Senior PGA Championship


The Senior PGA Championship 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. 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 invites former winners of the PGA Professional National Championship and the top 35 club professionals who qualify through a tournament.

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. 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. The next edition was moved to Florida in January, 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.

Eligibility

Here is who may be eligible to compete in the Senior PGA Championship :

Name

The tournament has gone by several different names:
YearsName
2017–KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
2011–16Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid
2001–10Senior PGA Championship
1990–2000PGA Seniors' Championship
1984–89General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship
1937–82PGA Seniors' Championship

Winners

Source:

Multiple winners

The following men have won the Senior PGA Championship more than once, through 2019:
Don January, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Jay Haas,
Tom Watson, Colin Montgomerie

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:
PlayerPGA ChampionshipSenior PGA Championship
Jock Hutchison19201937, 1947
Gene Sarazen1922, 1923, 19331954, 1958
Paul Runyan1934, 19381961, 1962
Sam Snead1942, 1949, 19511964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1973
Chandler Harper19501968
Julius Boros19681971, 1977
Don January19671979, 1982
Gary Player1962, 19721986, 1988, 1990
Jack Nicklaus1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 19801991
Lee Trevino1974, 19841992, 1994
Raymond Floyd1969, 19821995

Final round ratings

2019: 1.190 million on NBC

Future tournament sites