Senior PGA Championship Winners and History
Inaugurated in 1937 at Augusta National Golf Club, the Senior PGA Championship was organized by none other than Bobby Jones. In the first competition, Jock Hutchison came away with the winner’s share of the $2,000 purse (about $30,000 in today’s money).
The PGA Senior Championship moved from Georgia to Florida in 1940, hoping for better weather. Sarasota hosted two years, and Ft. Myers another before World War II interrupted play. Following the war, the Championship was moved to Dunedin, Florida. The PGA eventually would move its offices there.
From 1945 to 2000, PGA National in Dunedin and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida was the event’s semi-permanent home. Since 2001, however, the event has been on the road: Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ (2001); Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio (2002); Aronimink Golf Club, Philadelphia (2003); Valhalla, Louisville, KY (2004); Laurel Valley GC, Ligonier, Pa (2005); Oak Tree GC, Edmond, OK (2006); The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island (2007); Oak Hill CC, Rochester, NY (2008); Canterbury GC, Beachwood, OH (2009) and Colorado GC, Parker, Colo. (2010). The tournament returned to Valhalla in 2011. I
To qualify, players must be at least 50 years old. Other Eligibility requirements follow:
- Any past winner of the Senior PGA Championship
- Any past winner of a regular major championship
- Any past member of the United States Ryder Cup team
- The top 15 finishers in the previous year’s Senior PGA Championship
- The top 50 on the Champions Tour money list (previous year and current year)
- Any winner of a Champions Tour event since the last Senior PGA Championship
- The top 35 finishers from the Callaway Golf Senior PGA Professional National Championship
- Any winner of the previous five U.S. Senior Opens
- The winner of the last Senior British Open
- The top eight players from the previous year’s European Seniors Tour Order of Merit
- The top four players from the previous year’s Japanese Seniors Tour Order of Merit
- A one-time exemption for those who have just turned 50 and have won a PGA Tour, Japan Golf Tour, or European Tour event in the last 5 years
- The top 30 on the career money list, both Champions Tour and combined Champions Tour and PGA Tour
- A one-time exemption for former PGA Professional National Champions turning 50
- Invitations for those not meeting criteria above also are made
A list of Senior PGA Championship winners follows:
Year | Player | Venue | Score | Margin |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Steve Stricker | Fields Ranch East | 270 (-18) | Playoff |
2022 | Steven Alker | Harbor Shores | 268 (-16) | 3 strokes |
2021 | Alex Cejka | Southern Hills CC | 272 (-8) | 4 strokes |
2020 | COVID | |||
2019 | Ken Tanigawa | Oak Hill CC | 277 (-3) | 1 stroke |
2018 | Paul Broadhurst | Harbor Shores | 265 (-19) | 4 strokes |
2017 | Bernhard Langer | Trump National Golf Club | 270 (-18) | 1 stroke |
2016 | Rocco Mediate | The Golf Club at Harbor Shores | 265 (−19) | 3 strokes |
2015 | Colin Montgomerie (2) | French Lick Resort | 280 (−8) | 4 strokes |
2014 | Colin Montgomerie | The Golf Club at Harbor Shores | 271 (−13) | 4 strokes |
2013 | Kōki Idoki | Bellerive Country Club | 273 (−11) | 2 strokes |
2012 | Roger Chapman | The Golf Club at Harbor Shores | 271 (−13) | 2 strokes |
2011 | Tom Watson (2) | Valhalla Golf Club | 278 (−10) | Playoff |
2010 | Tom Lehman | Colorado Golf Club | 281 (−7) | Playoff |
2009 | Michael Allen | Canterbury Golf Club | 274 (−6) | 2 strokes |
2008 | Jay Haas (2) | Oak Hill Country Club | 287 (+7) | 1 stroke |
2007 | Denis Watson | Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course | 279 (−9) | 2 strokes |
2006 | Jay Haas | Oak Tree Golf Club | 279 (−5) | Playoff |
2005 | Mike Reid | Laurel Valley Golf Club | 280 (−8) | Playoff |
2004 | Hale Irwin (4) | Valhalla Golf Club | 276 (−8) | 1 stroke |
2003 | John Jacobs | Aronimink Golf Club | 276 (−4) | 2 strokes |
2002 | Fuzzy Zoeller | Firestone Country Club | 278 (−2) | 1 stroke |
2001 | Tom Watson | The Ridgewood Country Club | 274 (−10) | 1 stroke |
2000 | Doug Tewell | PGA National Golf Club | 201 (−15) | 7 strokes |
1999 | Allen Doyle | PGA National Golf Club | 274 (−14) | 2 strokes |
1998 | Hale Irwin | PGA National Golf Club | 275 (−13) | 6 strokes |
