CHARLOTTE — The 2022 Presidents Cup is officially underway at the Quail Hollow Golf Club in south Charlotte after 18 months of preparation.
Fans woke up early to get a taste of the atmosphere.
“We woke up at 6 o’clock this morning, caught an Uber here, five people in front of us in line,” one fan said. “We’ve been excited all day.”
Channel 9′s DaShawn Brown talked to fans from countries across the world who came to see the spectacle.
“The city was amazing and the course,” a fan from Chile said. “I would really like to play golf here.”
Joy Newman, who traveled from Alabama, lived out her late father’s dream by coming to the event.
[ PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Charlotte prepares to host 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Golf Club ]
“We just said, ‘you know what, I’ve always wanted to do this, let’s go,’” Newman said. “My daddy’s dream before he died was to go to one of these.”
Gov. Roy Cooper was in town Thursday to watch the action and stressed the important economic impact in Charlotte.
“When I talk to CEOs, especially across the world I talk about NC’s 520 golf courses,” Cooper said. “We’ve just become a centerpiece for golf around the world. And it affects how people view our state.”
President Joe Biden may attend, according to Cooper, and a slew of celebrities will be in town.
Cooper also told Channel 9 that other big figures are expected to be in Charlotte this weekend. Former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also visited the event in Charlotte to greet fans.
Top talent from the United States and International teams from across the world are playing in a match-play style event. Twelve players from the U.S. will take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe.
Charlotte’s own David Love III is taking part in the tournament and South Carolina native Darius Rucker sang Thursday’s national anthem.
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The Presidents Cup is only held in the U.S. every four years and 2022 was the first time the event was held in the Southeast. Quail Hollow usually holds the PGA’s Wells Fargo Championship every May but didn’t hold it this year in preparation for the Presidents Cup.
TRAFFIC VIDEO: Presidents Cup road closures
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The action will last through Sunday afternoon. There will be a different start time each day. Thursday’s foursome lasted until 6 p.m. On Friday, four-ball play starts at 11:30 a.m. and goes through 6 p.m.
Saturday’s foursome and four-ball play run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. To end the tournament, singles play goes from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
VIDEO: Fan Guide: Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club
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VIDEO: Traffic impact in Quail Hollow during Presidents Cup
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