MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton had just 46 days to prepare for its moment in the global spotlight.

A last-minute switch has brought the PGA Tour Wold Golf Championships-Mexico Championship to Concession. The PGA found out mid-December that the pandemic would keep them from having the tournament in Mexico City as originally planned, so they began working quickly to find a good fit.

“Obviously weather is important and Florida was natural fit because after that week they go to Florida anyway,” explained Concession’s Bruce Cassidy.  “So they were trying to find a quality course in Florida and our name came up.”

In January, Cassidy learned that Concession would be hosting the tournament that will be seen by an estimated 800 million television viewers around the world.

Preparing for a tournament of this caliber would usually take at least a year of preparation.

Golf course officials say Concession’s greens were already in good shape and running smoothly, which helped in the process. They worked quickly to redo the green side bunkers and began fertilizing the grass.

“We’re ready tomorrow if we needed to be,” Cassidy said.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only Concession members and select guests will be able to attend the tournament in person. 

“It’s creating awareness of a brand that we could never touch with a marketing budget,” explained Elliott Falcione with the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The tournament will be televised internationally and held February 25-28.