7 facts you probably didn’t know about the PGA Professional Championship
The 2024 PGA Professional Championship commenced with its inaugural round on April 28. It's a professional golf event featuring a stellar field of 312 players. It's a four-day event, set to conclude on May 1.
The PGA Professional Championship is a gateway for professionals to secure their spot in the upcoming Major, the PGA Championship. The top 20 finishes at the event will qualify for the Major scheduled to take place next month.
The tournament has already started with its first round and the second will take place on Monday, April 29. It has garnered a lot of attention from people as fans have an interest in knowing who will make it to the Major.
Here are 7 interesting facts about the tournament.
7 Facts about the PGA Professional Championship
#1 Inception
The PGA Professional Championship was started in 1968 by the PGA of America. It was initially called the PGA Club Professional Championship. However, the name changed to PGA Professional National Championship in 2006. In 2016, it was renamed again to the PGA Professional Championship.
#2 First winner
Howell Fraser won the inaugural edition of the tournament. He registered an incredible four-stroke win over Chuck Malchaski and Bob Rosburg, and the latter went on to win the event in 1969.
#3 Format
The PGA Professional Championship plays in 72-hole stroke play format. It has a cutline after two rounds and only players finishing in the top 90 and their ties will qualify to compete in the third round. Only the top 70 and their ties at the end of round 3 will play in the final round.
#4 Gateway to PGA Championship
The top 20 finishers are granted direct entry into the PGA Championship, one of the four Majors of men's golf. However, it is important to note that if players tie for 20th place, a playoff will determine the final 20.
#5 2023 winner
Braden Shattuck won the PGA Professional Championship in 2023. He registered a one-stroke victory over Michael Block and Matt Cahill.
#6 69 players will be making their debut in 2024
69 players are set to make their debut in the 2024 edition of the PGA Professional Championship. The tournament features a stellar field, including 15 past winners of the tournament.
#7 Purse
The 2024 PGA Professional Championship has a purse of $715,000, with the winner receiving a check of $60,000. The winner's amount has been constant since 2021, and before that, it was $55,000 from 2017 to 2019. In 1968, Fraser was awarded the prize money of $8,000. It boasted a stunning prize money of $75,000 for the winners from 2006 to 2016.