The PGA Seniors Championship is a European Senior Tour

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

tournament for men aged fifty and above. It was founded in 1957 and became part of the European Senior Tour on its founding in 1992. It was not held in 2016 or 2017 but returned in 2018 as the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship. It is the oldest important seniors tournament in Europe and, together with the

Senior Open Championship The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open (and originally known as the Senior British Open) is a professional golf tournament for players aged 50 and over. It is run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship. Pr ...

, one of only two current events that predate the founding of the European Senior Tour in 1992. The PGA Seniors Championship and the Senior Open Championship are also the only two Europe-based events on the European Senior Tour that are played over 72 holes.

History

From 1957 to 1966 the event was played over 54 holes. Since then it has been a 72-hole event with the exception of 1993 to 1995 when it was again played over 54 holes. In 1987 and 2012 it was reduced to 54 holes by bad weather. From its foundation in 1957 until 1978 the winner played the winner of the American

Senior PGA Championship The Senior PGA Championship, established in 1937, is the oldest of the five major championships in men's senior golf. It is administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and is recognized as a major championship by both PGA ...

for the

World Senior Championship The World Senior Championship was a golf match held between the winners of the American PGA Seniors' Championship (now Senior PGA Championship) and the British PGA Seniors Championship. It was held from 1954 to 1978. It was a 36-hole match-play e ...

, a one-day 36-hole match-play event. The winner won the Teacher International Trophy.

Venues

From 1957 to 1968 the event was held in England, except in 1967 when it was held at Ayr Belleisle in Scotland. From 1969 to 1974 the event was sponsored by

Pringle of Scotland Pringle of Scotland Limited (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pringle na h-Alba''), trading as Pringle of Scotland, is a Scottish fashion brand specialising in cashmere knitwear and holds the royal warrant as manufacturers of knitted garments. It is one of ...

and played in Scotland. It was also played in Scotland in 1975 and 1976, from 1980 to 1982 and in 1988 but otherwise was held in England. It was played at the

Royal Dublin Golf Club The Royal Dublin Golf Club, founded in 1885, is Ireland's third oldest golf club. It is a private members' club, with an 18-hole links course on Bull Island, Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The championship routing that we recognise today ...

in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

in 1992 but since 1993 it has been played in England.

Trivia

In 2008,

Gordon J. Brand Gordon John Brand (6 August 1955 – 11 August 2020) was an English professional golfer. Career Brand turned professional in 1976 and enjoyed full playing privileges on the European Tour for 20 years. During his time on tour, he finished insid ...

beat

Gordon Brand Jnr Gordon Brand Jnr (19 August 1958 – 31 July 2019) was a Scottish professional golfer. He played on the European Tour, winning eight times, and later the European Senior Tour, winning twice. He played in the 1979 Walker Cup and played twic ...

after a six-hole playoff.

Winners

References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.pga.info/tournaments/national/pga-seniors-championship.aspx
Coverage on the European Senior Tour's official site
European Senior Tour events Golf tournaments in the United Kingdom Golf tournaments in the Republic of Ireland Recurring sporting events established in 1957 International Sports Promotion Society 1957 establishments in England