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.
Tournament information | |
---|---|
Location | Frisco, Texas (2023) |
Established | 1937 |
Course(s) | Fields Ranch East (2023) |
Par | 72 (2023) |
Length | 7,193 yards (6,577 m) (2023) |
Tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions European Senior Tour |
Format | Stroke play |
Prize fund | US$3,500,000 |
Month played | May |
Tournament record score | |
Aggregate | 265 Rocco Mediate (2016) 265 Paul Broadhurst (2018) |
To par | −20 Sam Snead (1973) |
Current champion | |
Steve Stricker | |
Location map | |
Fields Ranch East Location in the United States Fields Ranch East Location in Texas |
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.
The inaugural event was played 87 years ago 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.
Here is who may be eligible to compete in the Senior PGA Championship (provided they meet the age requirement):
Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) |
Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship | |||||||
2023 | Steve Stricker | 270 | −18 | Playoff | Pádraig Harrington | 630,000 | Fields Ranch East |
2022 | Steven Alker | 268 | −16 | 3 strokes | Stephen Ames | 585,000 | Harbor Shores |
2021 | Alex Čejka | 272 | −8 | 4 strokes | Tim Petrovic | 585,000 | Southern Hills |
2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[7] | ||||||
2019 | Ken Tanigawa | 277 | −3 | 1 stroke | Scott McCarron | 585,000 | Oak Hill |
2018 | Paul Broadhurst | 265 | −19 | 4 strokes | Tim Petrovic | 585,000 | Harbor Shores |
2017 | Bernhard Langer | 270 | −18 | 1 stroke | Vijay Singh | 540,000 | Trump National |
Senior PGA Championship | |||||||
2016 | Rocco Mediate | 265 | −19 | 3 strokes | Colin Montgomerie | 504,000 | Harbor Shores |
2015 | Colin Montgomerie (2) | 280 | −8 | 4 strokes | Esteban Toledo | 495,000 | French Lick Resort |
2014 | Colin Montgomerie | 271 | −13 | 4 strokes | Tom Watson | 378,000 | Harbor Shores |
2013 | Kōki Idoki | 273 | −11 | 2 strokes | Jay Haas Kenny Perry |
378,000 | Bellerive |
2012 | Roger Chapman | 271 | −13 | 2 strokes | John Cook | 378,000 | Harbor Shores |
2011 | Tom Watson (2) | 278 | −10 | Playoff | David Eger | 378,000 | Valhalla |
2010 | Tom Lehman | 281 | −7 | Playoff | Fred Couples David Frost |
360,000 | Colorado |
2009 | Michael Allen | 274 | −6 | 2 strokes | Larry Mize | 360,000 | Canterbury |
2008 | Jay Haas (2) | 287 | +7 | 1 stroke | Bernhard Langer | 360,000 | Oak Hill |
2007 | Denis Watson | 279 | −9 | 2 strokes | Eduardo Romero | 360,000 | Kiawah Island |
2006 | Jay Haas | 279 | −5 | Playoff | Brad Bryant | 360,000 | Oak Tree |
2005 | Mike Reid | 280 | −8 | Playoff | Jerry Pate Dana Quigley |
360,000 | Laurel Valley |
2004 | Hale Irwin (4) | 276 | −8 | 1 stroke | Jay Haas | 360,000 | Valhalla |
2003 | John Jacobs | 276 | −4 | 2 strokes | Bobby Wadkins | 360,000 | Aronimink |
2002 | Fuzzy Zoeller | 278 | −2 | 1 stroke | Hale Irwin Bobby Wadkins |
360,000 | Firestone |
2001 | Tom Watson | 274 | −14 | 1 stroke | Jim Thorpe | 360,000 | The Ridgewood |
PGA Seniors' Championship | |||||||
2000 | Doug Tewell | 201[a] | −15 | 7 strokes | Hale Irwin Tom Kite Larry Nelson Dana Quigley |
324,000 | PGA National |
1999 | Allen Doyle | 274 | −14 | 2 strokes | Vicente Fernández | 315,000 | PGA National |
1998 | Hale Irwin (3) | 275 | −13 | 6 strokes | Larry Nelson | 270,000 | PGA National |
1997 | Hale Irwin (2) | 274 | −14 | 12 strokes | Dale Douglass Jack Nicklaus |
216,000 | PGA National |
1996 | Hale Irwin | 280 | −8 | 2 strokes | Isao Aoki | 198,000 | PGA National |
1995 | Raymond Floyd | 277 | −11 | 5 strokes | John Paul Cain Larry Gilbert Lee Trevino |
180,000 | PGA National |
1994 | Lee Trevino (2) | 279 | −9 | 1 stroke | Jim Colbert | 115,000 | PGA National |
1993 | Tom Wargo | 275 | −13 | Playoff | Bruce Crampton | 110,000 | PGA National |
1992 | Lee Trevino | 278 | −10 | 1 stroke | Mike Hill | 100,000 | PGA National |
1991 | Jack Nicklaus | 271 | −17 | 6 strokes | Bruce Crampton | 85,000 | PGA National |
