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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:

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Older Players on the PGA Tour Are Looking Over Their Shoulders

A week ago, the top five players in the men’s world golf rankings were under 30 years old for the first time since the rankings began in 1986.

By Bill Pennington

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — On the eve of the PGA Tour’s Florida swing, a four-tournament series in March that sets the stage for four months featuring major golf championships, Rory McIlroy, 32, made a revealing observation.

McIlroy, a one-time child prodigy turned four-time major winner, said the results of recent tour events were making him feel especially old.

McIlroy was only half joking.

But with Sunday’s conclusion of the Valspar Championship, the last chapter of the tour’s trip through the Sunshine State, McIlroy sentiments reflect an unmistakable reality: Men’s professional golf is being transformed by a sweeping youth movement.

Even being a creaky 32 is enough to keep you out of the upper echelon. Sort of.

A week ago, the top five players in the men’s world golf rankings — in order, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay and Scottie Scheffler — were under 30 years old, which was the first time that had happened since the rankings were instituted in 1986. While Cantlay turned 30 on Thursday, that does not diminish the headway the game’s youngest players are making.

It is particularly noticeable because many of the most dominant names in men’s golf during this century are now farther from the top of the rankings than ever: Phil Mickelson is 45th, Justin Rose is 51st, Jason Day is 99th and Tiger Woods, who has not played a tour event in 16 months, is 895th.

Moreover, no one expects the 20-something brigade to retreat.

“I’ve been saying it since Day 1, the young guys, we all believed in ourselves when we got to the tour,” Morikawa, 25, said. “That’s not going to change. The recent play just shows how good the young guys who are coming out can be — how good this young pile is.”

The remaking of the rankings has been most dramatic over the last several weeks.

It began a week before the first PGA Tour Florida event this month when Joaquin Niemann, 23, won the Genesis Invitational near Los Angeles. It continued when Sepp Straka, 28, was atop the final leaderboard at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Next, Scheffler, 25, claimed the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando. The following week, on the east coast of Florida, Cameron Smith, 28, won a Players Championship that was battered by bad weather over five days. Finally, on Sunday, near Tampa, Sam Burns, 25, won the Valspar Championship, a tournament he also won last year. Burns, who moved to 10th in the world with Sunday’s victory, defeated Davis Riley, 25, in a playoff. Justin Thomas, 28, and Matthew NeSmith, also 28, tied for third. Matt Fitzpatrick, 27, was fifth.

Thomas, a former world No. 1, praised the growing accomplishments of this younger set even though the competition has helped push his current world ranking to seventh.

“I’ve played some pretty damn good golf, but if you’re not winning tournaments now, you’re getting lapped,” Thomas said. “That’s just the way it is, which just goes to show the level of golf being played.

“But the jealous side of me wants that to be me.”

It is a reasonable expectation that youth will continue to have an impact heading into the four golf majors contested from April through July. While the truism is that experience matters greatly at the Masters, it is also worth remembering that Will Zalatoris, 25, finished second at last year’s Masters. Xander Schauffele, 28 and ranked ninth (one behind McIlroy), played in the final group on the last day of that Masters with eventual winner Hideki Matsuyama.

At this year’s U.S. Open, Rahm, 27, is the defending champion . Scheffler, Schauffele and Morikawa were all in the top 10 last year, as were Daniel Berger, 28, and Guido Migliozzi of Italy, who is, of course, just 25. At last year’s P.G.A. Championship, Scheffler, Zalatoris and Morikawa were among the top 10 finishers; Morikawa is the reigning British Open champion . Oh, yes, at that event a year ago, Spieth was second and Rahm was third.

There are a handful of theories to explain this youthful surge, and most center on the heightened professionalism that has become commonplace even in competitions for top golfers in their late teens or early 20s. That has in turn raised the caliber of golf at the American collegiate level, where rosters are also now frequently dotted with elite players from around the world.

And since every conversation about modern golf must have a tie to Woods, there is also a belief that more agile and finely honed athletes have been flocking to golf for more than 20 years — a tribute to Woods’s effect on sports worldwide.

Put it all together and those graduating from pro golf’s chief minor league, the Korn Ferry Tour, seem less intimidated by the big leagues and more ready to win, or at least contend, right away.

“It’s a reflection of the system at work,” said Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner. “The athleticism, the youth, the preparedness, the system is working. You can talk about the top five, but you can extend it past the top five and into the top 30.”

Sixteen of the top 30 golfers are 30 years old or younger.

