PGA Grand Slam of Golf

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf was an annual off-season golf tournament contested from 1979 until 2014 when the tournament was cancelled. It was contested by the year's winners of the four major championships of regular men's golf, which are the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship (British Open), and the PGA Championship. It was one of several invitational events for leading male golfers held each year after the PGA Tour and the European Tour seasons had concluded. The competition was organized by the PGA of America and the prize money did not count toward the PGA Tour money list.

PGA Grand Slam of Golf
Tournament information
LocationSouthampton, Bermuda
Established1979
Course(s)Port Royal Golf Course
Par71
Length6,821 yards (6,237 m)[1]
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour (unofficial event)
FormatStroke play - 36 holes
Prize fund$1.35 million
Month playedOctober
Final year2014
Final champion
Germany Martin Kaymer
Bermuda is located in North Atlantic
Bermuda
Bermuda

The tournament was staged since 1979 with a couple of short breaks. Beginning in 1991, it was played as a two-day, 36-hole stroke play competition, except in 1998 and 1999, when it was played at match play. From 1979 to 1990, it was played as a one-day, 18-hole stroke play competition. If a player won more than one major in a calendar year or a player declined the invitation to play, the PGA of America filled the four-man field by inviting the former major winner(s) with the best overall finishes in that year's majors.

Initially the PGA Grand Slam of Golf was played at a different golf course each year, but from 1994 to 2006, it was played at the Poipu Bay Golf Course in Koloa, Hawaii on the island of Kauai. The tournament in Hawaii allowed the event to be televised in prime-time American television with live coverage because of the time difference.

In 2007, the tournament moved to the Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda and it was played in mid-October, reflecting the earlier end to the main part of the PGA Tour season after the introduction of the FedEx Cup.[2] In 2009, the event stayed in Bermuda but moved to the Port Royal Golf Course.[3]

The final prize fund was $1.35 million, of which $600,000 went to the winner. This was the lowest first prize some of the competitors had played for all year, but on the other hand there was a guaranteed $200,000 for coming in last. From 1991 to 2005, the prize fund was $1 million, of which $400,000 went to the winner. In 2006, the purse was $1.25 million, with $500,000 going to the winner.

In the 2004 tournament at Poipu Bay Golf Course, Phil Mickelson shot a 59 in the second round.[4]

The 1986–90 tournaments were played at Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, site of the PGA Championship in 1989.

The event was to be moved to Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California for the 2015 contest,[5] but on July 7, 2015 the PGA announced that the 2015 event will not be played at the course due to outcry over comments that course owner Donald Trump made about Latino immigrants.[6][7] After being unable to find a suitable replacement venue, the 2015 event was canceled.[7]

In March 2016, the event was discontinued altogether after the PGA of America concluded it no longer fit in "today's golf landscape."[8]

World Series of Golf edit

The year's four major champions in a 36-hole event was previously applied at the original "World Series of Golf," played from 1962 through 1975 at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Held in early September, Jack Nicklaus won four of the fourteen events, including the first two, and was runner-up in six. All editions had a winner's share of $50,000, a substantial prize in its early years, significantly more than a major. The event changed to a limited field PGA Tour event in 1976 and continues as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Courses edit

Years Venue Location
2009–2014 Port Royal Golf Course Southampton, Bermuda
2007–2008 Mid Ocean Club Tucker's Town, Bermuda
1994–2006 Poipu Bay Golf Course Koloa, Hawaii
1992–1993 PGA West Nicklaus Resort Course La Quinta, California
1991 Kauai Lagoons Resort Kauai, Hawaii
1986–1990 Kemper Lakes Golf Club Kildeer, Illinois
1982 PGA National Golf Club Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
1981 Breakers West Golf Course West Palm Beach, Florida
1980 Hazeltine National Golf Club Chaska, Minnesota
1979 Oak Hill Country Club Rochester, New York

