PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, open to golfers age 50 and over, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour.
History and format
The Senior PGA Championship, founded in 1937, was for many years the only high-profile tournament for golfers over 50. The idea for a senior tour grew out of a highly successful event in 1978, the Legends of Golf at Onion Creek Club in Austin, Texas, which featured competition between two-member teams of some of the greatest older golfers of that day. The tour was formally established in 1980 and was originally known as the Senior PGA Tour until October 2002. The tour was then renamed the Champions Tour through the 2015 season, after which the current name of "PGA Tour Champions" was adopted.
Of the 26 tournaments on the 2010 schedule, all were in the United States except for the Cap Cana Championship in the Dominican Republic, the Senior Open Championship in Scotland and tournaments in Canada and South Korea. The guaranteed minimum official prize money is $51.5 million over 26 tournaments, with a record average purse of $1.98 million per event; slightly higher than the 2008 prize money of $51.4 million over the same number of events. The total prize money and number of events, however, are down from previous years—for example, the 2007 tour offered a total of $55.2 million over 29 events.
Most of the tournaments are played over three rounds (54 holes), which is one round fewer than regular professional stroke play tournaments on the PGA Tour. Because of this and having smaller fields (81 golfers), there are generally no "cuts" between any of the rounds. However, the five senior majors have a full 72 holes (four rounds) with a 36-hole cut. Until 2015, the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, with a limited field of 36, was played over 72 holes with no cut. Since 2016, it has been played over 54 holes with no cut. A golfer's performances can be quite variable from one round to the next, and playing an extra round increases the likelihood that the senior majors will be won by leading players.
Through the 2015 season, the Charles Schwab Cup was a season-long points race. Points were given to players who finished in the top 10. One point was earned for each $1,000 won (i.e. $500,000 = 500 points) with majors counting double. From the Cup's inception in 1990 through 2015, the top 30 players competed in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, which was contested over four rounds and where all contestants earned points. The top five finishers in the points race earned annuities.
In 2016, the format of the Charles Schwab Cup was radically changed to a playoff-style format similar to that used for the FedEx Cup on the main PGA Tour. Qualification for the playoffs is now based on money earned during the PGA Tour Champions season. The top 72 players on the money list automatically qualify for the first playoff event, the PowerShares QQQ Championship. Additionally, if one or more golfers finish in the top 10 in the final non-playoff event, the SAS Championship, and are not in the top 72 on the money list entering the playoffs, the highest such finisher in the SAS Championship will also receive a playoff place. The playoffs operate on a points system, with each qualifying player receiving a points total equal to the money earned on the season. Points during the first two playoff events, the QQQ Championship and Dominion Charity Classic, are also based on money earned, except that the winner of each of those events receives double points. The playoff field is cut to 54 for the Dominion Charity Classic, and finally to 36 for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. After the Dominion Charity Classic, the field's points are reset so that each of the remaining 36 players can theoretically win the Charles Schwab Cup, and that each of the top five players can clinch the Charles Schwab Cup by winning the final event.
In 2006, the Champions Tour Division Board of the PGA Tour organization voted to allow players the option to use golf carts during most events on the tour. The five major championships and certain other events, including pro-ams, are excluded.
Exemptions and qualifying Current PGA Tour Champions competitor and TV golf analyst Bobby Clampett has called the process for determining the field in tour events "the most complicated system known to man," and added that "[n]ot a single player even understands it fully."
