PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW “A”

PREVIEW “A”

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Oak Hill cc Rochester NY

May 18-21 2023 PAR 72

Purse $ 25M + $10M=40%

This is the 105th PGA Championship which started in 1916.  It was organized by a group of professional golfers and headed by department store owner Rodman Wanamaker who formed the PGA of America.  They wanted to determine who was the country’s top pro. Wanamaker put up $2,500 in prize money and a 27 LB Trophy which is still awarded today.  The original is kept at the PGA Club in St Lucie FL.  The winner gets to keep a replica for 1 year and is given a small replica to keep.  

The tournament started with 33 golfers including Walter Hagan one of 3 prominent golfers along with Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen from 1914 to 1937, and is considered 

“The Father of Professional Golf”.  He was defeated in the semi finals and the he winner was Jim Barnes.  At that time Barnes was the professional at Whitemarsh Country Club in Lafayette Hill PA.  He won $500, Walter Hagan $125, and also has the most wins 5 from 1921 to 1927.

Oak Hill has hosted this tournament 3 other times.  

1980 won by Jack Nicklaus, the winners share  was $60,000.   

2003 Shaun Michael won $1,080,000, the first time the winners share was over $1M.

2013 Jason Dufner who won $1,445,000.  

2021 Phil Mickelson won on Kiswahili Island SC. $2,160,000.  Oldest player 50 to win a Major.

2022 winner was Justin Thomas who won $2,700,000 at Southern Hills in Tulsa OK. 

LIV Players are allowed to play because the PGA Championship is an independent event that is not organized by the PGA Tour, but by PGA of America.  In 1968 the PGA TOUR  spun off from the PGA and the two have no relation.  There are 18 LIV players playing:

Mickelson continues to stick his foot in his mouth as he again posted negative comments about the PGA and Jay Monahan, the commissioner of PGA who has handled himself in a much more professional manner than Phil.  I am still a fan of Phil, but I wish he would be more professional.  Wether LIV makes it or not, he may have done irreputable damage to his image.  The 3 players he wanted in are Sebastian Munoz, Cameron Tringale and Jason Kokrak, certainly not household names.  Of the 18 LIV players only 5 of the top 25 are picked to win the PGA by oddsmakers.  Only two, Brooks Koepka 18/1 #5 and Dustin Johnson 20/1 #7, are in the top 10.  

While I am not anti LIV, it has created financial gains for all professional golfers.I am concerned as to where the money is coming from.  However, it has a format that may appeal to younger sports fans, and like baseball, professional golf may have to make some adjustments, as LIV has, to attract a younger fan base.  

That being said, Mickelson’s negative rants are counter productive and he should refrain from his social media attacks as it helps no one.