Results edit

Year Winner Runner(s)-up Third Fourth
2014   Martin Kaymer (U.S. Open)   Bubba Watson (Masters)   Rory McIlroy (Open, PGA)   Jim Furyk (a)
2013   Adam Scott (Masters)   Justin Rose (U.S. Open)   Jason Dufner (PGA)   Pádraig Harrington (a)
2012   Pádraig Harrington (a)   Webb Simpson (U.S. Open) (T3)   Keegan Bradley (a) &   Bubba Watson (Masters)
2011   Keegan Bradley (PGA)   Charl Schwartzel (Masters)   Rory McIlroy (U.S. Open)   Darren Clarke (Open)
2010   Ernie Els (a) (2)   David Toms (a) (T3)   Martin Kaymer (PGA) &   Graeme McDowell (U.S. Open)
2009   Lucas Glover (U.S. Open)   Ángel Cabrera (Masters)   Stewart Cink (Open)   Yang Yong-eun (PGA)
2008   Jim Furyk (a) (2)   Pádraig Harrington (Open, PGA)   Retief Goosen (a)   Trevor Immelman (Masters)
2007   Ángel Cabrera (U.S. Open)   Pádraig Harrington (Open)   Jim Furyk (a)   Zach Johnson (Masters)
2006   Tiger Woods (Open, PGA) (7)   Jim Furyk (a)   Geoff Ogilvy (U.S. Open)   Mike Weir (a)
2005   Tiger Woods (Masters, Open) (6)   Phil Mickelson (PGA)   Michael Campbell (U.S. Open)   Vijay Singh (a)
2004   Phil Mickelson (Masters)   Vijay Singh (PGA)   Retief Goosen (U.S. Open)   Todd Hamilton (Open)
2003   Jim Furyk (U.S. Open)   Mike Weir (Masters)   Shaun Micheel (PGA)   Ben Curtis (Open)
2002   Tiger Woods (Masters, U.S. Open) (5) (T2)   Justin Leonard (a) &   Davis Love III (a)   Rich Beem (PGA)
2001   Tiger Woods (Masters) (4)   David Toms (PGA)   Retief Goosen (U.S. Open)   David Duval (Open)
2000   Tiger Woods (U.S. Open, Open, PGA) (3)   Vijay Singh (Masters)   Tom Lehman (a)   Paul Azinger (a)
1999   Tiger Woods (PGA) (2)   Davis Love III (a)   José María Olazábal (Masters)   Paul Lawrie (Open)
1998   Tiger Woods (a)   Vijay Singh (PGA)   Lee Janzen (U.S. Open)   Mark O'Meara (Masters, Open)
1997   Ernie Els (U.S. Open)   Tiger Woods (Masters)   Davis Love III (PGA)   Justin Leonard (Open)
1996   Tom Lehman (Open)   Steve Jones (U.S. Open)   Nick Faldo (Masters)   Mark Brooks (PGA)
1995   Ben Crenshaw (Masters) (T2)   Steve Elkington (PGA) &   Corey Pavin (U.S. Open)   John Daly (Open)
1994   Greg Norman (a) (3)   Nick Price (Open, PGA)   Ernie Els (U.S. Open)   José María Olazábal (Masters)
1993   Greg Norman (Open) (2)   Paul Azinger (PGA) (T3)   Lee Janzen (U.S. Open) &   Bernhard Langer (Masters)
1992   Nick Price (PGA)   Tom Kite (U.S. Open)   Fred Couples (Masters)   Nick Faldo (Open)
1991   Ian Woosnam (Masters)   Ian Baker-Finch (Open)   Payne Stewart (U.S. Open)   John Daly (PGA)
1990   Andy North (a) (2)   Craig Stadler (a)   Payne Stewart (PGA)   Mike Ditka (b)[9]
1989   Curtis Strange (U.S. Open)   Craig Stadler (a)   Ian Baker-Finch (a)   Greg Norman (a)
1988   Larry Nelson (PGA) (T2)   Larry Mize (Masters) &   Scott Simpson (U.S. Open)   Greg Norman (a)
1987 No tournament
1986   Greg Norman (Open)   Fuzzy Zoeller (a) (T3)   Jack Nicklaus (Masters) &   Bob Tway (PGA)
1983–85 No tournament
1982   Bill Rogers (Open)   David Graham (U.S. Open)   Larry Nelson (PGA)   Tom Watson (Masters)
1981   Lee Trevino (a)   Tom Watson (Open)   Jack Nicklaus (U.S. Open)   Seve Ballesteros (Masters)
1980   Lanny Wadkins (a)   Hale Irwin (U.S. Open) (T3)   David Graham (PGA) &   Fuzzy Zoeller (Masters)
1979 (T1)   Gary Player (Masters) &   Andy North (U.S. Open) (T3)   John Mahaffey (PGA) &   Jack Nicklaus (Open)

Note: a=alternate
b=Mike Ditka replaced Curtis Strange due to illness.

Multiple winners edit

Five golfers have won the event more than once:

  • Tiger Woods – 7 wins: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006
  • Greg Norman – 3 wins: 1986, 1993, 1994
  • Andy North – 2 wins: 1979, 1990
  • Jim Furyk – 2 wins: 2003, 2008
  • Ernie Els – 2 wins: 1997, 2010

References edit

  1. ^ "Grand Slam: Scoring". PGA of America. October 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  2. ^ PGA Grand Slam of Golf moving to Bermuda Archived 2008-05-31 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Grand Slam staying in Bermuda but moving to Port Royal GC
  4. ^ PGA Grand Slam of Golf Past Results Archived 2012-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "33rd PGA Grand Slam of Golf to be Hosted by Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles". PGA of America. March 10, 2015.
  6. ^ "PGA Grand Slam of Golf to be moved". PGA of America. July 7, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "PGA can't find replacement course, cancels Grand Slam of Golf". ESPN. Associated Press. September 3, 2015.
  8. ^ "PGA of America to discontinue the PGA Grand Slam of Golf". PGA of America. March 16, 2016.
  9. ^ Hanley, Reid (May 29, 1990). "Strange's Exit Makes Ditka A Grand Slam Hero". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 26, 2013.

External links edit

32°15′40″N 64°52′26″W / 32.261°N 64.874°W / 32.261; -64.874