The game of golf is going strong, and the 2026 PGA Show opened with a first day that reflected the sport’s popularity and business impact. The PGA Show Floor on Wednesday saw thousands of PGA of America and industry professionals networking, exploring the latest products and services from more than 1,000 leading companies and brands, taking part in educational opportunities and enjoying presentations across seven distinct stages in the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC).
The 73rd PGA Show started with an opening ceremony with “America’s Caddie,” Michael Collins, hosting PGA of America President Don Rea, North Florida PGA Executive Director Andrew Yeast, former Orlando Magic star Bo Outlaw and two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon to welcome attendees on a sunny Florida morning. When the doors of the PGA Show Floor opened, attendees and exhibitors were treated to a day of bustling aisles and buzzing activity over more than 1.1 million square feet of exhibit and meeting space.
“Golf is in such a great place, and you can feel that positive energy here at the PGA Show,” said PGA of America Golf Professional Daren MacKinnon, the Director of Clubfitting at Pine Oaks Golf Course in South Easton, Massachusetts, who is attending his 30th PGA Show. “I had a number of meetings, and also time to check out new equipment and accessories. It’s been a good crowd all day, and probably the busiest I’ve seen it in several years.”
Exhibitors also experienced a day full of busy booths and engaged attendees. For example, the Toptracer booth – including a large indoor driving range area, was filled with attendees hitting balls and learning about new products from the company, like Toptracer Go and Toptracer IQ.
“Today is really, really good,” said Mikael Torngren, Senior Product Manager of Toptracer. “We had 180 appointments set for the first two days of the PGA Show, and we’ll probably have more than 800 people demo our products today alone. It’s a mix of existing customers and facilities interested in becoming customers, and we will secure a lot of business for the year during this week alone.”
The momentum felt on Wednesday carried over from the successful PGA Show Demo Day the previous day, and that included a continuation of the Drive for Show LIVE series of events that started at Orange County National Golf Center. On the PGA Show floor, Michael Collins hosted a pair of events: Hot Seat with America’s Caddie, a fast-paced interview series in The Retreat’s Influencer Lounge, and The Lie-Detector powered by Trackman, which tested attendees on how far they really hit their shots. Meanwhile, 60-Second Showdown host Alexandra O’Laughlin roamed the PGA Show Floor spotlighting cool products and big personalities.
There was also a special moment on the PGA of America Industry Stage presented by CapTech as the 2026 PGA of America National Award Winners were announced. PGA President Rea and broadcaster Taylor Zarzour unveiled the winners, including PGA Golf Professional of the Year Brian Crowell, PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year Bernie Najar and PGA Golf Executive of the Year Sean Palmer.
The energy on Day 1 lasted into the evening, with a new Celebrity Pickleball Pro-Am and the annual Industry Welcome Reception sponsored by johnnie-O and PGA Show Fashion Show placing an exclamation point on Wednesday evening on a productive day of presentations, sourcing new products, special events, and networking.
—Don Jozwiak