St. Louis had an unusual sporting weekend, with two sold-out events drawing big crowds across the city and the PGA returning to Bellerive Country Club for the first time since 2018. For golf fans, it was a notable comeback. For the city, it was a reminder that elite sport can still create a real buzz when it comes back to a familiar stage.
Professional golf had not been at Bellerive since the PGA Championship in 2018, so the eight-year hiatus made this return feel significant. Patrick Cantlay was among the names attached to the event, but the broader story was the setting itself: a major golf venue back in action, and a St. Louis crowd ready to fill it.
A city hosting two sell-outs at once
What made the weekend stand out was the combination. While the PGA was back at Bellerive, The Savannah Bananas also returned to Busch Stadium for a two-night series against the Loco Beach Coconuts. In other words, St. Louis was not choosing between one event and another. It was hosting both at the same time, and both were sold out.
That kind of weekend does not happen often. It reflects both the appetite for live sport and the pull of events that offer something a little different, whether that is banana ball at Busch Stadium or professional golf back at one of the city’s best-known courses.
Why the return meant so much
For local fans, the PGA’s return carried a simple appeal: it had been a long wait. Brendan Mulqueeny said it was “great to have professional golf back here,” describing the occasion as “really fun,” which captures the mood around the event neatly. This was not just another date on the calendar. It was a welcome return to a venue with history.
Palmer Masson, a golf fan from St. Louis, said he had been looking forward to the event all summer. He also noted that he was only nine years old when he last saw something similar, and that he did not fully understand it at the time. Now, seeing golf return in a comparable setting, he said he was excited to experience it properly.
From last year’s plans to this year’s tickets
For some families, the Bananas were the main attraction. Stephanie Andersen said the group had heard about the event from last year, but were not able to go when it came then. This time, they finally got tickets, and she said they were excited to cheer on the Bananas in their hometown.
Gina Steimle also connected the weekend to a much longer personal story, saying she had once worked in downtown Los Angeles with Kris Thompkins and carpooled with her. Thirty-six years later, that family connection had come full circle, with Kris and John’s son Reese now playing right field for The Savannah Bananas. Steimle said it had been great to follow his career over the years and to see him at the hometown stadium.
The weekend also showed why these events matter beyond the result or the score. Ashley Reichert said she had followed the Bananas and got involved, while also noting that the kids like it because it is fun and the music gets them going. That kind of atmosphere helps explain why the series sold out so quickly.
For St. Louis, the bigger takeaway is simple: the city was able to stage two major sold-out sporting events in one weekend, with baseball-style entertainment at Busch Stadium and top-level golf back at Bellerive. And for Patrick Cantlay and the PGA, the return to Bellerive showed that some venues still carry enough weight to make a comeback feel like an occasion.
For more on how quickly field changes can affect a tournament, see Patrick Cantlay withdraws from the Wyndham Championship on Monday — and the field changes fast.
