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Golf
PGA keeps calling this 'Philadelphia;' locals know that's not true
TL;DR
The PGA Championship is being held in Newtown Square, not Philadelphia, despite claims from broadcasters. Newtown Square is located miles away from the city, leading to confusion among local viewers.
Key points
- PGA Championship is in Newtown Square, not Philadelphia
- Newtown Square is miles away from Philadelphia
- Confusion arises from proximity to Philadelphia metro area
You won’t find this week’s PGA Tour stop in Philadelphia, despite what some national golf broadcasters keep saying on air — and online.
Even the PGA Championship’s own website bills it as the "PGA Championship in Philadelphia since 1962."
The tournament is actually being held in Newtown Square, a small borough in Pennsylvania dozens of miles from Philadelphia — close enough to fall inside the Philadelphia metro map, but not inside the city of Philadelphia itself.
Adding to the confusion? There is a Newtown, Pennsylvania, in Bucks County, which is located near the opposite side of Philadelphia.
To a Philly area-born viewer, repeatedly hearing "Newtown in Philadelphia" is like nails on a chalkboard.
Newtown Square is part of the wider region, sure, but calling it Philadelphia erases the real lines between city and suburb.
So where, exactly is the golf course the PGA is using for its tournament, and why do announcers constantly say Newtown Square in Philadelphia when they know better?
Here are a few answers.
Why do PGA Championship announcers say 'Newtown in Philadelphia'?
Why do national announcers keep saying ‘Newtown in Philadelphia’ in the first place? Part of it is branding.
TV producers and sports programmers think in terms of media markets and not individual municipalities, so anything in Bucks County gets filed under "Philadelphia" — the same way East Rutherford, New Jersey, is constantly treated as "New York" when the Giants, Jets or World Cup come to town.
It also makes the content familiar to casual viewers, even if it grates on people who actually live in those suburbs and know exactly where the city limits start and end.
How to get to the PGA Championship in Bucks County
The 2026 PGA Championship tournament is being played this week at the Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, PA.
You'll want to make your way to Newtown Square, as this golf tournament is stacked with star power.
World No. 1 and defending PGA champion Scottie Scheffler will tee up, as well former Masters tournament winners Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth.
Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy will also play in the PGA Championship.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending, breaking and service-related topics across the Mid-Atlantic region for the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why it matters to locals that PGA says Newtown Square is Philadelphia
Q&A
Where is the PGA Championship actually being held?
The PGA Championship is being held in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
Why do broadcasters refer to the PGA Championship as being in Philadelphia?
Broadcasters refer to it as being in Philadelphia due to its proximity to the Philadelphia metro area, despite it being in Newtown Square.
What is the significance of Newtown Square in relation to Philadelphia?
Newtown Square is a small borough located dozens of miles from Philadelphia, which can lead to confusion for viewers when it is incorrectly labeled as part of the city.
