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PGA Tour Champions History: How It’s Changed Over The Years

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The PGA Tour Champions history dates back to 1980 when the governing body formed the Senior PGA Tour.

Although it was formed in 1980, the 1978 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf championship paved the way for the Tour. The popularity of the event highlighted a demand for fans to see their legends play beyond their retirement age.

Golf historians will want to read on to educate yourself on the evolution of the PGA Tour Champions from its formation to its current structure with the Charles Schwab Cup.

Overview of the PGA Tour Champions History

1937 – inaugural senior pga championship.

The inaugural Senior PGA Championship teed off in December 1937, becoming the only competitive event for golfers over 50. Augusta National played host to the first two editions of the event before organizers moved further south to Sarasota to avoid rain delays experienced in Georgia.

Although the official formation of the PGA Tour Champions was still five decades out, this event got the wheels turning.

1978 – Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf Success

In 1978, the first Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament teed off at Onion Creek Country in the City of the Violet Crown, Austin, Texas. The event saw legends joining forces in two ball teams and battling it out against a field of golf royalty featuring Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer , and Lee Trevino.

The success of the event among fans and players alike was the push needed to form the Senior PGA Tour.

1980 – Senior PGA Tour Established

Following the success of the Legends of Golf Tournament, the Senior PGA Tour was officially formed in 1980. The 1967 PGA Championship winner, Don January, topped the money list in the inaugural year, a feat he would repeat twice more, back to back in 1983 and 1984.

Miller Barber won in 1981 and 1982, making him and January the dominant forces in the early years of the Tour.

1990 – Charles Schwab Cup Formation

The Senior PGA Tour saw its first grand evolution in 1990 when it created the Charles Schwab Cup. Originally, the event was the New York Life Champions tournament before rebranding to the PGA Senior Championship, with numerous title sponsors from 1992 to 2002.

In 2003, Charles Schwab took over as title sponsor, and the final event of the season became the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. 

From its inception in 1990 until 2015, the top 30 on the money list for the season earned an invite to a no-cut final event. However, the tour officials changed tactics in 2016 and opted for a FedEx Cup-style three-tournament playoff. 

The Playoffs Structure

The top 72 players on the money list gain entry to the playoffs. The Dominion Energy Charity Classic is first up, where the top 54 players qualify for the Simmons Bank Championship. After round two of the playoffs, the best 36 players move on to battle it out for the Charles Schwab Cup.

Despite the similarities to the FedEx Cup, the points system differs. The winner of the Charles Schwab Cup will not necessarily top the money list. For example, Padraig Harrington won the Cup in 2022, but Steve Alker topped the money list.

2002 – PGA Champions Tour Name Change

The Tour body decided to switch the tour name to a more deserving title that honored the work of its members. After carrying the name of the Senior PGA Tour for 22 years, it changed to the Champions Tour post-October 2002 and kept the brand until changing it once more in 2015.

2015 – PGA Tour Champions Name Change

Operating for 13 years under the PGA Champions Tour had seen significant growth in tournaments and prize money. However, it was decided to rebrand for the third time in the Tour’s history, this time changing to the PGA Tour Champions, which is how it remains at the time of writing this.

PGA Champions Tour All-Time Money List

Bernhard Langer has earned more than any other golfer on the PGA Tour Champions, amassing over 35 million dollars. This is significantly more than the second-placed Hale Irwin. There is a wide gap between Irwin and third-place Gil Morgan, who won over 20 million dollars in his career.

Here is a breakdown of the top 10 earners of all time on the Seniors Tour.

PGA Tour Champions Fun Facts 2024

What famous golfer never played in the senior tour.

LIV Golf CEO and two-time Major Champion Greg Norman has never played on the PGA Senior Tour, even though he is eligible. He saw the PGA Tour Champions as “ceremonial golf” and, after competing fiercely for decades, felt it did not offer the competitive edge of the main tours.

Did any golfers ever succeed on the Champions Tour without playing in the PGA Tour?