Scheffler gave credit to Jordan Spieth, who won his first PGA Tour event when he was 19 and nearly won the Masters when he was 20 (he finished second). Scheffler, like Spieth, attended the University of Texas.

“It was one of those deals where I had a personal connection with him,” Scheffler said of Spieth, who is 28. “He gave a lot of the guys from Texas the belief that we can come out here and play well at a young age. You don’t have to wait until you’re 25 or 30 to get some experience under your belt.”

The one aspect so far missing from golf’s youth movement is the kind of prominent rivalries that fuel any sport’s popularity. While television ratings for golf broadcasts have been surging since 2020, which could be because of the new faces at the top of leaderboards, pitched competition between familiar foes always helps.

But if the cohort of 20-something golf champions has anything in common, it is their congeniality. Morikawa and Hovland were born 12 days apart, turned pro at the same time in 2019 and roomed together during their early days on the PGA Tour. Cantlay and Schauffele have vacationed together. Thomas and Spieth have been close friends since they were preteens.

In that case, maybe the rivalries will have to be between the new guard and their elders — you know, those old guys in their early 30s.

Inside the World of Sports

Dive deeper into the people, issues and trends shaping professional, collegiate and amateur athletics..

College Basketball’s Epicenter: Students at Duke and U.N.C., both basketball powerhouses, have long labeled North Carolina State  their “little brother.” But little brother — and sister — are off to the Final Four.

The Kim Mulkey Show: The L.S.U. women’s basketball coach has made her fashion choices a talking point , a reflection of her own larger-than-life personality and a tool to draw attention to the sport.

Pushing Back on Betting: People can now legally wager on the individual performances of student athletes. The N.C.A.A. isn’t happy .

Back to the Big Time: For those wanting to trace the evolution of money and college sports over the past half-century, Southern Methodist University offers a perfect example .

Hope in Little Tokyo: For a Los Angeles community contending with gentrification and an aging population, the Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s accession with the Dodgers has been galvanizing .

Ice Skating and the Brain: How do champion skaters accomplish their extraordinary jumps and spins? Brain science is uncovering clues .

2021 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship final results: Prize money payout, leaderboard and how much each golfer won

The 2021 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship final leaderboard is headed by winner Steve Stricker, who earned the PGA Tour Champions major win at Firestone Country Club's South Course in Akron, Ohio.

The Wisconsin native dominated for a six-shot win over last week's winner and defending champion Jerry Kelly, pulling away in the 72-hole event at 7-under 273.

Kelly was the only other player to finish under par, with Fred Couples and David Toms finishing tied for third at even par.

Stricker won the $450,000 winner's share of the $3,000,000 purse.

Bridgestone Senior Players Championship recap notes

Stricker wins his seventh PGA Tour Champions title and earns a third senior major title.

The money Stricker -- and every player in the field -- earned is converted into Charles Schwab Cup points, with every dollar converted into a point.

There is no cut on PGA Tour Champions-run events, including the major championships they run.

The 2021 PGA Tour Champions schedule continues next week with the Dick's Sporting Goods Open.

2021 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship final leaderboard, results and prize money payouts

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Ultimate Golf Club Distance Chart for Seniors [All Skill Levels]

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Table of Contents

Regardless of age, any golfer’s shot distance is a significant concern. So a golf club distance chart for seniors holds the same importance at any age.

As we get older, our performance on the golf course naturally changes. You might control some elements to an extent through exercise and nutrition , but certain factors are part of aging.

So logically, you shouldn’t be comparing how you play to those who don’t experience the same limitations as you.

Senior golf has its standard for what poor or great performances are. You should judge your skill level based on your group. You can look at distance charts to get an idea of the average distance players in your category.

This article will give you the best golf club distance charts for seniors.

🏌️‍♂️ Read Next: 13 Best Golf Clubs for Seniors [Expert Buyers Guide]

Golf Club Distance Chart Utilization

Distance charts essentially give the average distance covered by a club. Different charts focus on variable factors such as gender, age, experience, etc.

A golf club distance chart shouldn’t be viewed as a benchmark. It’s a helpful tool to compare your performance realistically, considering limiting factors. So don’t sweat it if your numbers don’t match the charts.

The better approach is knowing your yardage rather than focusing on how far each club can go. Different people get different numbers for the same club, so while a 7 iron is going far for your friend, maybe your 5 iron covers the same ground.

