History PGA Championship

1 history

1.1 format
1.2 location
1.3 promotion

history

in 1894, 41 golf courses operating in united states, 2 unofficial national championships amateur golfers organized. 1 held @ newport country club in rhode island, , other @ st. andrew s golf club in new york. in addition, , @ same time amateur event, st. andrew s conducted open championship professional golfers. none of championships officially sanctioned governing body american golf, causing considerable controversy among players , organizers. later in 1894 led formation of united states golf association (usga), became first formal golf organization in country. after formation of usga, golf became sport of national popularity , importance.

in february 1916 professional golfers association of america (pga) established in new york city. 1 month earlier, wealthy department store owner rodman wanamaker hosted luncheon leading golf professionals of day @ wykagyl country club in nearby new rochelle. attendees prepared agenda formal organization of pga; consequently, golf historians have dubbed wykagyl cradle of pga. new organization s first president robert white, 1 of wykagyl s best-known golf professionals.

the first pga championship held in october 1916 @ siwanoy country club in bronxville, new york. winner, jim barnes, received $500 , diamond-studded gold medal donated rodman wanamaker. 2016 winner, jimmy walker, earned $1.8 million. champion awarded replica of wanamaker trophy, donated wanamaker, keep 1 year, , smaller-sized keeper replica wanamaker trophy.

format

initially match play event, pga championship played in fall varied may december. following world war ii, championship played in late may or late june, moved july in 1953 , few weeks later in 1954, finals played on tuesday. match play event (with stroke play qualifier), not uncommon finalists play on 200 holes in 7 days. 1957 event lost money, , @ pga meetings in november changed stroke play, starting in 1958, standard 72-hole format of 18 holes per day 4 days, thursday sunday. network television broadcasters, preferring large group of well-known contenders on final day, pressured pga of america make format change.

during 1960s, pga championship played week following open championship 5 times, making virtually impossible players compete in both majors. in 1965, pga contested first time in august, , returned in 1969, save one-year move late february in 1971, played in florida. 2016 event moved late july, 2 weeks after open championship, accommodate 2016 summer olympics in august.

prior 2017 edition, announced tournament moved may on weekend prior memorial day, beginning in 2019. pga tour concurrently announced move players championship march same year; had been moved march may in 2007. pga of america cited addition of golf summer olympics, cooler weather enabling wider array of options host courses, reasoning change. believed pga tour wished re-align season completed before start of football season.

location

the pga championship played in eastern half of united states, ten times has ventured west. last played in pacific time zone 19 years ago in 1998, @ sahalee east of seattle, , california s recent in 1995 @ riviera. (the mountain time zone has hosted three, in suburban denver, in 1941, 1967, , 1985.) 102nd edition in 2020 scheduled tpc harding park in san francisco, first bay area , return california after quarter century.

through 2016, state of new york has hosted twelve times, followed ohio (11) , pennsylvania (9).

promotion

the tournament promoted slogan glory s last shot . in 2013, tagline had been dropped in favor of season s final major , suggested pga tour commissioner tim finchem whilst discussing allowance of one-week break in schedule prior ryder cup. finchem had argued slogan not appropriate weakened stature of events occur after it, such pga tour s fedex cup playoffs. pga of america ceo pete bevacqua explained had had discussions cbs, adding 3 entities came same conclusion that, know what, there s not in tag line , don’t feel s doing pga championship, let s not stick it. let s think else out there. time, tournament used slogan major replacement.