1990 | Gary Player (3) | 281 | −7 | 2 strokes | Chi-Chi Rodríguez | 75,000 | PGA National |
General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship | |||||||
1989 | Larry Mowry | 281 | −7 | 1 stroke | Miller Barber Al Geiberger |
72,000 | PGA National |
1988 | Gary Player (2) | 284 | −4 | 3 strokes | Chi-Chi Rodríguez | 63,000 | PGA National |
1987 | Chi-Chi Rodríguez | 282 | −6 | 1 stroke | Dale Douglass | 47,000 | PGA National |
1986 (Feb) |
Gary Player | 281 | −7 | 2 strokes | Lee Elder | 45,000 | PGA National |
1985: No tournament | |||||||
1984 (Dec) |
Peter Thomson | 286 | −2 | 3 strokes | Don January | 40,000 | PGA National |
PGA Seniors' Championship | |||||||
1984 (Jan) |
Arnold Palmer (2) | 282 | −6 | 2 strokes | Don January | 35,000 | PGA National |
1983: No tournament | |||||||
1982 (Dec) |
Don January (2) | 288 | E | 1 stroke | Julius Boros | 25,000 | PGA National |
1981 | Miller Barber | 281 | −7 | 2 strokes | Arnold Palmer | 20,000 | Turnberry Isle |
1980 | Arnold Palmer | 289 | +1 | Playoff | Paul Harney | 20,000 | Turnberry Isle |
1979 (Dec) |
Don January | 270 | −18 | 15,000 | Turnberry Isle | ||
1979 (Feb) |
Jack Fleck | 289 | +1 | 8,000 | Walt Disney World | ||
1978 | Joe Jimenez | 286 | −2 | 8,000 | Walt Disney World | ||
1977 | Julius Boros (2) | 283 | −5 | 7,500 | Walt Disney World | ||
1976 | Pete Cooper | 283 | −5 | 7,500 | Walt Disney World | ||
1975 | Charlie Sifford | 280 | −8 | 7,500 | Walt Disney World | ||
1974 | Roberto De Vicenzo | 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 | Julius Boros | 285 | −3 | 4,000 | PGA National | ||
1970 | Sam Snead (4) | 290 | +2 | 4,000 | PGA National | ||
1969 | Tommy Bolt | 278 | −10 | 4,000 | PGA National | ||
1968 | Chandler Harper | 279 | −9 | 4,000 | PGA National | ||
1967 | Sam Snead (3) | 279 | −9 | 4,000 | PGA National | ||
1966 | Fred Haas | 286 | −2 | 3,000 | PGA National | ||
1965 | Sam Snead (2) | 278 | −10 | 3,500 | Fort Lauderdale | ||
1964 | Sam Snead | 279 | −9 | 2,500 | PGA National | ||
1963 | Herman Barron | 272 | −16 | 2,500 | Port St. Lucie | ||
1962 | Paul Runyan (2) | 278 | −10 | 2,000 | PGA National | ||
1961 | Paul Runyan | 278 | −10 | 1,500 | PGA National | ||
1960 | Dick Metz | 284 | −4 | 1,500 | PGA National | ||
1959 | Willie Goggin | 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 | Pete Burke | 215 | −1 | 1,000 | PGA National | ||
1955 | Mortie Dutra | 213 | −3 | 1,000 | PGA National | ||
1954 | Gene Sarazen | 214 | −2 | 1,000 | PGA National | ||
1953 | Harry Schwab | 142 | −2 | PGA National | |||
1952 | Ernie Newnham | 146 | +2 | PGA National | |||
1951 | Al Watrous (2) | 142 | −2 | PGA National | |||
1950 | Al Watrous | 142 | −2 | PGA National | |||
1949 | Marshall Crichton | 145 | +1 | PGA National | |||
1948 | Charles McKenna | 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 | Eddie Williams | 138 | −6 | Fort Myers | |||
1941 | Jack Burke Sr. | 142 | E | Bobby Jones Golf Complex Sarasota Bay | |||
1940 | Otto Hackbarth | 146 | +4 | Bobby Jones Golf Complex Sarasota Bay | |||
1939: No tournament | |||||||
1938 | Fred McLeod | 154 | +10 | Augusta National | |||
1937 | Jock Hutchison | 223 | +7 | Augusta National |
Source:[8]
The following men have won the Senior PGA Championship more than once, through 2021:
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 |
---|---|---|
Jock Hutchison | 1920 | 1937, 1947 |
Gene Sarazen | 1922, 1923, 1933 | 1954, 1958 |
Paul Runyan | 1934, 1938 | 1961, 1962 |
Sam Snead | 1942, 1949, 1951 | 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1973 |
Chandler Harper | 1950 | 1968 |
Julius Boros | 1968 | 1971, 1977 |
Don January | 1967 | 1979, 1982 |
Gary Player | 1962, 1972 | 1986, 1988, 1990 |
Jack Nicklaus | 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980 | 1991 |
Lee Trevino | 1974, 1984 | 1992, 1994 |
Raymond Floyd | 1969, 1982 | 1995 |
Year | Host site | City | Dates |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | The Golf Club at Harbor Shores | Benton Harbor, Michigan | TBD |
2025 | Congressional Country Club | Bethesda, Maryland | TBD |
Source[10]