What I’m stressing about is that it’s all relative. Contrary to popular belief, being a long-hitter doesn’t guarantee a lower score. It’s understandable why people assume that long shots travel a greater distance, possibly lowering your score.

But that’s just not written in stone. A short-hitter could outdo you. It’s just a matter of knowing yourself and your skill.

😂 Read Next: 70+ Super Funny Golf Sayings That Will Keep You Laughing

Golf Distance Charts for Men & Women

First, we will look at the average distance that younger players of both genders cover. This gives an idea of how well a player can perform when all age factors are in their favor. 

You can take these numbers as the upper limit of how much yardage one can achieve.

Golf Club Distance Chart for Men

With experience, male golfers gain decent yardage in their shots. The more players practice, the higher they can take their swing speed, which is critical for covering long distances.

You can compare your performance with the table below (average golfer to pro).

Golf Club Average Distances of Women

For female players, the numbers are lower than for male players. Many factors come into play here, such as thinner and shorter clubs coupled with a slower swing speed. The distances covered are impressive nonetheless.

You can use the table below as a reference point for your yardage.

Golf Club Distance Charts for Seniors

Players who are 50+ in age fall under the Seniors category. They’re eligible to play in the Senior PGA Championship , on top of the PGA Tour .

Although they aren’t required to leave the PGA Tour, it’s clear that their performance will eventually fall behind over time than the younger players on the golf course. But that’s just how life goes.

Nonetheless, here’s a shocking fact. The world record for the longest drive is held by 64-year-old, Mike Austin . He hit a 515-yard drive in 1974! We didn’t even have the TaylorMade SIM 2 back then.

Regardless, there’s a significant gap in golf club distances among senior players. Those who play recreationally are shorter hitters compared to Senior PGA Tour players.

You can make the comparison through the table below.

Golf Club Distance Charts by Age | Drivers, Fairway Woods & Irons

Below you’ll find a breakdown of the average golf distance chart for irons and drivers by age.

While you may notice, there is a stark difference in average club distances between younger and senior players.  Professional golfers don’t rapidly lose their yardage because of old age.

Those who maintain their athleticism and continue playing stay in great shape. As Gary Player would agree, a lot can be done with a solid fitness routine. However, they’ll notice a slow dip in their numbers.

To understand the gradual shift in yardage, the table below shows the age-by-age decrease in shot distances.

Please note this golf club distance chart doesn’t account for whether a player is a professional.

Tips to Improve the Average Distance Golfers Hit

As a golfer, you can’t expect to stay on top of your game if you aren’t consistent. 

Many skills you learn will get rusty as the years go by. If you’re not paying attention, it can become harder to play as you used to.

To help you overcome your short yardage on the golf course, here are a few points you can focus on.

Read Next: Closed Coil Golf Swing for Seniors: 4 Quick Steps & Drills ⛳️

1. Use the Proper Golf Equipment for Senior Golfers

Your golf balls and clubs are both determinants of your performance. You should ensure you’re using the suitable fit for you and the level at which you play.

Sometimes, your previous club preference doesn’t give you the same results as it once did. This may be a sign to try other clubs and see if there is another that suits you better. The same goes for golf balls.

Having the right driver and irons is as important as possessing the right skills.

2. Improve Your Golf Grip & Posture 

To start, it’s essential to have the best golf grips for seniors .

As we age, a golfer’s grip and posture are often neglected parts of physical fitness. 

Players focus more on stamina, strength, and similar capabilities, but other factors equally influence their performance.

A good golf grip helps you transfer strength and control the ball. You may struggle with this at first, but it could be what’s holding you back.

As for posture, ensure that you’re standing as tall as you can and are bending from the waist, not the shoulders. You should also be careful about your alignment, which your posture can throw off.

⛳️ Read Next: 23 Best Golf Tips For Seniors to Enhance Your Game

3. Improve Your Golf Swing Speed

One of the many culprits for a shorter distance on your shots is your swing speed. This is essentially how fast your club moves before it hits the golf ball.

Your swing speed changes over time. In the table below, you can see what male and female golfers average at different ages.

As you can see, as we all age, we tend to have slower swing speeds. However, golf training aids and exercise can help with increasing swing speeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far should a 60 year old man hit a golf ball.

According to the senior distance chart, a 60 year old man, should hit approximately 211 yards with his golf driver.

Final Thoughts | Golf Club Distance Chart for Seniors

The finest aspect of golf is that age is not a limitation. You grow as you go, adapting your expertise according to your circumstances.