Yes, Mike Goodes succeeded on the Champions Tour without playing on the PGA Tour. In fact, Goodes only went pro when he turned 50. He has featured 282 times on the PGA Tour Champions and conjured up $6,234,722 in career earnings. Plus, he won the 2009 Allianz Championship.

Who played in the PGA tour and didn’t stand out until the Tour Champions?

Steven Alker played on the PGA Tour in 2003 but failed to retain his card. Since joining the PGA Tour Champions in 2021, the Kiwi has played in 38 events, won 6 times, finished 2nd on seven occasions, and 3rd six times. Therefore, he has finished in the top 3 in 21 of 38 outings.

How do you qualify for the PGA Tour Champions?

Professionals can qualify for the PGA Tour Champions through past wins on the PGA Tour. Alternatively, a top 5 finish at the previous season’s PGA Tour Champions National Qualifying tournament will get you on the tour for the year.

PGA Tour veterans can qualify if they have earned 5 PGA Tour points in their career. A single point is assigned for winning a regular tournament, while a Major counts for 3 points.

Besides becoming a full-time tour member, golfers can qualify for individual events by carding one of the four lowest scores for that week. In addition, there are sponsor exemptions and tournament invitations awarded occasionally.

Popular qualifying methods:

• Top 54 on the money list the previous year
• 5 PGA Tour points (Tournament victory = 1, Major = 3)
• 5 PGA Tour champions points (Tournament victory = 1, Major = 2)
• Top 10 players on the all-time money list
• Top 5 players from PGA Tour Champions National Qualifying 
• Invitation by organizers or players

F requently Asked Questions

Who has the most wins in champions tour history.

Bernhard Langer has 46 Champions Tour wins, which is the most in the history of the tour. He overtook Hale Irwin when he won the 2023 U.S. Senior Open.

What is the difference between the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions?

The PGA Tour consists of golfers under 50, while the PGA Tour Champions is for golfers over 50.

How much money has Bernhard Langer made on the Champions Tour?

Bernhard Langer has made $35,989,514 on the Champions Tour since joining in 2007. He is the highest earner of all-time on the PGA Tour Champions ahead of Hale Irwin with $27,158,515.

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Matt Callcott-Stevens has lived and breathed golf since he was four. As a junior, he played competitively, until he discovered his talents were better suited to writing about the game. Matt holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing through the Johan Cruyff Institute in Barcelona and has provided golf game improvement tips to seniors and the average golfer for seven years.

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What is the PGA Tour Champions?

Learn the similarities and differences between the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions

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The PGA Tour Champions, commonly known as the Champions Tour, is the PGA Tour's professional senior tour, where the best golfers aged 50 and above compete.

Champions Tour Qualifying

In general, qualifying for PGA Tour Champions events is restricted to those players who finished in the top 50 of last year's competition and those age eligible players who are in the top 70 of the all-time money list from PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions events.

In addition, exemptions are given to members of the World Golf Hall of Fame and winners of previous PGA Tour Champions events. As with PGA Tour events, sponsors are also allowed to bring a small number of golfer's into a given event.

A select number of spots in Champions Tour events are also up for grabs each week through Monday qualifying , similar to other professional tours.

History of the Champions Tour

While senior golf tournaments, like the Senior PGA Championship, have been around since 1937, a formal PGA Tour for seniors was not established until 1980. Don January and Arnold Palmer were the tour’s first two winners.

The idea for a senior tour grew out of the highly successful 1978 Legends of Golf tournament at Onion Creek Club in Austin, Texas. The event featured competition from some of the greatest senior golfers at the time who competed in teams of two.

From 1980 until 2002, the tour was known as the Senior PGA Tour before transitioning to the Champions Tour until the latest name change to PGA Tour Champions in 2016.

A typical seasons on the Champions Tour consists of 26 events, mostly in the United States.

PGA Tour & Champions Tour Differences

While sharing many similarities with the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champions has several differences.

