The Senior Players Championship , stylised by the PGA Tour as The SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, is one of the five major championships on golf 's PGA Tour Champions . The inaugural event was played 42 years ago in 1983 and the age minimum is 50,[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] the standard for men's senior professional golf tournaments.
The winner gains entry into the following season's Players Championship on the PGA Tour (although Retief Goosen , the 2019 winner, was not allowed to play in the official subsequent Players Championship). For sponsorship reasons in 2023, the tournament was titled as the Kaulig Companies Championship .[ 4]
Unlike the U.S. Senior Open , the Senior PGA Championship , and the Senior Open Championship , it is not recognized as a major by the European Senior Tour , and is not part of that tour's schedule.
Since 2019 , the Senior Players championship has been held at the South course of the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio ; it replaced the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational that had been held there before moving to Memphis, Tennessee .[ 5]
Course layout
Hole
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Out
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
In
Total
Yards
399
526
420
450
200
460
219
470
461
3,605
410
418
180
450
460
221
640
400
464
3,643
7,248
Par
4
5
4
4
3
4
3
4
4
35
4
4
3
4
4
3
5
4
4
35
70
Early years
The first four editions were at Canterbury Golf Club near Cleveland ; the inaugural in 1983 had fifty players, no cut, and a purse of $ 250,000;[ 2] Miller Barber won the title and $40,000, sinking a ten-foot (3 m) birdie putt on the final hole to finish one stroke ahead of runner-up Gene Littler . Arnold Palmer was seven strokes back, in a tie for fifth.[ 3]
Palmer won the next year by three strokes,[ 6] and successfully defended the title in 1985 , winning by eleven strokes.[ 7] Heavy rains on Thursday afternoon reduced the tournament to 54 holes in 1986 ,[ 8] and Chi-Chi Rodríguez gained the first of his 22 wins on the senior tour, two strokes ahead of Bruce Crampton .[ 9]
Winners
Year
Winner
Score
To par
Margin of victory
Runner(s)-up
Winner's share ($)
Venue
Location
Kaulig Companies Championship
2024
South Africa Ernie Els
270
−10
1 stroke
South Korea Yang Yong-eun
525,000
Firestone (South Course)
Akron, Ohio
2023
United States Steve Stricker (2)
269
−11
3 strokes
United States David Toms
525,000
Firestone (South Course)
Akron, Ohio
Bridgestone Senior Players Championship
2022
United States Jerry Kelly (2)
269
−11
2 strokes
United States Steve Stricker
450,000
Firestone (South Course)
Akron, Ohio
2021
United States Steve Stricker
273
−7
6 strokes
United States Jerry Kelly
420,000
Firestone (South Course)
Akron, Ohio
2020
United States Jerry Kelly
277
−3
2 strokes
United States Scott Parel
420,000
Firestone (South Course)
Akron, Ohio
2019
South Africa Retief Goosen
274
−6
2 strokes
United States Jay Haas United States Tim Petrovic
420,000
Firestone (South Course)
Akron, Ohio
Constellation Senior Players Championship
2018
Fiji Vijay Singh
268
−20
Playoff
United States Jeff Maggert
420,000
Exmoor
Highland Park, Illinois
2017
United States Scott McCarron
270
−18
1 stroke
United States Brandt Jobe Germany Bernhard Langer
420,000
Caves Valley
Owings Mills, Maryland
2016
Germany Bernhard Langer (3)
281
+1
1 stroke
United States Joe Durant Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez
420,000
Philadelphia (Wissahickon Course)
Flourtown, Pennsylvania
2015
Germany Bernhard Langer (2)
265
−19
5 strokes
United States Kirk Triplett
405,000
Belmont
Belmont, Massachusetts
2014
Germany Bernhard Langer
265
−15
Playoff
United States Jeff Sluman
405,000
Fox Chapel
Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania
2013
United States Kenny Perry
261
−19
5 strokes
United States Fred Funk
405,000
Fox Chapel
Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania
2012
United States Joe Daley
266
−14
2 strokes
United States Tom Lehman
405,000
Fox Chapel
Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania
Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship
2011
United States Fred Couples
273
−11
Playoff
United States John Cook
405,000
Westchester
Harrison, New York
2010
United States Mark O'Meara
273
−7
Playoff
United States Michael Allen
405,000
TPC Potomac
Potomac, Maryland
2009
United States Jay Haas
267
−13
1 stroke
United States Tom Watson
405,000
Baltimore (East Course)
Timonium, Maryland
2008
United States D. A. Weibring
271
−9
1 stroke
United States Fred Funk
390,000
Baltimore (East Course)
Timonium, Maryland
2007
United States Loren Roberts
267
−13
6 strokes
United States Tom Watson
390,000
Baltimore (East Course)
Timonium, Maryland
Ford Senior Players Championship
2006
United States Bobby Wadkins
274
−14
1 stroke
United States Jim Thorpe
375,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
2005
United States Peter Jacobsen
273
−15
1 stroke
United States Hale Irwin
375,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
2004
England Mark James
275
−13
1 stroke
Spain José María Cañizares
375,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
2003
