Professional Golfers' Association of America
The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America) is a significant sports organization established in 1916, with over 30,000 members, primarily consisting of golf professionals who teach and coach rather than compete at the professional tournament level. Its mission focuses on promoting and increasing interest in the game of golf while setting high standards for golf professionals at clubs and courses. The organization is distinct from the PGA Tour, which manages competitive tournaments for professional golfers. Notable events organized by the PGA of America include the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup, the latter of which pits American professionals against their British counterparts. The PGA of America also plays a crucial role in golf education, requiring applicants for membership to complete specific training and pass qualifying tests. The organization has evolved alongside the sport, historically adapting to changes in the golfing landscape, including the recent developments surrounding LIV Golf. In the 2020s, golf has seen a resurgence in popularity, with millions of participants, highlighting the continued relevance of the PGA of America in cultivating and supporting talent in the sport.
Professional Golfers' Association of America
The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA of America) is one of the largest sports organizations in the world. It was founded in 1916 and has more than thirty thousand golf professionals as members. The purpose of the organization is to increase interest in the game of golf. PGA of America sets standards for and certifies golf professionals working at golf clubs, courses, and related businesses but who do not earn their living playing professional tournaments. PGA of America is distinct from the PGA Tour, an organization that runs a series of golf tournaments for professional golfers who make their living by competing in tournaments. Both organizations are often referred to as the PGA.
Background
While golf has been played in various forms in the United States since about the late nineteenth century, the game did not catch on with Americans for some time. The first known US golf club was formed by John Reid in 1888 in Yonkers, New York. Reid, who played the game during his childhood in Scotland, enlisted several friends to participate. The first eighteen-hole course in the United States was built in Illinois in 1893, and the following year, national amateur events began. Golf continued to grow in popularity throughout the years. In the 2020s, more than 26.6 million people played golf.
The beginning of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America can be traced to a luncheon in New York City on January 17, 1916. Philadelphia businessperson Rodman Wanamaker hosted the event that brought together local golf professionals, amateur golfers, and others interested in starting an organization of similar to the Professional Golfers’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland.
At that time, golf was becoming more widely known in the United States. Wanamaker, an avid golfer, saw a business opportunity in fostering the growing love of golf. He surmised that if more people golfed, they would purchase more equipment—and he wanted them to buy it at his family’s department store, Wanamaker’s.
After the first meeting, James Hepburn, a former secretary of the British golf organization, was named chair of a seven-member organizing committee. Three months later, on April 10, the organization was established with seventy-eight founding members including thirty-five charter members who had attended Wanamaker’s initial meeting.
The newly formed Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA of America) had several objectives—the primary being to promote interest in the game. The organization also sought to establish high standards for golf pros and organize meetings and tournaments for members.
The very first PGA Championship was held in October 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York. Jim Barnes, the winner, received $2,580, which was donated by Wanamaker. The Wanamaker Trophy remains the prize for the winner of the PGA Championship. Professionals with the most PGA Championship titles by 2024 were Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus with five each. Tiger Woods won the title four times.
Overview
The PGA conducts approximately forty tournaments per year. The best-known events include the Ryder Cup, the PGA Championship, and the Senior PGA Championship. The Ryder Cup began in 1927 and pitted PGA professionals against their counterparts in England. The Americans won that first tournament. During World War II, the Ryder Cup was cancelled but returned in 1947 when the British team was still subjected to post-war food rations and their presence was in doubt. However, PGA Advisory Committee member and Oregon fruit-packer Robert Hudson paid the British Team’s travel expenses. The American team, led by Ben Hogan, won the tournament.
The modern-day PGA Tour was formed in 1968 after some tournament players broke away from the PGA of America. They formed the Tournament Players Division because standouts like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus did not think the PGA of America was doing enough to support touring professionals. The new group had more control over the tour schedule, and in 1975 it was renamed the PGA Tour. In the twenty-first century, the PGA Tour and PGA of America work together closely, and most professionals on the tour have memberships in both organizations.
The PGA of America is an organization for professionals and the PGA Tour is for tour pros and tournament golf. The PGA of America runs events played by the golfers on the PGA Tour, including the PGA Championship and the Women’s PGA Championship. PGA Tour members are from all over the world.
Players on the PGA Tour compete in a season-long points event called the FedEx Cup. Established in 2007, players garner points all season long. At the end of the season, the top 125 players on the points list play in the first tournament, which is The Northern Trust. Then the top seventy golfers move on to the BMW Championship, and finally the top thirty advance to the Tour Championship. Notable winners of the FedEx Cup trophy include Tiger Woods (2007 and 2009), Vijay Singh (2008), Jim Furyk (2010), Bill Haas (2011), Brandt Snedeker (2012), Henrik Stenson (2013), Billy Horschel (2014), Jordan Spieth (2015), Rory McIlroy (2016, 2019, and 2022), Justin Thomas (2017), Justin Rose (2018), Dustin Johnson (2020), and Patrick Cantlay (2021).
Controversy erupted in 2021 upon the formation of LIV Golf, a competitor to the PGA Tour funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund that offered larger prize pools than the Tour. After several notable PGA Tour members joined LIV Golf, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, the PGA Tour originally banned any member of LIV Golf from competing in Tour events. Following an intense period of scandals and litigation, the two rivals, in a surprise 2023 announcement, revealed plans to merge under a larger parent company. The PGA Tour also allowed LIV members to play in the Ryder Cup and PGA Championship so long as they met the qualifications.
To become a member of the PGA, applicants must take courses and pass a qualifying test. They must also pass the Player Ability Test (PAT) and gain working experience in a golf-related position approved by the PGA. These include a head professional at a PGA recognized golf course, a golf instructor at a PGA recognized facility, a golf administrator or a college or university golf coach. Another option to becoming a member of the PGA is to complete the PGA Golf Management University Program, which is offered at seventeen universities across the United States. Once the program is completed, a student may apply for PGA membership.
Bibliography
“Brief Tour History and Chronology.” Professional Golfers’ Association Tour, www.pgatour.com/players/brief-history. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Gottfried, Greg.“FedEx Cup Playoffs 2021: Frequently Asked Questions,” Golf Digest, 13 Aug. 2021, www.golfdigest.com/story/fedex-cup-frequently-asked-questions. Accessed 22 July 2022.
Hirsh, Jack. “PGA of America Clarifies LIV Golfers’ Ryder Cup, PGA Eligibility.” Golf, 19 Sept. 2024, golf.com/news/pga-of-america-liv-golfers-eligibility/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
“The History of Golf in America.” The Academy of Golf Dynamics, 23 Apr. 2024, www.golfdynamics.com/the-history-of-golf-in-america/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Morse, Ben, et al. “LIV Golf and PGA Tour Merger: Here's Everything You Need to Know.” CNN, 7 June 2023, www.cnn.com/2023/06/07/golf/pga-tour-liv-golf-partnership-explainer-spt-intl/index.html. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
“The PGA Is Formed.” History, 16 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pga-is-formed. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
“The Professional Golfers’ Association of America.” Company Histories, www.company-histories.com/The-Professional-Golfers-Association-of-America-Company-History.html. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
“PGA of America.” Professional Golfers’ Association, 2022, www.pga.org/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
“Report: PGA Tour-LIV Merger Rumors Premature.” Reuters, 6 Nov. 2024, www.reuters.com/sports/golf/report-pga-tour-liv-merger-rumors-premature-2024-11-06/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.