One difference is the allowance of golf carts at some events. Most of the events take place over three rounds  with 54 holes and no cut instead of four rounds totalling 72 holes with a 36-hole cut on the PGA Tour.

While there are seldom cuts in the PGA Tour Champions events, three of the five senior majors play a standard four-round, 72 hole tournament with a 36-hole cut.

Senior Majors

Just like the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champions has its own series of major championships. The senior majors include The Tradition, the Senior PGA Championship, the Senior Players Championship, the U.S. Senior Open, and The Senior Open Championship.

Charles Schwab Cup

Each year, the tour ends in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the final tournament in a three-tournament play-off series mirrored after the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup.

The Charles Schwab Cup began in 1990 and took its current format in 2016, when the tour moved to a playoff format, and the top 72 players on the money list automatically qualify for the first playoff event.

There is also a Wildcard Weekend the week prior to the playoffs at the SAS Championship which allows for one player who finishes in the top 10 that week, but is outside the money list’s top 72, to advance to the playoffs.

The first playoff event is the Dominion Energy Charity Classic event at Richmond’s Country Club of Virginia James River Course. The second event is the Simmons Bank Championship at Pleasant Valley CC in Little Rock Arkansas, and the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the final event, takes place at Phoenix Country Club in Phoenix, Arizona.

Champions Tour All-Time Money List

Since the PGA Tour Champions inception in 1980, the circuit continues to grow. Lee Trevino became the first senior tour winner to win $1 million in 1990.

Hale Irwin is the winningest golfer in Champions history with 45 victories, but isn’t at the top of the all-time money winner list. There have been six golfers to surpass the $15 million mark, three have surpassed the $20 million and one player, Bernhard Langer, has made more than $30 million dollars.

As of the finish of the 2023 season, here are the top 10 PGA Tour of Champions All-time Money winners.

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Bernhard Langer set for PGA Tour Champions return after Achilles tear

At age 66, Bernhard Langer believes he still has a lot of good golf left in him.

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Bernhard Langer is set to make a triumphant return to the PGA Tour Champions at this week’s Insperity Invitational — his 342nd start on the senior circuit — three months after the 66-year-old tore his left Achilles tendon.

Langer injured his Achilles tendon on February 1st during a game of pickleball. He had surgery the next day, and his recovery timeline derailed his previously-announced plans to make this year’s Masters his last.

Two months after tearing his achilles, @BernhardLanger6 is making a return. The 66-year-old plans to tee it up next week @InsperityInvtnl . A look inside his miraculous comeback journey ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/aBjzCWn9jO — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 26, 2024

Langer isn’t the first Tour player to sustain an injury playing pickleball . Recent PGA Tour winner Akshay Bhatia dislocated his shoulder playing the game a couple of years ago — an injury that still bothers him.

Langer told the Champions Tour he was encouraged by New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who underwent surgery for a torn Achilles in September, and was throwing footballs again three months later.

“That lifted my spirits, hearing he was back on the field throwing the ball after eight or nine weeks,” Langer told the Champions Tour. “That encouraged me that I may do something similar.”

Bernhard Langer’s fix for golf’s distance fight? Bigger golf balls and holes

Langer opted for the same “SpeedBridge” procedure as Rodgers, which is touted as allowing for immediate weight-bearing and range of motion, thereby enabling a faster track to full recovery.

Langer was serious about his PT, and spent time wearing a boot, getting around on a scooter and with a crutch as support. He says he was able to stand unassisted for the first time just a few weeks ago, and has only recently started hitting balls.

Langer will turn 67 this summer, and has been setting a new standard for senior-level achievement since he joined the Champions Tour in 2007. Langer is the only player in history to have won all five senior major titles, and last year, he eclipsed Hale Irwin’s win-total record with his 46th title at the U.S. Senior Open.

“I think I can still be very productive for a few more years,” Langer said. “I still think I have a lot of good golf left in me.”

Click here to watch the full video on Langer’s recovery on the PGA Tour Champions website.

