Senior PGA Championship explained

KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
Location:Benton Harbor, Michigan
Establishment:1937
Course:The Golf Club at Harbor Shores
Par:71
Tour:PGA Tour Champions
European Senior Tour
Format:Stroke play
Month Played:May
Aggregate:265 Rocco Mediate (2016)
265 Paul Broadhurst (2018)
To-Par:−20 Sam Snead (1973)
Current Champion: Richard Bland
Map:USA#USA Michigan
Map Label:Harbor Shores
Map Relief:yes
Map Size:200
Coordinates:42.123°N -86.461°W

The Senior PGA Championship, established in 1937, is the oldest of the five major championships in men's senior golf. It is administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and is recognized as a major championship by both PGA Tour Champions and the European Senior Tour. It was formerly an unofficial money event on the European Senior Tour, but since 2007 has been an official money event.[1] Winners gain entry into the next PGA Championship. The winners prior to 1980, the first season of the senior tour, are not considered major champions of this event by the PGA Tour Champions.

The lower age limit is 50, which is the standard limit for men's senior professional golf tournaments. Like its PGA Tour counterpart, the Senior PGA Championship allows club professionals to enter. The tournament committee gives former winners of the PGA Professional National Championship a one time invitation upon turning 50 years of age and the top 35 club professionals who qualify through the Senior PGA Professional National Championship.

History

The inaugural event was played in 1937 at Augusta National Golf Club, with 54-year-old Jock Hutchison winning the 54-hole event on Thursday, December 2.[2] [3] The second edition at Augusta was reduced to 36 holes due to rain, but had an 18-hole playoff on December 9 to decide the winner, Fred McLeod.[4] [5] The next edition was moved to Florida in January,[6] No tournaments were held in 1943 and 1944 due to World War II. The event returned in 1945 at the PGA National Golf Course, where it stayed until 1962. The event moved to different courses in Florida through 2000. Due to scheduling moves, two tournaments were played in 1979 and 1984 and none in 1983, and 1985.It moved from winter to mid-April in 1990 and when it rotated to various sites in 2001, it became a late spring event, played in late May or early June.

It was a 36-hole event until 1954; after four years at 54 holes, it became a 72-hole event in 1958. In the past, the event has had long spells of playing on a single host course, but currently it is played on a different course each year.

In 2011, the PGA of America and Whirlpool Corporation commenced an agreement which designated the KitchenAid brand as official home appliance brand of the PGA of America and presenting sponsor of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor, Michigan, was designated as the home golf course for the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, where the Championship was played every other year starting in 2012. The Championship was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2014, the parties extended the sponsorship contract through 2018 and made KitchenAid the title sponsor of the event. The two organizations extended the contract again in 2018 through 2024. In 2024, Whirlpool Corporation did not renew its title sponsorship, which marked the culmination of the KitchenAid brand's 13-year tenure as sponsor.[7]

Eligibility

Here is who may be eligible to compete in the Senior PGA Championship (provided they meet the age requirement):

Tournament hosts

YearVenueLocation
2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2024 Benton Harbor, Michigan
2023 Fields Ranch East Frisco, Texas
2021 Tulsa, Oklahoma
2008, 2019 Rochester, New York
2017 Potomac Falls, Virginia
2015 French Lick, Indiana
2013 St. Louis, Missouri
2004, 2011 Louisville, Kentucky
2010 Parker, Colorado
2009 Beachwood, Ohio
2007 Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course Kiawah Island, South Carolina
2006 Edmond, Oklahoma
2005 Ligonier, Pennsylvania
2004 Valhalla Golf Club Louisville, Kentucky
2003 Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
2002 Akron, Ohio
2001 Paramus, New Jersey
1982–2000 Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
1979 (Dec.) −1981 North Miami Beach, Florida
1975–1979 (Feb.) Orlando, Florida
1974 Port St. Lucie, Florida
1964, 1966–1973 PGA National Golf Club (old)Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
1965 Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1964 PGA National Golf Club (old)Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
1963 Port St. Lucie Country Club Port St. Lucie, Florida
1945–1962 Dunedin, Florida
1942 Fort Myers, Florida
1940–41 Sarasota, Florida
1937–38 (Dec.) Augusta, Georgia

