Long-time director of golf at prestigious PGA Championship, PGA Tour host site dies unexpectedly

Scott Davenport, the long-time director of golf at Quail Hollow Club, died over the weekend at age 69. Davenport held the head job at the prestigious North Carolina country club, site of the 2025 PGA Championship and the annual Truist Championship on the PGA Tour, for the past 27 years and was one of the most respected club professionals in the industry.

Davenport’s passed away peacefully in his home on Jan. 30 after a brief complication from a procedure. Preston Cole, who worked at Quail Hollow under Davenport for eight years, has been named the acting head golf professional through the Truist Championship.

Cole said the outpouring of outreach from the industry has been enormous—even beyond what his colleagues' expectations given Davenport's stature in golf.

A group text of about 32 former staffers have been sharing stories since Davenport's passing over the weekend. The chain exceeded the Apple limit, so a second one had to be formed.

"The thing that's stood out the most … there's been great stories. He was all about, 'If you're going to do something, make it a masterpiece,' " Cole shared. "That was Scott Davenport. He was great at making things a masterpiece. He pushed us all to work hard to do the same."

Davenport served as the host club professional for the 2022 Presidents Cup and the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. The Charlotte, N.C., club has been the site of a PGA Tour event since 2003—giving Davenport a major event to host in every year of his tenure. Quail Hollow is ranked 126th in Golf Digest's most recent ranking of America’s Second 100 Greatest Golf Courses, ranking in our top 100 from 1966-1968 and 2021-2022. The long-time club professional also frequently contributed to instruction content for Golf Digest, an example of which is shown below.

Throughout his distinguished career, Davenport's obituary said, "Scott built a reputation for excellence and mentorship at some of the nation's finest clubs, including Sea Island Club in Georgia and North River Yacht Club in Alabama. He was known not only for his professional expertise but for his generous spirit in mentoring young golf amateurs and professionals, many of whom credit him with shaping their careers and character."