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List of PGA Championship champions

From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The PGA Championship is an annual golf competition formerly held in mid-August until 2019, when it moved to mid-May. It was established in 1916 and is one of the four major championships played each year which include the Masters , the U.S. Open , and the Open Championship (British Open). [1] In addition, this championship is conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA). Due to World War I and II , the competition was not held from 1917 to 1918 and in 1943, respectively.

The reigning champion of the competition is automatically invited to play in the other three majors for the next five years, and is exempt from qualifying for the PGA Championship for life. The champion also receives membership on the PGA Tour for the following five years and invitations to The Players Championship for five years. The prize of the tournament is the Wanamaker Trophy , which the champion keeps until the following year's competition. The PGA Championship was originally a match play event; however, in 1958 it was changed to a stroke play event. [2]

Walter Hagen (match play) and Jack Nicklaus (stroke play) hold the record for the most victories; both men have won the competition five times. Hagen holds the record for most consecutive wins in match play with four (1924–27), and Tiger Woods holds the record for most consecutive wins in stroke play with two, which he did twice (1999–2000, 2006–07). Phil Mickelson is the oldest winner of the PGA Championship; he was 50 years, 11 months old when he won in 2021 . The youngest winner of the PGA Championship is Gene Sarazen , who was 20 years, 174 days old when he won in 1922 . David Toms holds the record for the lowest score over 72 holes, which is 265. [3]

Jason Day holds the record for most strokes under par for 72 holes, 20, when he won the 2015 PGA Championship . This is the record under par score in all major championships. [4] The PGA Championship has had three wire-to-wire champions: Bobby Nichols in 1964, Raymond Floyd in 1982, and Hal Sutton in 1983. [5] Four others have led wire-to-wire if ties after a round are counted: Floyd in 1969, Nick Price in 1994, Woods in 2000 and Mickelson in 2005. [5]

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Miles Russell, 15, becomes youngest to make cut on Korn Ferry Tour

Miles Russell during the second round of the LECOM Suncoast Classic. (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Top-ranked AJGA player opens in 68-66 at LECOM Suncoast Classic

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Miles Russell, 15, isn’t particularly nostalgic. When it was time to switch golf balls midway through the opening round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic, the No. 1-ranked AJGA player considered singling out his first ball as a keepsake. Alas, it made its way into the fray at the bottom of his golf bag.

Yet it stands to reason this week will linger in Russell’s mind forever – and if not, it will be etched in the history books anyway. Russell carded rounds of 68-66 at Lakewood National Golf Club’s Commander course, becoming the youngest player to make the cut in a Korn Ferry Tour event and joining Guan Tian Liang (age 14 / 2013 Masters and Zurich Classic of New Orleans) as the only players under 16 to make a cut on the PGA TOUR or Korn Ferry Tour, on record (since 1983). Russell surpasses the Korn Ferry Tour mark previously set by Gipper Finau (16 years, 20 days) at the 2006 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank. Russell set the new mark at 15 years, 5 months, 18 days.

"That's a cool one for me," Russell said. "It's a cool record, and hopefully it will get broken."

This week marked Russell’s PGA TOUR-sanctioned debut, competing on a sponsor exemption, and he has quickly shown that he belongs. After a 3-under 68 in Thursday’s opening round, Russell had one stroke of cushion on the projected cut line, and he further separated himself with two eagles on the front nine Friday – coming at the 282-yard, par-4 fourth and 563-yard, par-5 ninth. He added birdies at Nos. 10 and 11, fell back with a bogey at the par-3 13th but finished with five straight pars to end three strokes inside the cut line.

He'll enter the weekend in a share of 26th place at 8-under 134, six back of 36-hole leader Brandon Crick.

"I knew it was going to be a good test to see where I am against some of the best," Russell said. "It's definitely something I'll remember even when times will get hard; I'll remember it when that happens and go with the flow."

