Reflecting on Two Decades “Fore!casting” Weather for the PGA TOUR

On January 2, 2025, DTN meteorologist Wade Stettner hit a career milestone, poetically at the place where it all began. Stettner’s first assignment forecasting weather for the PGA TOUR was in 2005 at the Mercedes Championship in Maui. Twenty years later, he is back in Maui forecasting the renamed tournament The Sentry.

 

From runways to fairways 

Before joining the PGA TOUR, Stettner worked as an aviation forecaster at DTN starting in 2000. His career took an exciting turn when he responded to an internal job posting in 2004.

Despite not being a golfer or familiar with tournament operations, Stettner applied to be an on-site meteorologist to forecast the weather on the PGA TOUR.

“I was looking for a new opportunity and willing to travel anywhere for any length of time with no restriction,” he explains.

A good mindset considering as an on-site meteorologist Stettner typically travels more than half the year.

The PGA TOUR typically has more than 40 tournaments in a season that runs from January through December. (The 2025 season will have 43 tournaments.)

Stettner generally works 26 tournaments, spending over six months on the road. His career has taken him to 13 different countries outside the United States, with two new destinations planned for 2025.

One of his proudest achievements has been providing weather support for the golf venue at the last three Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and Paris.

Stormy skies challenged players and weather forecasting at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic golf competition.

 

How the PGA TOUR relies on on-site meteorologists

With four days of competition and millions of dollars at stake each event, the PGA TOUR recognizes the impact weather plays on the sport.

In January 2005, DTN began its partnership with the PGA TOUR, with Stettner and then manager and fellow meteorologist, Jim Foerster, working on the inaugural event.

Two memorable events occurred at Stettner’s first tournament. Fittingly, one was the weather.

Stettner recalls a strong cold front was forecast to arrive in Maui during the final round of the tournament. Thunderstorms were forecast for Sunday afternoon. Based on this information, the tournament director, Slugger White, adjusted the tee-times to start early.

Stettner was startled awake at 6 a.m. Sunday morning to thunder rumbling.

“Weather impacts have cascading effects on the players, operations, vendors, spectators and media-rights holders, so it is critical to get the forecast right, and communicate clearly and early.”

“I had correctly forecast the thunderstorms, but my timing was off by six hours,” he explains. “Fortunately, we started the final round at the original starting time and finished on schedule that Sunday.”

The other thing that stood out for Stettner was the people. He had five years of forecasting experience, but the additional complexities of professional golf tournaments and live TV broadcasts added a new dimension.

“Weather impacts have cascading effects on the players, operations, vendors, spectators and media-rights holders, so it is critical to get the forecast right, and communicate clearly and early” Stettner notes.

“One thing I remember vividly is that everyone on my first PGA TOUR event was welcoming. It is still like that 20 years later.”

Jim Foerster (left) and Wade Stettner (right) at the 2005 Mercedes Championship in Maui.

 

Technology and tee times

Over the years, Stettner has witnessed significant changes in weather forecasting technology and communication methods that have improved forecasting for on-site events.

In 2005, the on-site meteorologist was the only source of weather information at a PGA TOUR event to primarily monitor lightning and to provide early weather alerts.

“Our forecasting capabilities were impressive for the time but compared to today’s standards, they would be considered poor. I experienced a lot of weather surprises in the early years,” he chuckles.

Today the on-site position has evolved into weather risk communication with insights that inform everything from start times and tee positioning to player and spectator safety.

“Numerical weather prediction has become more accurate and the technology to track and display storms is much better. This allows our team to focus on helping the tournament prepare for the expected weather impacts instead of reacting to the weather.”

Stettner notes that the public has become more weather-aware since 2005, thanks to smartphones and the availability of weather information apps.

“It’s great that people are more aware of the weather so we can focus on preparations for changing weather conditions and manage the weather suspensions and evacuations.”

 

The joys of fairway forecasts

Working specific PGA TOUR tournaments is a rotating assignment. By chance, Stettner is marking his twenty-year PGA TOUR milestone where he first began.

“Each week we are in a different city, facing new forecast challenges and working with a different group of officials and tournament staff.”

Reflecting on his favorite aspects of the job, Stettner lists travel, working face-to-face with customers and the fast-paced lifestyle.

“There is a lot of variety,” he says. “Each week we are in a different city, facing new forecast challenges and working with a different group of officials and tournament staff.”

And what about the nearly 4,000 forecasts provided over the past two decades?

“Don’t get me wrong, every meteorologist loves a storm or a challenging weather development,” Stettner admits, “But is also nice when you get to be the guy who forecasts a calm, pleasant day for a PGA TOUR tournament.”

Visit here to learn how DTN Risk Communicators help event organizers make confident decisions on weather impacts.