Winners

Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)
Venue
KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
267 −17 3 strokes 630,000 Harbor Shores
270 −18 Playoff 630,000 Fields Ranch East
268 −16 3 strokes 585,000 Harbor Shores
272 −8 4 strokes 585,000 Southern Hills
Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[8]
277 −3 1 stroke 585,000 Oak Hill
265 −19 4 strokes 585,000 Harbor Shores
270 −18 1 stroke 540,000 Trump National
Senior PGA Championship
265 −19 3 strokes 504,000 Harbor Shores
Colin Montgomerie (2) 280 −8 4 strokes 495,000 French Lick Resort
271 −13 4 strokes 378,000 Harbor Shores
273 −11 2 strokes 378,000 Bellerive
271 −13 2 strokes 378,000 Harbor Shores
Tom Watson (2) 278 −10 Playoff 378,000 Valhalla
281 −7 Playoff 360,000 Colorado
274 −6 2 strokes 360,000 Canterbury
Jay Haas (2) 287 +7 1 stroke 360,000 Oak Hill
279 −9 2 strokes 360,000 Kiawah Island
279 −5 Playoff 360,000 Oak Tree
280 −8 Playoff 360,000 Laurel Valley
Hale Irwin (4) 276 −8 1 stroke 360,000 Valhalla
276 −4 2 strokes 360,000 Aronimink
278 −2 1 stroke 360,000 Firestone
274 −14 1 stroke 360,000 The Ridgewood
PGA Seniors' Championship
201 −15 7 strokes 324,000 PGA National
274 −14 2 strokes 315,000 PGA National
Hale Irwin (3) 275 −13 6 strokes 270,000 PGA National
Hale Irwin (2) 274 −14 12 strokes 216,000 PGA National
280 −8 2 strokes 198,000 PGA National
277 −11 5 strokes 180,000 PGA National
Lee Trevino (2) 279 −9 1 stroke 115,000 PGA National
275 −13 Playoff 110,000 PGA National
278 −10 1 stroke 100,000 PGA National
271 −17 6 strokes 85,000 PGA National
Gary Player (3) 281 −7 2 strokes 75,000 PGA National
General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship
281 −7 1 stroke 72,000 PGA National
Gary Player (2) 284 −4 3 strokes 63,000 PGA National
282 −6 1 stroke 47,000 PGA National
1986
(Feb)
281 −7 2 strokes 45,000 PGA National
1985: No tournament
1984
(Dec)
286 −2 3 strokes 40,000 PGA National
PGA Seniors' Championship
1984
(Jan)
Arnold Palmer (2) 282 −6 2 strokes 35,000 PGA National
1983: No tournament
1982
(Dec)
Don January (2) 288 E 1 stroke 25,000 PGA National
281 −7 2 strokes 20,000 Turnberry Isle
289 +1 Playoff 20,000 Turnberry Isle
1979
(Dec)
270 −18 15,000 Turnberry Isle
1979
(Feb)
289 +1 8,000 Walt Disney World
1978 286 −2 8,000 Walt Disney World
1977 Julius Boros (2) 283 −5 7,500 Walt Disney World
1976 283 −5 7,500 Walt Disney World
1975 280 −8 7,500 Walt Disney World
1974 273 −15 4,000 Port St. Lucie
1973 Sam Snead (6) 268 −20 4,000 PGA National
1972 Sam Snead (5) 286 −2 4,000 PGA National
1971 285 −3 4,000 PGA National
1970 Sam Snead (4) 290 +2 4,000 PGA National
1969 278 −10 4,000 PGA National
1968 279 −9 4,000 PGA National
1967 Sam Snead (3) 279 −9 4,000 PGA National
1966 286 −2 3,000 PGA National
1965 Sam Snead (2) 278 −10 3,500 Fort Lauderdale
1964 279 −9 2,500 PGA National
1963 272 −16 2,500 Port St. Lucie
1962 Paul Runyan (2) 278 −10 2,000 PGA National
1961 278 −10 1,500 PGA National
1960 284 −4 1,500 PGA National
1959 284 −4 1,200 PGA National
1958 Gene Sarazen (2) 288 E 1,200 PGA National
1957 Al Watrous (3) 210 −6 1,000 PGA National
1956 215 −1 1,000 PGA National
1955 213 −3 1,000 PGA National
1954 214 −2 1,000 PGA National
1953 142 −2 PGA National
1952 146 +2 PGA National
1951 Al Watrous (2) 142 −2 PGA National
1950 142 −2 PGA National
1949 145 +1 PGA National
1948 141 −3 PGA National
1947 Jock Hutchison (2) 145 +1 PGA National
1946 Eddie Williams (3) 146 +2 PGA National
1945 Eddie Williams (2) 148 +4 PGA National
1943–44: No tournament due to World War II
1942 138 −6 Fort Myers
1941 142 E Bobby Jones Golf Complex
Sarasota Bay
1940 146 +4 Bobby Jones Golf Complex
Sarasota Bay
1939: No tournament
1938 154 +10 Augusta National
1937 223 +7 Augusta National
Source:[9]

Multiple winners

The following men have won the Senior PGA Championship more than once, through 2021:

Winners of both PGA Championship and Senior PGA Championship

The following men have won both the PGA Championship and the Senior PGA Championship, the majors run by the PGA of America:

Player PGA Championship Senior PGA Championship
1937, 1947
1954, 1958
1961, 1962
1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1973
1968
1971, 1977
1979, 1982
1986, 1988, 1990
1991
1992, 1994
1995

Final round ratings

2019: 1.190 million on NBC[10]

Future tournament sites

Source[11]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Strong Seniors contingent head to the United States . PGA European Tour . May 21, 2007.
  2. News: Jock Hutchison wins inaugural senior tourney . Sarasota Herald . Florida . Associated Press . December 3, 1937 . 5 .
  3. News: Hutchison named for golf job here . Sarasaota Herald-Tribune . Florida . July 7, 1940 . 6 .
  4. News: Two golfers tie for first place in senior event . Sarasota Herald-Tribune . Associated Press . December 9, 1938 . 6.
  5. News: M'Leod defeats Hackbarth in seniors' golf . Chicago Daily Tribune . Associated Press . December 10, 1938 . 22.
  6. News: Hackbarth wins seniors golf crown . Sarasota Herald-Tribune . Florida . January 17, 1940 . 7 .
  7. Web site: 2024 to be final year for KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship . moodyonthemarket.com . Ken . Lundberg . February 15, 2024.
  8. News: Senior PGA Championship, scheduled for May, canceled . ESPN . Associated Press . April 2, 2020.
  9. Web site: Senior PGA Championship Media Guide . PGA of America . 2016 . 6–64.
  10. Web site: Senior PGA Championship ratings . https://web.archive.org/web/20190529143840/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/skedball-weekly-sports-tv-ratings-5-20-5-26-2019.html . dead . 29 May 2019 . ShowBuzzDaily . Mitch . Metcalf . Mitch Metcalf . 28 May 2019.
  11. Web site: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship Future Sites . 2022-03-23 . Senior PGA Championship.