Clampett attempted to explain the process in a 2011 post on his blog. Standard tour events—apart from invitationals and majors, which have their own entry criteria—have a field of 78 (currently 81). The first 60 places in the field are filled as follows: The top 30 players, not otherwise exempt, who finished in the top 50 of the previous year's PGA Tour Champions money list. Up to 30 players who are in the top 70 of the all-time combined PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions money list. This leaves 18 places: Members of the World Golf Hall of Fame eligible by age. Winners of PGA Tour Champions events in the previous 12 months. At the start of the season, 5 players from the previous year's PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament, in order of finish. During July, this category changes to include all non-exempt players based on the season's money list. Previously exempt players coming off medical exemptions. Top four players in their first two years of age eligibility with multiple PGA Tour wins. One spot for the highest finisher, not already exempt, within the top 10 of the previous week's tournament. Note, however, that a top-10 finish in a regular tournament does not qualify a player for a major. In another quirk, a top-10 finish in a major does not qualify a player for the next tournament on the schedule, even if it is a regular tournament. Up to 5 spots for sponsor's exemptions, but subject to reduction or elimination if the previous categories fill out the field. Up to 4 spots for Monday qualifiers, also subject to reduction or elimination
2026 schedule
Money list winners SeasonWinnerPrize money ($)2025 Stewart Cink 3,247,1472024 Steven Alker (2) 2,447,5882023 Steve Stricker 3,986,0632022 Steven Alker 3,544,4252020–21 Bernhard Langer (11) 3,255,4992019 Scott McCarron 2,534,0902018 Bernhard Langer (10) 2,222,1542017 Bernhard Langer (9) 3,677,3592016 Bernhard Langer (8) 3,016,9592015 Bernhard Langer (7) 2,340,2882014 Bernhard Langer (6) 3,074,1892013 Bernhard Langer (5) 2,448,4282012 Bernhard Langer (4) 2,140,2962011 Tom Lehman 2,081,5262010 Bernhard Langer (3) 2,648,9392009 Bernhard Langer (2) 2,139,4512008 Bernhard Langer 2,035,0732007 Jay Haas (2) 2,581,0012006 Jay Haas 2,420,2272005 Dana Quigley 2,170,2582004 Craig Stadler 2,306,0662003 Tom Watson 1,853,1082002 Hale Irwin (3) 3,028,3042001 Allen Doyle 2,553,5822000 Larry Nelson 2,708,0051999 Bruce Fleisher 2,515,7051998 Hale Irwin (2) 2,861,9451997 Hale Irwin 2,343,3641996 Jim Colbert (2) 1,627,8901995 Jim Colbert 1,444,3861994 Dave Stockton (2) 1,402,5191993 Dave Stockton 1,175,9441992 Lee Trevino (2) 1,027,0021991 Mike Hill 1,065,6571990 Lee Trevino 1,190,5181989 Bob Charles (2) 725,8871988 Bob Charles 533,9291987 Chi-Chi Rodríguez 509,1451986 Bruce Crampton 454,2991985 Peter Thomson 386,7241984 Don January (3) 328,5971983 Don January (2) 237,5711982 Miller Barber (2) 106,8901981 Miller Barber 83,1361980 Don January 44,100
Multiple winners RankPlayerWinsYears won1 Bernhard Langer 11 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020–21T2 Hale Irwin 3 1997, 1998, 2002 Don January 1980, 1983, 1984T4 Steven Alker 2 2022, 2024 Miller Barber 1981, 1982 Bob Charles 1988, 1989 Jim Colbert 1995, 1996 Jay Haas 2006, 2007 Dave Stockton 1993, 1994 Lee Trevino 1990, 1992
Leading career money winners The table shows the top ten career money leaders on PGA Tour Champions through the 2025 season.
Rank Player Prize money ($)1 Bernhard Langer 38,223,7722 Hale Irwin 27,158,5153 Gil Morgan 20,631,9304 Jay Haas 20,079,0955 Miguel Ángel Jiménez 17,929,0186 Tom Kite 16,303,7477 Jerry Kelly 15,130,0528 Tom Watson 15,074,2279 Dana Quigley 14,898,46310 Larry Nelson 14,637,172 Source:
The PGA Tour also publishes a list of PGA Tour Champions players' total career earnings on its three main tours.
See also Golf in the United States Senior major golf championships List of Champions Tour major championship winning golfers List of golfers with most PGA Tour Champions wins PGA Tour Champions awards PGA Tour Champions records
Notes
References
External links