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Senior PGA Championship

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Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer won the Senior PGA Championship twice, and shares the tournament 18-hole scoring record.

Photo by John Brown

About the Senior PGA Championship:

The Senior PGA Championship, run by the PGA of America, was the first truly "major" tournament specifically for "senior" golfers (golfers over age 50) in the U.S. The tournament was founded in 1937 at the urging of Bobby Jones, and has been played ever since (with a few exceptions). It now is considered one of the Champions Tour's majors, and rotates among golf courses ala the PGA Championship and USGA championships.

2010 Senior PGA Championship
• When: May 27-30
• Where: Colorado Golf Club, Denver, Colo.

2009 Tournament
Michael Allen never won in 270-plus starts on the PGA Tour. But in his very first start on the Champions Tour, Allen won this major title. Allen closed with a 67 to finish two strokes clear of Larry Mize.

Official Web site

Senior PGA Championship Records:

  • 72-hole scoring record: 268 - Sam Snead, 1973
  • 18-hole scoring record: 63 - Buck White, 1961; Arnold Palmer, 1983

Senior PGA Championship Golf Courses:

The Senior PGA Championship currently rotates among courses, just as the "regular" PGA Championship does. And so the tournament visits some of the great courses in the U.S. annually.

For many years, this event was permanently hosted at PGA National Golf Club in Florida, first played there in 1945. PGA National was the host course from 1945-1962, 1964, 1966-1973, 1982-2000.

List of Senior PGA Championship courses

Senior PGA Championship Trivia and Notes:

  • Bobby Jones was the driving force behind the inauguration of a Senior PGA Championship, organizing the first one in 1937 and hosting the first two at Augusta National Golf Club.

  • The first tournament was only three rounds in duration. From 1938 through 1953, the seniors played just two rounds. It was back to three rounds in 1954-57. The tournament extended to 72 holes in 1958 and has remained so since.

  • The Senior PGA Championship debuted in 1937. The first winner, Jock Hutchinson, won again 10 years later in 1947. Hutchinson was runner-up six other times.

  • Sam Snead holds the record with six victories in the Senior PGA Championship, winning in 1964-65, 1967, 1970, 1972-73. His win in 1973 was by 15 strokes.

  • Hale Irwin is the other golfer with more than three wins. Irwin's victories came in 1996-98 and 2004.

  • Irwin is the only golfer to win this tournament three straight years - although Eddie Williams won three straight tournaments. Williams won in 1942, the tournament was not played in 1943-44, then Williams won again in 1945-46.

  • Other three-time winners of the tournament are Al Watrous (1950-51, 1957) and Gary Player (1986, 1988, 1990).

  • In 1979 and 1984, the Senior PGA Championship was played twice. In 1979, it was played in February and then December; in 1984, it was played in January and then December (and was not played in 1985).

    • Senior PGA Championship Winners:

    2009 - Michael Allen
    2008 - Jay Haas
    2007 - Denis Watson
    2006 - Jay Haas
    2005 - Mike Reid
    2004 - Hale Irwin
    2003 - John Jacobs
    2002 - Fuzzy Zoeller
    Full List of Senior PGA Championship Winners

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