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Golfers tee off at PGA Championship despite rainy start

By Elsa Gillis and Gina Esposito, wsoctv.com
By Elsa Gillis and Gina Esposito, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The final touches were being put on the grounds of Quail Hollow Club Monday morning as crews prepared for an event that has been years in the making, the PGA Championship.

Pre-tournament events tee off Monday morning in south Charlotte despite the rainy start to the historic event.

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Channel 9 reached out to PGA Championship officials who said they are monitoring the forecast minute-by-minute ahead of the tournament.

[FAN GUIDE: 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club]

“Tomorrow, we open the gates, the lights come on, so to speak. It’s exciting,” championship director Jason Mengel said. “We're putting the finishing touches on a couple things out on the golf course, but all the big structures are done. It’s just those last second details.”

Channel 9 reporter Gina Esposito watched crews with blowers try to dry up the greens before players tee off.

Mengel said good weather has kept preparations for the massive operation on schedule.

“Over 600,000 square feet of temp(orary) flooring, it means over 300 temporary structures, thousands of bleacher seats,” Mengel said.

Mengel said Charlotte has proven to be a perfect spot for the event, saying they set an all-time ticket sales record for a PGA Championship.

For the thousands of people planning on attending, there's a lot to know about getting to the Quail Hollow Club.

[SECTION: 2017 PGA Championship page]

[READ MORE: Charlotte ready for 200,000 to attend PGA Championship]

[TEE TIMES: First and second round]

First, you must have tickets to attend. Second, you need to be prepared for traffic.

Gleneagles Road will be closed each day from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. between Quail Hollow and Park roads.

There are three main ways to get to the tournament. Fans can drive and park in offsite PGA lots, take an Uber to an approved lot nearby or take the Lynx Blue Line to Sharon Road West.

[READ MORE: Fans can grab PGA Championship gear at Quail Hollow this weekend]

Whether fans drive, utilize a ride-sharing service or take the light rail, shuttles will take them to the actual championship site.

Channel 9 reporter Elsa Gillis spoke with a lot of fans at the pro shop Sunday, ready for the big event and blown away by the magnitude of it.

"It's huge. It’s almost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the city of Charlotte, for anybody who lives here,” Clay Trescher said.

"I've been watching them build this for the last two months because I live right down the street, and it's just fantastic what they're doing,” Scott Hill said.

More than anything, fans are excited to see the world’s best golfers.

"Seeing the players, definitely, guys like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy,” Trescher said.

[LINK: Fan resources for 2017 PGA Championship]

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[LINK: Parking and transportation]

[LINK: Parking]

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"I can’t believe how big, how large it is,” Minor Hinson said. “All the infrastructure they built just in a short period of time, it's incredible. It's worth it to come out and take a look at it."

Channel 9 will be live from Quail Hollow Club throughout the PGA Championship week. In a prime time special, Eyewitness News will give you an inside look at the golf tournament in the Queen City. From the course to the crew, we'll show you the changes that have been years in the making.

Watch Wednesday’s special at 8 p.m., on Channel 9.

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