In the context of Russell’s robust list of junior accomplishments, this feat should come as no surprise. Last fall, he became the youngest winner of the AJGA Boys Junior Player of the Year award, surpassing Tiger Woods, his year including a seven-stroke victory at the Junior PGA Championship and a three-shot win at the Junior PLAYERS (which included a second-round 66 at TPC Sawgrass’ PLAYERS Stadium Course).

Although he’s a high school freshman, navigating classes like Earth science and geometry, Russell has carried himself like a pro this week in his home state of Florida (Lakewood National, just outside Bradenton, is located roughly four hours from his hometown of Jacksonville Beach.) Perhaps diminutive in nature for now, the left-hander already generates swing speed that compares to the average TOUR pro and is still growing – suggesting he could become one of the game’s longer hitters in years to come. Combine that with a creative short game, high golf IQ and inquisitive mind – “he’s like a sponge,” said his longtime swing and skills coach Ramon Bescansa – and a successful pro career could be in his future.

Not that he’s taking it for granted. Between shots in a Tuesday practice round at Lakewood National, Russell expressed appreciation for this week’s opportunity and the chance to work toward a career as a professional golfer overall.

“I’ve always wanted to be able to do it," Russell said Tuesday of eventually pursuing professional golf. "To have the chance to do it would be even cooler, and then to be able to do it would be awesome. I think it would just be cool to do something I love, and there’s not much more I love than this.”

The top 25 finishers and ties at the LECOM (not otherwise exempt) will gain access to next week’s Veritex Bank Championship in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Russell is eligible for this perk, but he’s not eligible to earn non-member Korn Ferry Tour points toward Special Temporary Membership, as the minimum age for Korn Ferry Tour membership is 18.

For now, Russell has secured two more competitive rounds against the pros this weekend, having authored a slice of Korn Ferry Tour history.

"I'm kind of speechless," Russell said Friday. "The goal was to make the cut and we made it, so we'll see where the weekend goes.

"It's a cool record to break. I don't know how much longer ... people are getting so good, so young. It could hold out for a week, you never know, but it's pretty cool right now."

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With Rory McIlroy’s victory (alongside Shane Lowry) in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, he becomes one of 26 players with at least 25 career PGA Tour wins.

Sam Snead and Tiger Woods lead the list with 82 official Tour titles. Here’s a look at all the players with at least 25 victories.

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The full list of all of rory mcilroy's 25 pga tour victories, share this article.

When Rory McIlroy teamed up with Shane Lowry to win the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, it marked his 25th victory on the PGA Tour.

It was McIlroy’s first win in 2024 and first since the 2023 Scottish Open in 2023. It was also his first team win in his first visit to the Big Easy.

With 25 wins, McIlroy joins Johnny Miller, Tommy Armour and Macdonald Smith on the all-time wins list. He’s one of 26 golfers in history with at least 25 victories on the PGA Tour.

Next in his sights: Henry Picard with 26; Leo Diegel and Paul Runyan with 28; Gene Littler, Lee Trevino and Harry Cooper at 29; and Horton Smith with 30.

Rory McIlroy PGA Tour victories

2023 Genesis Scottish Open

2022 The CJ Cup in South Carolina

2022 Touyr Championship

2022 RBC Canadian Open

2021 The CJ Cup at the Summit

2021 Wells Fargo Championship

2019 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions

2019 Tour Championship

2019 RBC Canadian Open

2019 The Players Championship

2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational

2016 Deutsche Bank Championship

2016 Tour Championship

2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play

2015 Wells Fargo Championship

2014 The Open Championship

2014 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational

2014 PGA Championship

2012 Honda Classic

2012 PGA Championship

2012 Deutsche Bank Championship

2012 BMW Championship

2011 U.S. Open

2010 Quail Hollow Championship

McIlroy also has 10 international victories.

International victories

2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic

2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic

2016 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open

2015 Omega Dubai Desert Classic

2015 DP World Tour Championship

2014 BMW PGA Championship

2013 Emirates Australian Open

2012 DP World Tour Championship

2011 Shanghai Masters

2011 UBS Hong Kong Open

2009 Dubai Desert Classic

Source: pgatour.com

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