What is the difference between the Pro Golfers Association (PGA) Tour and the Senior PGA Tour, which is now known as the PGA Tour Champions?
This is the heart of a question my wonderful wife, Cecelia, asked me Sunday evening as I was watching a replay of the leaders playing the back nine at the 46th U.S. Senior Open Championship at Scioto Country Club. Padraig Harrington ran away with it shooting 12-under for a four-stroke win over Stewart Cink.
The biggest difference is naturally age as the old name implies.
The PGA Tour Champions is for us older folks, i.e. for golfers age 50 and older.
By the time most professional golfers hit their late 40s, they have trouble winning on the regular PGA Tour as they are competing with people sometimes literally half their age, who can hit the ball much further.
Sure, there are a few notable exceptions, such as Jack Nicklaus winning his 18th and last major championship at 46 years of age. He won the 1986 Masters Tournament.
Generally, the older guys have trouble being as competitive on the PGA Tour. You are simply not as strong at the age of 45 as you were at age 25. Your hand-eye coordination tends to dwindle a little bit too.
(In many ways, aging stinks but it beats the alternative…LOL.)
Most players, who are in their late 40s on the PGA Tour, generally make no secret of the fact they are looking forward to competing on the senior tour when they hit 50. They look forward to competing with people more their own age.
Another big difference between the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions is length and course set up.
For instance, this year’s U.S. Senior Open Championship was played on a 7,170-yard par 70 course. This year’s U.S. Open was a played at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, which was a 7,440-yard par 70 course.
The courses for the senior events are also usually set up to play easier with hazards less penalizing and greens, which are not quite as tough.
One of the most attractive features for many senior golfers is the fact they can ride in carts instead of having to walk most regular senior tour events.
Over the years, Tigers Woods has made no secret of the fact he is looking forward to senior tour and being able to ride in golf carts. He has had various knee injuries throughout his career.
At some golf courses where there is a lot of distance between holes, cart usage could make a big difference in terms of the amount of walking you have to do.
Also, most senior events are played over three days and are 54-hole events instead of most regular tour events, which are 72 holes played over four days.
In addition, the atmosphere at the senior events seems to be a bit more relaxed from what I have observed watching the events on television.
Personally, I like watching the senior players.
As a Father’s Day present in 2011, I got me and my dad tickets to the Senior PGA Championship, which was played at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.
During the final round, we followed Kentuckian Kenny Perry around the front nine. I remember him birdying the first two holes, but I am not sure he made another birdie the rest of the day.
After Perry finished hole number nine dad and I got some lunch and then hung around the ninth green waiting for the leader, Tom Watson, to come by. Then we followed him on the back nine for the rest of the tournament. He won in a playoff over David Eger.
If you ever get the chance to watch a pro tournament and you like golf, I highly recommend doing so.
If anyone locally is looking for a golf scramble to participate in, the Corbin High School Volleyball Team will hold its second annual golf scramble on July 13.
It will start at 9 a.m. and take place at The Oaks of London Golf and Country Club.
There will be four-person teams. The cost is $400 per team. There will be prizes available.
To enter, message the Corbin High School Volleyball Facebook page or call or text (606) 595-7989.
If you have some local golf news you want to share, such as upcoming scrambles or recent accomplishments of local high school golfers, then e-mail me at mwhite@corbinnewsjournal.com. I may include the information in a future column.