Using a golf club distance chart for seniors as a reference, you can continue enjoying your game and be motivated to progress further.

If you are looking for motivation, check out Gary Player’s amazing fitness routine .

Related Senior Golf Articles

10 Best Golf Swing Tips for Seniors That Actually Work

13 Best Golf Clubs for Seniors in 2023 [Expert Buyers Guide]

Ultimate Guide to the Senior Golf Tour: 5 Major Tournaments

The 6 Best Golf Grips For Seniors In 2022

7 Best Drivers For Senior Women To Increase Distance in 2022

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Erin has spent over 17 years as a healthcare executive working with seniors in nursing homes, skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living communities. She also holds a Masters Degree in Social Work and other advanced degrees related to seniors.

Erin grew up playing golf in a family of golf fanatics. She started this site to help others add more enjoyment to the game of life through golf.

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1 thought on “Ultimate Golf Club Distance Chart for Seniors [All Skill Levels]”

thank you. some ideas and some information.

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Masters survey 2024: rickie fowler, matt kuchar and will zalatoris on what makes the masters feel different from a typical pga tour event, share this article.

The Masters does things differently. They do things the Masters way. It dates back to Augusta National Golf Club’s co-founder, Clifford Roberts, who ruled with an iron fist. There’s a reason things there run like clockwork, but it can also rub some the wrong way. Just ask Lee Trevino.

For the latest question in the Golfweek Masters Survey for 2024, we asked pros past and present, in terms of how the tournament is operated, to name examples of when they’re at Augusta and have a feeling of “this is different than the PGA Tour.”

The responses ranged from “you stumped me” to “everything,” but we have to echo Matt Kuchar who praised the Masters app as in a class by itself, and agree with Rickie Fowler that fans tend to be more respectful there (perhaps due to the fear of having their badge removed) and great observation by Will Zalatoris that all the divots at the par 3s miraculously have been filled once the tournament gets underway. How do they do it? Here are some of the best responses.

Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel hands a club to caddie Mark Fulcher on the second green during the first round of the 2023 Masters. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Network)

The things they do better than the PGA Tour is they have a 20-year plan, a 50-year plan and always looking at things proactively and not reacting to things. They could’ve built a gym for training right away but they do their due diligence and it’s a two, three year process and once they build it they don’t have to fix anything because they did it on the front end. 

Brian Harman

Brian Harman looks on during the first round of the 2024 Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio. (Photo: Raj Mehta/Getty Images)

You stumped me. You’d be nitpicking.

Collin Morikawa

Greenskeepers remove standing water on the 18th green during second round of the 2023 Masters. (Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Everything. Not that the officials and volunteers aren’t awesome at PGA Tour events, but everyone is on their toes at the Masters.

Gary Player

The practice area at Augusta National Golf Club for the 2023 Masters. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

The quality of the golf course and the way the tournament continues to expand and make its offering better for the player as well as the spectator. 

Jason Day and caddie Luke Reardon walk the 15th fairway during the second round of the 2023 Masters. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Network)

The communication is off the charts. One time my bag broke and my caddie carried it like a brief case for half a hole and before we holed out they already had a new strap for me.

Keegan Bradley

Keegan Bradley tees off on the first hole during the first round of the 2023 Masters. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Network)

Everyone off the first tee is different because you can tee off really late.

Kevin Streelman

The leaderboard during the final round of the 2020 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Everything is 10 out of 10 at the Masters. They’ve thought of everything. The only thing the players complain about is it’s an expensive week, especially if you miss the cut. Those houses overcharge to make their yearly mortgage payment. 

Matt Kuchar

Matt Kuchar holds up his ball after a birdie putt on the seventh green during the third round of the 2016 Masters.

The Masters app is vastly superior. I think they have a better scorecard than we use. But I appreciate the familiarity I have with the people that run our Tour. Every once in a while I see something and say we should copy that.

Padraig Harrington

An autographed flag at the Par 3 Contest ahead of the 2016 Masters. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

They are more player-oriented now than ever. Having only one autograph area makes our life a little easier.

Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas sign autographs during the Par 3 Contest prior to the 2018 Masters. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Fans are more respectful at the Masters. I feel like I can just walk up to the ropes and watch JT tee off and not worry about people wanting things from you. It’s a lot more relaxed. Everyone has an understanding of what the rules are.

