Senior major golf championships

Men's professional senior golf is for players aged 50 and above. Golf differs from all other sports in having lucrative competitions for this age group. The leading senior tour is the U.S.-based PGA Tour Champions, which was established in 1980 (as the Senior PGA Tour). It has established a roster of five major championships. These events are all played over four rounds, whereas other senior tournaments are generally played over three rounds—only one other current Champions Tour event, the limited-field and season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, is played over four rounds. A golfer's performances can be quite variable from one round to the next, so playing an extra round increases the likelihood that the senior majors will be won by leading players.

In the current order of play, the senior majors are:

The Senior PGA Championship, U.S. Senior Open, and Senior Open Championship, have fields of 144 to 156 players and a 36-hole cut. The Tradition and Senior Players Championship have 81 player fields and no 36-hole cut.

The order of play has changed many times during the history of senior golf, especially since 2006:

  • In 2006 the U.S. Senior Open, Senior Players Championship, and Senior British Open were held in July and were consecutive on the schedule. There was no event in the week after the Senior Players, allowing golfers adequate time to travel to the United Kingdom and acclimate for the Senior British Open two weeks later. This gave the Champions Tour a very clear peak period, which is not found on most other tours, including the PGA Tour. The Tradition was the last major on the schedule.
  • In 2007 the Senior Players Championship moved to October, two months after The Tradition, to spread the majors over a longer period of time.
  • In 2008, the U.S. Senior Open moved to the week after the Senior British Open. This once again gave the Champions Tour a clear peak period, with no tournament held between the U.S. Senior Open and The Tradition (a one-week break in 2008, two weeks in 2009). In 2010, there was a regular tournament in the week after the U.S. Senior Open, followed by a one-week break before The Tradition.
  • The 2011 season saw another significant schedule change. The Tradition moved from late August to early May, becoming the first major of the season. The Senior Players Championship moved from October to the August date vacated by The Tradition.
  • In 2012, the order was almost completely reshuffled. The schedule was also greatly compressed, with all five majors now being played in a two-month period:
    • The Senior PGA Championship remained at its end of May slot.
    • The Tradition moved from early May to mid-June.
    • The Senior Players Championship, formerly the last major of the season in August, moved to late June/early July
    • The U.S. Senior Open remains the fourth major in schedule order, but is now held in mid-July.
    • The Senior British Open kept its 2011 date, but due to the other schedule changes is now the final major.

Unlike the mainstream majors, two of the senior majors have title sponsors, and the Senior PGA Championship and Senior British Open have presenting sponsors whose names appear after the tournament title. Also unlike the mainstream majors, none of which falls under the direct jurisdiction of any professional tour, the Champions Tour directly operates two of its majors—The Tradition and the Senior Players Championship. The other three senior majors are operated by the same bodies that organize their mainstream counterparts—the PGA of America for the Senior PGA, The R&A for the Senior British Open, and the USGA for the U.S. Senior Open.

The Senior PGA is by far the oldest of the senior majors, having commenced in the 1930s. The other four tournaments all date from 1980 or later, having been founded in the era when senior golf became a commercial success. This occurred when the first big golf stars of the television era, men such as Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, began to reach the relevant age.

Unlike mainstream men's golf, the senior game does not have a globally agreed set of majors. The three majors recognized by the European Senior Tour are the Senior PGA Championship and the U.S. and British Senior Opens. However, the Champions Tour is much more dominant in global senior golf than the PGA Tour is in mainstream men's golf.

Senior major winners

The table below show the results of all the events designated as majors by the Champions Tour. As the order in which the majors were played frequently changes, they are listed in the current order of play. Winners of Senior PGA Championships played before 1980 and Senior British Opens played before 2003 are not listed here as they were not Champions Tour majors at the time nor retroactively recognized as majors. Those winners are shown in the tournaments' articles. The other three tournaments have been Champions Tour majors throughout their existence. The Senior PGA Championship was held twice in 1984 but was not held in 1983 or 1985.