1997 | Hale Irwin | PGA National Golf Club | 274 (−14) | 12 strokes |
1996 | Hale Irwin | PGA National Golf Club | 280 (−8) | 2 strokes |
1995 | Raymond Floyd | PGA National Golf Club | 277 (−11) | 5 strokes |
1994 | Lee Trevino (2) | PGA National Golf Club | 279 (−9) | 1 stroke |
1993 | Tom Wargo | PGA National Golf Club | 275 (−13) | playoff |
1992 | Lee Trevino | PGA National Golf Club | 278 (−10) | 1 stroke |
1991 | Jack Nicklaus | PGA National Golf Club | 271 (−17) | 6 strokes |
1990 | Gary Player (3) | PGA National Golf Club | 281 (−7) | 2 strokes |
1989 | Larry Mowry | PGA National Golf Club | 281 (−7) | 1 stroke |
1988 | Gary Player | PGA National Golf Club | 284 (−4) | 3 strokes |
1987 | Chi-Chi Rodríguez | PGA National Golf Club | 282 (−6) | 1 stroke |
1986 (Feb.) | Gary Player | PGA National Golf Club | 281 (−7) | 2 strokes |
1984 (Dec.) | Peter Thomson | PGA National Golf Club | 286 (−2) | 3 strokes |
1984 (Jan.) | Arnold Palmer (2) | PGA National Golf Club | 282 (−6) | 2 strokes |
1982 (Dec.) | Don January (2) | PGA National Golf Club | 288 (E) | 1 stroke |
1981 | Miller Barber | Turnberry Isle Resort and Club | 281 (−7) | 2 strokes |
1980 | Arnold Palmer | Turnberry Isle Resort and Club | 289 (+1) | Playoff |
1979 (Dec.) | Don January | Turnberry Isle Resort and Club | 270 (–18) | |
1979 (Feb.) | Jack Fleck | Walt Disney World | 289 (+1) | |
1978 | Joe Jimenez | Walt Disney World | 286 (–2) | |
1977 | Julius Boros (2) | Walt Disney World | 283 (–5) | |
1976 | Pete Cooper | Walt Disney World | 283 (–5) | |
1975 | Charlie Sifford | Walt Disney World | 280 (–8) | |
1974 | Roberto DeVicenzo | Port St. Lucie Country Club | 273 (–15) | |
1973 | Sam Snead (6) | PGA National Golf Club (old) | 268 (–20) | |
1972 | Sam Snead | PGA National Golf Club (old) | 286 (–2) | |
1971 | Julius Boros | PGA National Golf Club (old) | 285 (–3) | |
1970 | Sam Snead | PGA National Golf Club (old) | 290 (+2) | |
1969 | Tommy Bolt | PGA National Golf Club (old) | 278 (–10) | |
1968 | Chandler Harper | PGA National Golf Club (old) | 279 (–9) | |
1967 | Sam Snead | PGA National Golf Club (old) | 279 (–9) | |
1966 | Fred Haas | PGA National Golf Club (old) | 286 (–2) | |
1965 | Sam Snead | Fort Lauderdale Country Club | 278 (–9) | |
1964 | Sam Snead | PGA National Golf Club (old) | 279 (–9) | |
1963 | Herman Barron | Port St. Lucie Country Club | 272 (–16) | |
1962 | Paul Runyan (2) | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 278 (–10) | |
1961 | Paul Runyan | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 278 (–10) | |
1960 | Dick Metz | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 284 (–4) | |
1959 | Willie Goggin | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 284 (–4) | |
1958 | Gene Sarazen (2) | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 288 (E) | |
1957 | Al Watrous (3) | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 210 (–6) | |
1956 | Pete Burke | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 215 (–1) | |
1955 | Mortie Dutra | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 213 (–3) | |
1954 | Gene Sarazen | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 214 (–2) | |
1953 | Harry Schwab | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 142 (–2) | |
1952 | Ernie Newnham | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 146 (+2) | |
1951 | Al Watrous | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 142 (–2) | |
1950 | Al Watrous | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 142 (–2) | |
1949 | Marshall Crichton | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 145 (+1) | |
1948 | Charles McKenna | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 141 (–3) | |
1947 | Jock Hutchison (2) | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 145 (+1) | |
1946 | Eddie Williams (3) | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 146 (+2) | |
1945 | Eddie Williams | PGA National Golf Course (Dunedin Golf Club) | 148 (+4) | |
1943–44: No championships due to World War II | ||||
1942 | Eddie Williams | Fort Myers Country Club | 138 (–6) | |
1941 | Jack Burke, Sr. | Bobby Jones Golf Complex | 142 (E) | |
Sarasota Country Club | ||||
1940 (Jan.) | Otto Hackbarth | Bobby Jones Golf Complex | 146 (+4) | |
Sarasota Country Club | ||||
1938 (Dec.) | Fred McLeod | Augusta National Golf Club | 154 (+10) | |
1937 | Jock Hutchison | Augusta National Golf Club | 223 (+7) |