United States Craig Stadler
271
−17
3 strokes
United States Tom Kite United States Jim Thorpe United States Tom Watson
375,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
2002
Australia Stewart Ginn
274
−14
1 stroke
United States Hubert Green United States Mike McCullough United States Jim Thorpe
375,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
2001
United States Allen Doyle
273
−15
Playoff
United States Doug Tewell
375,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
2000
United States Raymond Floyd (2)
273
−15
1 stroke
United States Larry Nelson United States Dana Quigley
345,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
1999
United States Hale Irwin
267
−21
7 strokes
Australia Graham Marsh
300,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
1998
United States Gil Morgan
267
−21
3 strokes
United States Hale Irwin
300,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
1997
United States Larry Gilbert
274
−14
3 strokes
Japan Isao Aoki United States Bob Dickson United States Jack Kiefer United States Dave Stockton
270,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
1996
United States Raymond Floyd
275
−13
2 strokes
United States Hale Irwin
225,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
1995
United States J. C. Snead
272
−16
Playoff
United States Jack Nicklaus
225,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
1994
United States Dave Stockton (2)
271
−17
6 strokes
United States Jim Albus
210,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
1993
United States Jim Colbert
278
−10
1 stroke
United States Raymond Floyd
180,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
The Senior Players Championship
1992
United States Dave Stockton
277
−11
1 stroke
United States J. C. Snead United States Lee Trevino
150,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
1991
United States Jim Albus
279
−9
3 strokes
New Zealand Bob Charles United States Charles Coody United States Dave Hill
150,000
TPC of Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
Mazda Senior Tournament Players Championship
1990
United States Jack Nicklaus
261
−27
6 strokes
United States Lee Trevino
150,000
Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
1989
United States Orville Moody
271
−17
2 strokes
United States Charles Coody
105,000
TPC at Sawgrass
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
1988
United States Billy Casper
278
−10
2 strokes
United States Al Geiberger
60,000
TPC at Sawgrass
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
1987
South Africa Gary Player
280
−8
1 stroke
Australia Bruce Crampton United States Chi-Chi Rodríguez
60,000
Sawgrass
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Senior Tournament Players Championship
1986
United States Chi-Chi Rodríguez
206[ lower-alpha 1]
−10
2 strokes
Australia Bruce Crampton
45,000
Canterbury
Beachwood, Ohio
1985
United States Arnold Palmer (2)
274
−14
11 strokes
United States Miller Barber United States Lee Elder United States Gene Littler United States Charles Owens
36,000
Canterbury
Beachwood, Ohio
1984
United States Arnold Palmer
276
−12
3 strokes
Australia Peter Thomson
36,000
Canterbury
Beachwood, Ohio
1983
United States Miller Barber
278
−10
1 stroke
United States Gene Littler
40,000
Canterbury
Beachwood, Ohio
Multiple winners
Through 2023, six players had multiple wins in the Senior Players Championship:
3 wins: Bernhard Langer (2014, 2015, 2016)
2 wins: Arnold Palmer (1984, 1985), Dave Stockton (1992, 1994), Raymond Floyd (1996, 2000), Jerry Kelly (2020, 2022), Steve Stricker (2021, 2023)
Winners of both The Players and the Senior Players
Three have won both The Players Championship and the Senior Players Championship :
Notes
↑ Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
References
↑ "Snead takes aim" . Youngstown Vindicator . (Ohio). AP photo. June 10, 1983. p. 18.
↑ 2.0 2.1 "Miller Barber, Littler lead" . Youngstown Vindicator . (Ohio). Associated Press. June 11, 1983. p. 14.
↑ 3.0 3.1 "Barber wins seniors title" . Youngstown Vindicator . (Ohio). Associated Press. June 13, 1983. p. 17.
↑ Ridenour, Maria (June 15, 2022). "Kaulig Companies to become title sponsor for Senior Players Championship, which will stay at Firestone Country Club" . Golfweek .
↑ Wright, Branson (April 12, 2018). "WGC-Bridgestone Invitational will leave Firestone in 2019 (photos)" . cleveland.com .
↑ "Rested Palmer decides it helps to be inspired" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). Associated Press. June 25, 1984. p. 2B.
↑ "Refreshed Palmer sets senior mark" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). Associated Press. June 24, 1985. p. 2B.
↑ "Rain stops seniors" . Toledo Blade . (Ohio). Associated Press. June 20, 1986. p. 19.
↑ "Rodriguez wins Senior TPC crown" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). Associated Press. June 24, 1985. p. 3B.
External links
† indicates the event was won in a playoff
Overview Technical Facilities Governing organizations Majors (Grand Slam ,Triple Crown )
International events
Rankings Golfers Lists of golf courses
by feature by country by designer
Countries Years Miscellaneous Variations Media
41°00′29″N 81°30′29″W / 41.008°N 81.508°W / 41.008; -81.508