Stewart Cink

Stewart Cink and caddie Reagan Cink at the second hole during the second round of the 2022 Masters. (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

I have to be delicate in how I say this but the Masters is not quite as forthcoming in smothering you with services as the other PGA Tour tournaments. The Tour events compete against each other for player participation and therefore good fields so they bend over backwards to say ‘Sure, we can make that happen’ whereas at Augusta there’s a lot more of ‘That’s not something we do.’

Will Zalatoris

Will Zalatoris and his wife Caitlin high-five during the Par 3 Contest ahead of the 2023 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network)

If you look on Wednesday after practice rounds for par 3s there’s a row of divots on the back edge of each tee. On the first day of the Masters all those divots are gone. 

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Jon Rahm, LIV stars agree LIV-PGA Tour split not sustainable

Jon Rahm sits down with Marty Smith to discuss his transition to LIV Golf and his future with the PGA Tour. (5:10)

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MIAMI -- Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy isn't the only player who believes the current state of men's professional golf -- with elite players competing on the PGA Tour or in the LIV Golf League -- is not sustainable.

Defending Masters champion Jon Rahm , Phil Mickelson , Bryson DeChambeau and other LIV Golf League players said the sport needs to be reunited before too many golf fans turn away for good.

"The fans are what drive this sport," DeChambeau said Wednesday at a pre-tournament news conference at Trump National Doral in Miami. "If we don't have fans, we don't have golf. We are not up here entertaining. That's the most important thing as of right now -- the low-hanging fruit. There's got to be a way to come together.

"And it needs to happen fast. It's not a two-year thing. Like it needs to happen quicker rather than later just for the good of the sport. Too many people are losing interest."

Most of the best golfers in the world will play together in next week's Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. It's the first of the four major championships, when golfers from the competing circuits will play together. The LIV Golf League will have 13 players, including seven past Masters champions, competing at Augusta National next week.

"The only answer is for us to somehow come together in some sort of terms where it makes sense and for us to be playing all again in somewhat of the same boat," DeChambeau said. "It's great to have the majors where we come together, but we want to be competing -- at least I want to be competing -- every week with all of the best players in the world."

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and members of the policy board, including Tiger Woods and other player directors, met with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, in the Bahamas on March 18.

The PIF, which has financed the LIV Golf League the past three years, is considering making an investment, possibly for much as $3 billion, in PGA Tour Enterprises, the new for-profit entity the PGA Tour formed with Strategic Sports Group earlier this year. Led by Fenway Sports Group, SSG is a consortium of billionaire sports team owners, athletes and celebrities.

McIlroy, who was one of the PGA Tour's most vocal supporters during its battle with LIV Golf, now says the current situation isn't sustainable and the competing circuits need to find common ground .

"I think I know this isn't a be-all, end-all, but if you look at the TV ratings of the PGA Tour this year, they're down 20% across the board," McIlroy said Wednesday at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio. "That's a fifth. That's big. I would say the numbers on LIV aren't great either in terms of the people tuning in.

"I just think with the fighting and everything that's went on over the past couple years, people are just getting really fatigued of it and it's turning people off men's professional golf, and that's not a good thing for anyone."

Mickelson, who helped LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman launch the circuit by recruiting PGA Tour players, said the sport is still in a "transitional state" with a lot of "disruption" more than two years after it launched.

"I don't know how it's going to end out, exactly, or what it's going to look like," Mickelson said. "I'm putting my trust in Yasir and where the game is headed more globally. But at some point, when it gets ironed out, I think it's going to be in a much better place where we bring the best players from the world, and it's going to open up more opportunities for manufacturing, course design, for players in different parts of the world to be inspired and enter the game. I think it's going to be in a much better place.

"But right now, we are in the disruption phase, so we are in the middle of the process. And when it's all said and done, it's going to be a lot brighter. But while we go through it, it's challenging. But we'll get there."

Rahm, who jumped from the PGA Tour to the LIV Golf League in December after agreeing to a multiyear contract that reportedly is worth more than $350 million, said he believes there is room for both tours.

"I think I agree with that statement, yeah," Rahm said. "Every time I get asked a question like this, I say the same thing: I think there's room for both. It's as simple as that. I think we have the opportunity to end up with an even better product for the spectators and the fans of the game. A little bit more variety doesn't really hurt anybody. So I think, properly done, we can end up with a much better product that can take golf to the next level worldwide, and I'm hoping that's what ends up happening."

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation of the PGA Tour's potential alliance with the PIF. The review could take as long as 18 months, antitrust experts previously told ESPN, meaning top golfers might continue playing on rival tours through 2025.

