends most of his day providing directions for fans.
“I mean, where would they go for the mustard and the ketchup for their hot dogs if they didn’t have us?” DeStefano said. “The volunteers are very important, obviously. Just being able to direct the flow of traffic, letting people know where certain things are. There’s a lot of us. So if you can’t find me, you’ll find somebody in 50 feet.”
Although a lot of area golf fans took advantage of the opportunity, with a men’s major returning to the area for the first time in over a decade, volunteers aren’t limited to the Delaware Valley. This year, there are 37 states and five countries represented among the volunteers. The farthest is coming from New Zealand.
“They are truly coming from all over. We appreciate everyone traveling from near and far to help us,” Wilson said. “They really help us in every facet. We really could not do it without them.”
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The 108th PGA Championship returns to Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square for the first time in over six decades.
Marcus Hayes and Jeff Neiburg will host Gameday Central from Aronimink (Wednesday, 9 a.m.), and be sure to check out the PGA Championship Range Show from 12-2 p.m daily, starting Wednesday.
Whether you're going, watching from home, or just curious about what all the fuss is about, we've got you covered with our PGA guide and stories on everything from Aronimink's history and design, to what the players have to say about returning to the Philly area. We even made a golf video game so you can play the course and learn its secrets.
Get it all with our full PGA Championship preview. And follow the latest news and action from the course, right here.
