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The PGA Professional National Championship is a golf tournament for golf club professionals and teachers who are members of the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It has been held by the PGA of America since 1968, when touring professionals split off to found the PGA Tour.
The PGA Professional National Championship was known as the PGA Club Professional Championship until 2006. Since 1997, the tournament has usually been played in late June, six to seven weeks before the PGA Championship in mid-August. Previously, the club pro tournament had been played in the fall, anywhere from late September to December, and the top 25 finishers in the tournament qualified for the PGA Championship. This number was reduced by five in 2006; presently the top 20 finishers qualify for the PGA Championship.
The PGA Championship was originally the leading championship organized for themselves by the whole body of professionals, both club and touring, in contrast to the other majors, which are all organized by bodies controlled by golf's amateur establishment. Since 1968 the PGA Championship has been seen to be run mainly for the benefit of the elite of touring professionals, but unlike the other majors, it continues to reserve places for the club pros.
Sam Snead and Bob Rosburg are the only players to win a major championship during their regular careers who have won the PGA Professional National Championship. Bruce Fleisher and Larry Gilbert each would go on to win a senior major. Several other winners have had PGA Tour careers, either before or after winning the championship. In 2007, the 40th Championship was held at the Sunriver Resort in central Oregon, from June 21st to 24th.
[edit] Winners
| Year |
Champion |
Venue |
Location |
Score |
| 2007 |
Chip Sullivan |
Sunriver Resort |
Sunriver, Oregon |
282 |
| 2006 |
Ron Philo, Jr. |
Turning Stone Resort & Casino |
Verona, New York |
278 |
| 2005 |
Mike Small |
Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course |
Kiawah Island, South Carolina |
289 |
| 2004 |
Bob Sowards |
Longaberger Golf Club |
Licking County, Ohio |
276 |
| 2003 |
Tim Thelen |
Twin Warriors Golf Club |
Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico |
282 |
| 2002 |
Barry Evans |
Valhalla Golf Club |
Louisville, Kentucky |
281 |
| 2001 |
Wayne DeFrancesco |
Sunriver Resort, Crosswater Course |
Sunriver, Oregon |
278 |
| 2000 |
Tim Thelen |
Oak Tree Golf Club |
Edmond, Oklahoma |
214 * |
| 1999 |
Jeff Freeman |
Whistling Straits, Straits Course |
Kohler, Wisconsin |
287 |
| 1998 |
Mike Burke, Jr. |
Pinehurst Resort |
Pinehurst, North Carolina |
281 |
| 1997 |
Bruce Zabriski |
Pinehurst Resort |
Pinehurst, North Carolina |
281 |
| 1996 |
Darrell Kestner |
PGA West |
La Quinta, California |
271 |
| 1995 |
Steve Schneiter |
Multiple courses |
La Quinta, California and Rancho Mirage, California |
278 |
| 1994 |
Sammy Rachels |
Multiple courses |
Osage Beach, Missouri and Lake Ozark, Missouri |
284 PO |
| 1993 |
Jeffrey Roth |
PGA National Resort & Spa |
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
275 |
| 1992 |
Ron McDougal |
Multiple courses |
La Quinta, California and Rancho Mirage, California |
273 |
| 1991 |
Larry Gilbert |
Doral Golf Resort & Spa |
Doral, Florida |
267 |
| 1990 |
Brett Upper |
Multiple courses |
La Quinta, California and Rancho Mirage, California |
275 |
| 1989 |
Bruce Fleisher |
Multiple courses |
La Quinta, California and Rancho Mirage, California |
277 |
| 1988 |
Robert Boyd |
Pinehurst Resort |
Pinehurst, North Carolina |
287 PO |
| 1987 |
Jay Lumpkin |
Multiple courses |
La Quinta, California and Rancho Mirage, California |
279 |
| 1986 |
Bob Lendzion |
Multiple courses |
La Quinta, California and Rancho Mirage, California |
284 |
| 1985 |
Ed Dougherty |
Multiple courses |
La Quinta, California |
277 |
| 1984 |
Bill Schumaker |
PGA National Resort & Spa |
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
284 PO |
| 1983 |
Larry Webb |
Multiple courses |
La Quinta, California |
283 |
| 1982 |
Larry Gilbert |
PGA National Resort & Spa |
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
284 |
| 1981 |
Larry Gilbert |
PGA National Resort & Spa |
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
285 PO |
| 1980 |
John Traub |
PGA National Resort & Spa |
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
283 |
| 1979 |
Buddy Whitten |
Callaway Gardens |
Pine Mountain, Georgia |
278 PO |
| 1978 |
John Gentile |
Callaway Gardens |
Pine Mountain, Georgia |
276 PO |
| 1977 |
Laurie Hammer |
Callaway Gardens |
Pine Mountain, Georgia |
282 |
| 1976 |
Bob Galloway |
Callaway Gardens |
Pine Mountain, Georgia |
280 |
| 1975 |
Roger Watson |
Callaway Gardens |
Pine Mountain, Georgia |
279 PO |
| 1974 |
Roger Watson |
Pinehurst Resort |
Pinehurst, North Carolina |
284 PO |
| 1973 |
Rives McBee |
Pinehurst Resort |
Pinehurst, North Carolina |
282 |
| 1972 |
Don Massengale |
Pinehurst Resort |
Pinehurst, North Carolina |
280 |
| 1971 |
Sam Snead |
Pinehurst Resort |
Pinehurst, North Carolina |
275 |
| 1970 |
Rex Baxter |
Sunol Valley Golf Course, Palm Course |
Sunol, California |
285 |
| 1969 |
Bob Rosburg |
Multiple courses |
Chandler, Arizona |
275 |
| 1968 |
Howell Fraser |
Multiple courses |
Scottsdale, Arizona |
272 |
- PO - Won in playoff
- * - Only 54 holes, not 72, were played due to inclement weather
[edit] External links