Bernhard Langer holds the record for the most senior majors won with eleven. Gary Player has also won nine championships that are now considered senior golf majors, but three of his titles came at the Senior Open Championship before this tournament officially gained senior major status. Jack Nicklaus has won eight senior majors and holds the record for the most regular majors won (18).

Bernhard Langer is the only player to have won each of the five senior major championships and is therefore held to have won the 'Career Grand Slam.' In his time, Nicklaus also held a 'Career Grand Slam' as the Senior British Open did not become the fifth senior major until 2003, by which time Nicklaus had effectively retired from senior golf (his only appearance in the Senior British Open was in 2003).

Year The Tradition Senior PGA
Championship
U.S. Senior Open Senior Players
Championship
Senior British
Open
[lower-alpha 1]
2020 Sep 24–27, Greystone G&CC
Canceled due to coronavirus pandemic
May 21–24, Harbor Shores
Canceled due to coronavirus pandemic
[1]
Jun 25–28, Newport Country Club
Canceled due to coronavirus pandemic
[2]
Jerry Kelly Jul 23–26, Sunningdale
Canceled due to coronavirus pandemic
[3]
2019 Steve Stricker (1/2) Ken Tanigawa Steve Stricker (2/2) Retief Goosen Bernhard Langer (11/11)
2018 Miguel Ángel Jiménez (1/2) Paul Broadhurst (2/2) David Toms Vijay Singh Miguel Ángel Jiménez (2/2)
2017 Bernhard Langer (8/11) Bernhard Langer (9/11) Kenny Perry (4/4) Scott McCarron Bernhard Langer (10/11)
2016 Bernhard Langer (6/11) Rocco Mediate Gene Sauers Bernhard Langer (7/11) Paul Broadhurst (1/2)
2015 Jeff Maggert (1/2) Colin Montgomerie (3/3) Jeff Maggert (2/2) Bernhard Langer (5/11) Marco Dawson
2014 Kenny Perry (3/4) Colin Montgomerie (1/3) Colin Montgomerie (2/3) Bernhard Langer (3/11) Bernhard Langer (4/11)
2013 David Frost Kōki Idoki Kenny Perry (2/4) Kenny Perry (1/4) Mark Wiebe
2012 Tom Lehman (3/3) Roger Chapman (1/2) Roger Chapman (2/2) Joe Daley Fred Couples (2/2)
2011 Tom Lehman (2/3) Tom Watson (6/6) Olin Browne Fred Couples (1/2) Russ Cochran
2010 Fred Funk (3/3) Tom Lehman (1/3) Bernhard Langer (2/11) Mark O'Meara Bernhard Langer (1/11)
2009 Mike Reid (2/2) Michael Allen Fred Funk (2/3) Jay Haas (3/3) Loren Roberts (4/4)
2008 Fred Funk (1/3) Jay Haas (2/3) Eduardo Romero (2/2) D. A. Weibring Bruce Vaughan
2007 Mark McNulty Denis Watson Brad Bryant Loren Roberts (3/4) Tom Watson (5/6)
2006 Eduardo Romero (1/2) Jay Haas (1/3) Allen Doyle (4/4) Bobby Wadkins Loren Roberts (2/4)
2005 Loren Roberts (1/4) Mike Reid (1/2) Allen Doyle (3/4) Peter Jacobsen (2/2) Tom Watson (4/6)
2004 Craig Stadler (2/2) Hale Irwin (7/7) Peter Jacobsen (1/2) Mark James Pete Oakley
2003 Tom Watson (3/6) John Jacobs Bruce Lietzke Craig Stadler (1/2) Tom Watson (2/6)
2002 Jim Thorpe Fuzzy Zoeller Don Pooley Stewart Ginn Noboru Sugai
2001 Doug Tewell (2/2) Tom Watson (1/6) Bruce Fleisher Allen Doyle (2/4) Ian Stanley
