The 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, one of the LPGA’s five major championships, is distinct for its collaboration between the PGA of America, LPGA and KPMG. Together, they share a mission to help future generations of women be more successful on and off the golf course and to make this Championship the best event in women’s golf.

Tee Times recently caught up with Withington and asked him about Hazeltine’s tendency to host major events, his experiences at the Ryder Cup and what to expect at this summer’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

What have the last few years been like at Hazeltine with the recent Ryder Cup and the upcoming 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship?

This five-year timeframe is an interesting period to be the Head Golf Professional at Hazeltine. Three years ago, we had the best 24 golfers from both sides of the Atlantic at Hazeltine for the Ryder Cup Matches. Our side won. On the heels of the Ryder Cup, it was announced that the PGA of America would bring the very best women professional golfers to historic Hazeltine National for the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. In 2020 Hazeltine will be the venue for the U.S. Junior Amateur. In that brief five-year span Hazeltine will test the best male professionals, the best female professionals and the best junior amateurs. Yes, Hazeltine was developed to host major golf championships! That is why I wanted to be here.

When did you discover your passion in golf and who inspired you at a young age?

My golf career began later in life than most golf professionals. I had played a little as a kid, but never really got into the game. I was more into hockey and baseball. One year, on a spring break on vacation at Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island, my cousins, who were golfers, talked me into watching the Heritage Classic. I vividly remember standing at the range watching a young blond-haired golfer smashing high straight drives with a persimmon-head driver. I thought it was a thing of beauty. Then I watched the same young blond golfer drill a long straight drive on the par-5 fifth. ‘I want to be just like him!’ The young professional was Davis Love III. He won the Heritage Classic. I knew I wanted a life in golf!

While growing up you worked as a caddie, what did you learn from that experience that prepared you for the future?

Not so much hitting the ball, but how to get around the course. I also learned to talk to adults, successful adults.

When you interviewed for the role of Head Professional at Hazeltine, what were you looking for?

When I decided to interview for the job at Hazeltine, my wife and I were looking for three things: 1. A job opportunity that presented many challenges with high expectations. 2. A golf club that supported its golf professional. 3. A good place for my wife and I to raise our daughter (we had one then, today we have three daughters). Minnesota and Hazeltine National had all three. When I learned that Mike Schultz had been a professional at Hazeltine for more years than I had been alive, I knew that Hazeltine supported their pro.

What should the players in the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship expect when they come to Hazeltine this summer?

We are going to give the great players more than a logo bag and an energy bar. We are going to make these women professionals feel on par with their male counterparts.

What should golf fans expect when they come to the championship this June?

We are expecting large galleries for the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Growing up in the Northeast we always had big sporting events coming up. They were nothing special. In Minnesota, special events happen only occasionally. People tend to support these events. We learned a lot about making large crowds feel welcome during the Ryder Cup. We will continue to leverage that success to make golf fans feel welcome at Hazeltine.

What are some of the things about the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship that golf fans should know?

Merchandising is a huge part of any golf tournament. I am directly involved and focused on merchandise planning and sales. Golf fans, and Ryder Cup fans, will want to show up early to find that just right merchandise gift for themselves or a Christmas present for a loved one. As a special bonus, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship fans will have the first opportunity to select from a limited supply of Ryder Cup 2028 logo merchandise during the tournament.

How can the youth golf fans get involved in the championship?

We are making a special effort to get kids involved in the tournament. With every adult ticket purchased, up to four kids may enter the tournament free. Our goal is for kids, but especially young girls, to see young women in the national spotlight as they showcase their remarkable skills. We want these young girls to be proud of being a girl. Along that same vein, teenaged girls will be the standard bearers inside the ropes walking with the players.

In addition to youth, Withington and Hazeltine welcome veterans and active duty military personal to the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with free admission.

These people keep us safe, we want them to know how much they are appreciated.

With the recent frigid cold how excited are you for the summer?

We are crossing off the days as we look across our frozen golf course. But, June will be here before we know it!