PGA Championship at Bethpage Black to close off LIRR station to commuters

An estimated 200,000 fans will be watching stars like Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods hit the links at Bethpage Black for the 2019 PGA Championship.
Officials say the best way to get to the championship is to take the Long Island Rail Road from the Farmingdale station. The LIRR says parking will not be available to regular commuters. Both the north and south lots, with the exception of handicapped-accessible spaces, will be closed to commuters from May 11 to May 20.
Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand says the space is needed to accommodate both state police and the 26 buses that will shuttle fans to and from the golf course.
"It's the best we could do," he says.
Instead, the LIRR recommends an alternative arrangement that includes parking at the more eastern Wyandanch station, which is about 5 miles down the tracks from Farmingdale.
It's already causing headaches for LIRR riders like James Bianco, of Melville. He says the arrangement "doesn't make that much sense" and thinks providing shuttle buses to other stations would have been a better alternative.
Practice rounds are set to begin on May 13. The competitive rounds will get underway on May 16.