US PGA Championship will be moved from August to May from 2019

The US PGA Championship will be played in May, rather than August, from 2019 tournament officials have confirmed.

The US PGA, which began as a match-play event in 1916 and became a stroke-play tournament in 1958, has been contested in July or August every year apart from 1971, when it was staged in February.

However, the PGA of America and PGA Tour have agreed to switch it from its traditional date to May, with the Players Championship moving from May to its old March date.

"In weighing the complex evolution of the golf calendar, the PGA of America's key objectives were to promote the best interests of our signature spectator Championship, do what is best for the game and its great players and find the most advantageous platform to fulfil our mission of serving our nearly 29,000 PGA professionals and growing the game," PGA of America chief executive officer Pete Bevacqua said.

"Our analysis began in 2013 and included an extensive list of factors, including having to shift the date every four years to accommodate the Olympic Games.

"In the end, we determined that playing the PGA Championship the week prior to Memorial Day in May, making it the second major championship of the golf calendar, will achieve those three objectives.