The course, with a list of champions that includes Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Rory McIlroy, has already demonstrated its ability to identify the best players.

But club officials said Tuesday they intend to make changes to the course before the event, and that could mean a hiatus for Charlotte’s PGA Tour event.

Club president Johnny Harris said the club may not host a PGA Tour event in 2016. But he declined comment when asked if there might be an event in 2015.

“Nobody has asked us,” Harris said.

Quail Hollow will host what is now called the Wells Fargo Championship through 2014, but Harris said Tuesday he has had no discussions with anyone about extending the PGA Tour event beyond the end of its current contract.

He did not rule out continuing to host a tour event, and has said repeatedly that hosting the PGA Championship and continuing to host a PGA Tour event are not mutually exclusive.

“I have a contract through 2014, and I have not been contacted by anyone,” Harris said. “The lack of conversation and the fact our existing sponsor (Wells Fargo) had not shown any interest in the tournament after 2014 sort of led us.”

Wells Fargo spokesman Josh Dunn said the bank is “very pleased” with its sponsorship of the Wells Fargo Championship and is committed to the event through 2014. “When the time comes to evaluate our sponsorship renewal, we don’t anticipate the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow being a factor in our decision,” he said.

Dunn wouldn’t say whether the bank was interested in backing the tournament beyond 2014, but he said it’s “certainly a sponsorship we will take into consideration when the time comes.”

Wells Fargo’s Charlotte regional president Kendall Alley called Tuesday’s announcement a “great move” for Charlotte that reflects well on the existing tournament.

Modifications planned

The possible hiatus, whether it’s one year or two, would allow the club to make changes to the course.

The club plans to rebuild its greens after the 2014 Wells Fargo Championship. Those greens have struggled this summer because of heat and disease, and are already being reseeded with a different, more heat-tolerant variety of bentgrass in hopes they will recover quickly this fall.

There could be other modifications – perhaps redesigning the 16th and 17th holes, though no decision would likely come before 2014.

The par-4 16th hole could be turned into a dogleg left, putting its green on the edge of the large lake. The par-3 17th could also be slightly redesigned, softening its controversial green.

PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka said Tuesday that none of the changes were requested by the PGA.

“Quail Hollow could host the PGA Championship next year,” he said. “It’s that good.”

Tiger Woods said via e-mail Tuesday: “Quail Hollow is an outstanding golf course that has the ability to host a major. This is Charlotte’s first major and the people there, and in the surrounding areas, understand and appreciate great golf.”

How the quest began

The process of bringing the PGA Championship to Charlotte began two years ago when Harris had breakfast in south Florida with Steranka. They talked about golf and business.

Steranka made another visit to the 250-acre club in the fall and a third this past spring, having dinner with Harris and a small group of associates. In May, Kerry Haigh, the PGA’s senior director of tournaments, visited during the Quail Hollow Championship. He studied crowd flow, course set-up and staging areas for the temporary village that will be constructed on site for the event.

Haigh approved of Quail Hollow.

Hosting a major is different from a regular PGA Tour event. Everything is bigger: The crowds. The infrastructure. The media coverage. The pressure on players.

And Quail Hollow and Charlotte now have their first major.

“Charlotte deserves this,” Steranka said Tuesday.