What: The 71st annual Senior PGA Championship, conducted by the PGA of America.
Where: Colorado Golf Club in Parker. The course opened in 2007 and was designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. Par-72. 7,490 yards, which will be the longest layout ever played for the Senior PGA.
When: Championship rounds are May 27-30. Practice rounds May 25-26. Pro-Am rounds on May 25 will begin at 10 a.m. Note: The club is closed to the public on Monday, May 24.
Tournament Format: 72 holes of stroke play.
Purse: TBA. 2009 purse was $2 million, with $360,000 going to the winner.
Field Size: 156 players, all age 50 and over. Cut to low70 players after 36 holes.
Defending Champion: Michael Allen.
World Golf Hall of Famers in Field: Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer, Larry Nelson, Nick Price and Tom Watson. In addition, the field includes winners of 21 major championships, including 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples.
Current List of Player Commitments: CLICK HERE
TV Schedule: May 27 and 28 4-7 p.m., Golf Channel; May 29-30 1-4 p.m. NBC.
Players with Strong Colorado Connections in Field: Dale Douglass of Castle Rock, Colorado Spring native R.W. Eaks, Gary Hallberg of Castle Rock, former CU athlete Hale Irwin, Bill Loeffler of Castle Rock, Ron Vlosich of Lakewood, Mark Wiebe of Aurora, Mike Zaremba of Pueblo West.
Tickets: Available at seniorpga2010.com, at King Soopers stores, or by calling 1-800-PGAGOLF. A weekly grounds pass starts at $125, while a weekly clubhouse pass runs $225. Single-day tickets are $20 for each practice day, and $35 for each of the championship rounds. Youngsters age 17 and under will be admitted free with a ticketed adult, and active-duty military personnel with I.D. can purchase 2-for-the-price-of-1 daily tickets.
Parking: $5 per vehicle per day in the general parking lot. Shuttle service provided.
Notable Tee Times (Thursday/Friday): 7:45 No. 1/12:50 No. 10 — Bill Loeffler; 8:45 No. 1/1:50 No. 10 — Mark Wiebe and Gil Morgan; 9:15 No. 1/2:20 No. 10 — Mike Zaremba; 9:25 No. 1/2:30 No. 10 — Dale Douglass; 9:45 No. 1/2:50 No. 10 — R.W. Eaks; 8:20 No. 10/1:25 No. 1 — Dan Forsman; 8:30 No. 10/1:35 No. 1 — Loren Roberts; 8:40 No. 10/1:45 No. 1 — Ben Crenshaw, Michael Allen and Tom Watson; 9:00 No. 10/2:05 No. 1 — John Cook and Andy Bean; 9:10 No. 10/2:15 No. 1 — Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer and Fred Funk; 9:20 No. 10/2:25 No. 1 — Paul Azinger, Peter Jacobsen and Larry Nelson; 1:05 No. 1/8:00 No. 10 — Gary Hallberg; 1:35 No. 1/8:30 No. 10 — Hale Irwin; 1:45 No. 1/8:40 No. 10 — Eduardo Romero; 1:55 No. 1/8:50 No. 10 — Sandy Lyle, Fuzzy Zoeller and Andy North; 2:05 No. 1/9:00 No. 10 — Mike Reid; 2:15 No. 1/9:10 No. 10 — Nick Price, Hal Sutton and Tom Lehman; 2:25 No. 1/9:20 No. 10 — Larry Mize and Tom Kite; 2:35 No. 1/9:30 No. 10 — Jeff Sluman, Scott Simpson and Mark O’Meara; 12:50 No. 10/7:45 No. 1 — Ron Vlosich; 1:50 No. 10/8:45 No. 1 — Bob Tway.
Tournament History: The Senior PGA Championship is by far the oldest tournament on the Champions Tour, dating back to 1937. In 1937 and ’38 it was contested at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, then the tournament wasn’t held outside of Florida again until 2001. This year will mark the furthest west the tournament has ever been played. Sam Snead holds the record for most Senior PGA Championship wins with six. Hale Irwin is next best with four titles (1996, “˜97, “˜98, 2004). The last PGA of America championship held in Colorado was the 1985 PGA Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club, where Hubert Green prevailed.
Previous Senior Majors Held in Colorado: 1993 U.S. Senior Open (won by Jack Nicklaus at Cherry Hills) and 2008 U.S. Senior Open (won by Eduardo Romero at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs).
For More Information: Go to www.seniorpga2010.com