"It's tough to tell the future," reigning PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka said. "I have no control over anything. [I'll] just keep going wherever they tell me to go. Same with the PGA Tour guys. I just don't think anybody knows the future. Nobody knows on this side. Nobody knows on that side. It's up to people that are more important than me and more important than a bunch of the players to decide. We'll let them figure it out and go from there."

Expert Picks: Valero Texas Open

Expert Picks

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How it works: Each week, our experts from PGATOUR.COM will make their selections in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. Each lineup consists of four starters and two bench players that can be rotated after each round. Adding to the challenge is that every golfer can be used only three times per each of four Segments.

Aside from the experts below, Golfbet Insider Rob Bolton breaks down the field at the Valero Texas Open in this week's edition of Power Rankings .

Betting picks

WILL GRAY (Lead, Fantasy & Betting)

• Winner: Billy Horschel (+3300) – The former Gator is heating up. Horschel rallied for a top-10 result in Houston, his third top-12 in his last four starts, and his Valero history includes three previous top-five finishes.
• Longshot: Kevin Yu (+12500) – He’s been feast-or-famine this year, mixing missed cuts and unexpected top-10s. Here’s hoping he leans more toward the latter this week on a course that should emphasize his ball-striking skills.
• Top 10: Corey Conners (+225) – Does he have a key to the city yet? If not it might be in the mail. The two-time champ is a great fit for a difficult track, and his 2024 results have been solid enough to believe he’ll be in the mix.
• Head-to-Head (H2H): Aaron Rai (-110) over Beau Hossler – The “Fade Beau” operation continues, as I’ve (profitably) opposed Hossler each of the last two weeks and it’s the only area where I’m not bleeding units. Give me Rai, who enters off a top-10 in Houston and has a pair of top-30s here over the last two years.

BEN EVERILL (Senior writer, Fantasy & Betting)

• Winner: Byeong Hun An (+3300) – Three top 21s in his last four starts. Two top-10s in his last three Valero Texas Open starts. Sits 25th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, second in birdie average, and has great proximity from outside 250 yards. Just need to hope his focus doesn’t wander to next week early.
• Longshot: Ryan Moore (+12500) – This veteran has three Valero top-10s and a recent T5 at the Valspar Championship. Ranks fourth on TOUR in SG: Approach and 12th in SG: Tee-to-Green. Only his putter is holding him back.
• Top 10: Corey Conners (+225) – The defending champion has the perfect game for this place as evidenced by his multiple wins. I’ll take a conservative finish this season despite the fact another win would not be a shock.
• H2H: Corey Conners (-120) over Collin Morikawa – Conners is a collector of cowboy boots at this event, winning twice. Morikawa has been below his best this season.

CHRIS BREECE (Senior Content Manager Golfbet)

• Winner: Matt Fitzpatrick (+2800) – It feels like we keep waiting for him to have a big week. 2024 has been all over the map, but I’m hoping his top five at THE PLAYERS lit a spark.
• Top 10: Hideki Matsuyama (+200) – His worst finish in his last four events is T22. I like the fact he’s rested after THE PLAYERS.
• Longshot: Erik van Rooyen (+6600) – Two top 10s in his last four starts.
• H2H: Aaron Rai (-110) over Beau Hossler – Rai played well last week. He has three top-25s in his last five starts.

MATT DELVECCHIO (Social content manager, Fantasy & Betting)

• Winner: Keith Mitchell (+5500) – Mitchell seems like he has a win right around the corner. T20 in five out of 10 starts this year with most notably his stumble on Sunday at the Valspar. His game is ready to win especially at TPC San Antonio, ranking 10th in SG: Approach and first in Ball Striking on the year.
• Longshot: Erik van Rooyen (+6600) – Probably the hottest golfer in the world between Vidanta and Bay Hill, I’m expecting van Rooyen to break through soon this season. He makes birdies in bunches (19th in birdie or better percentage) and avoids the bad numbers (17th in bogey avoidance). Two attributes that should do him well this week in Texas.
• Top 10: Rory Mcilroy (+120) – Chalking the top 10 this week because I think Rory is in fantastic form and will do well this week as he gets ready for his chase at the Green Jacket. I don’t think he wins but still has a great week resulting in a high finish.
• H2H: Corey Conners (-120) vs Morikawa – Corey checks all the boxes this week. Morikawa’s game has been a work in progress so far in 2024.

Odds were sourced on Tuesday, April 2. For live odds, visit BetMGM .

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