2000 Tom Kite Doug Tewell (1/2) Hale Irwin (6/7) Raymond Floyd (4/4) Christy O'Connor Jnr (2/2)
1999 Graham Marsh (2/2) Allen Doyle (1/4) Dave Eichelberger Hale Irwin (5/7) Christy O'Connor Jnr (1/2)
1998 Gil Morgan (2/3) Hale Irwin (3/7) Hale Irwin (4/7) Gil Morgan (3/3) Brian Huggett
1997 Gil Morgan (1/3) Hale Irwin (2/7) Graham Marsh (1/2) Larry Gilbert Gary Player (9/9)
1996 Jack Nicklaus (8/8) Hale Irwin (1/7) Dave Stockton (3/3) Raymond Floyd (3/4) Brian Barnes (2/2)
1995 Jack Nicklaus (7/8) Raymond Floyd (2/4) Tom Weiskopf J. C. Snead Brian Barnes (1/2)
1994 Raymond Floyd (1/4) Lee Trevino (4/4) Simon Hobday Dave Stockton (2/3) Tom Wargo (2/2)
1993 Tom Shaw Tom Wargo (1/2) Jack Nicklaus (6/8) Jim Colbert Bob Charles (2/2)
1992 Lee Trevino (3/4) Lee Trevino (2/4) Larry Laoretti Dave Stockton (1/3) John Fourie
1991 Jack Nicklaus (5/8) Jack Nicklaus (3/8) Jack Nicklaus (4/8) Jim Albus Bobby Verwey
1990 Jack Nicklaus (1/8) Gary Player (7/9) Lee Trevino (1/4) Jack Nicklaus (2/8) Gary Player (8/9)
1989 Don Bies Larry Mowry Orville Moody (1/2) Orville Moody (2/2) Bob Charles (1/2)
1988 Not yet founded Gary Player (4/9) Gary Player (6/9) Billy Casper (2/2) Gary Player (5/9)
1987 Chi-Chi Rodríguez (2/2) Gary Player (2/9) Gary Player (3/9) Neil Coles
1986 Gary Player (1/9) Dale Douglass Chi-Chi Rodríguez (1/2) Not yet founded
1985 Not held Miller Barber (5/5) Arnold Palmer (5/5)
1984 December: Peter Thomson Miller Barber (4/5) Arnold Palmer (4/5)
January: Arnold Palmer (3/5)
1983 Not held Billy Casper (1/2) Miller Barber (3/5)
1982 Don January Miller Barber (2/5) Not yet founded
1981 Miller Barber (1/5) Arnold Palmer (2/5)
1980 Arnold Palmer (1/5) Roberto De Vicenzo
  1. Editions before 2003 were not considered to be a 'Champions Tour' major, subsequently were unofficial wins. Since 2018, all pre-2003 editions have been considered to be senior major championships and are official wins on the tour.

By country

Senior major championship winning golfers by country
Country The Tradition Senior PGA Championship U.S. Senior Open Senior Players Championship Senior British Open Total
 United States 24 28 31 30 12 125
 South Africa 1 3 3 2 5 14
 Germany 2 1 1 3 4 11
 England 0 2 1 1 2 6
 Australia 1 1 1 1 1 5
 Scotland 0 2 1 0 2 5
 Argentina 1 0 2 0 0 3
 Ireland 1 0 0 0 2 3
 Japan 0 1 0 0 1 2
 New Zealand 0 0 0 0 2 2
 Spain 1 0 0 0 1 2
 Fiji 0 0 0 1 0 1
 Wales 0 0 0 0 1 1
 Zimbabwe 0 1 0 0 0 1

References

  1. "Senior PGA Championship, scheduled for May, canceled". ESPN. Associated Press. April 2, 2020.
  2. Barrett, Scott (April 6, 2020). "U.S. Senior Open at Newport County Club canceled". The Newport Daily News. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  3. Dempster, Martin (July 2, 2020). "Senior Open cancelled for first time in its history". The Scotsman. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
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