FACT SHEET
48th PGA PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
CHAMPIONSHIP
Presented by: Club Car, Mercedes-Benz, OMEGA
Dates:
Site:
June 28 - July 1, 2015
The Philadelphia Cricket Club – Flourtown, Pennsylvania
Wissahickon Course & Militia Hill Course
(Wissahickon Course – site of final two rounds)
Exclusive Media Partner:
Golf Channel
Contributing Partner: PGA Tour
Defending Champion: Michael Block, Aliso Viejo, California
Television Schedule: Golf Channel
(All Times EDT)
First Round:
Sunday, June 28
3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
2:30 a.m. – 4:30 a.m.
Replay:
Monday, June 29
Second Round:
Monday, June 29
Replay:
Tuesday, June 30
Third Round:
Tuesday, June 30
3:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Replay:
Wednesday, July 1
3:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.
Final Round:
Wednesday, July 1
Replay:
Thursday, July 2
3:30 – 6:00 p.m.
3:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.
2:00- 5:00 p.m.
2:30 a.m. – 4:30 a.m.
Prize Money, Awards & Exemptions
The 2015 PGA Professional National Championship features a $550,000 purse. The 2015 Champion’s name will be
inscribed on the Walter Hagen Cup, which is enshrined at the PGA Museum of Golf in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The 2015
PGA Professional National Champion receives exemptions for the following:
 The 2015 PGA Championship
 A berth on the 2015 United States Team in the 27th PGA Cup
 Six PGA Tour events over a 12-month period
The low 20 scorers in the National Championship earn a berth in the 2015 PGA Championship, Aug. 13-16, at Whistling
Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.
The Walter Hagen Cup
Presented to the PGA Professional National Champion, the Walter Hagen Cup is named after the legendary golfer, fivetime PGA Champion and one of the 35 charter members of the PGA of America. Hagen elevated the role of the PGA
Professional throughout his career. The Haig’s inspirational career is reflected by today’s PGA Professionals in the
national championship – displaying playing skills under a national spotlight while also serving their respective clubs and
golf communities as managers, merchandisers, and respected teachers of the game. The PGA Professional National
Champion receives a replica of the crystal Walter Hagen Cup, which is 14½ inches high, 12 inches wide, and weighs 17½
pounds.
Method of Play
Stroke play, four rounds, 18 holes daily on two courses. The entire field of 312 will compete on each course once in the
first two rounds. Following the first 36 holes of play, the field will be reduced to the low 90 scorers and ties; followed by a
54-hole cut, with the low 70 scorers and ties advancing to the final 36 holes at the Wissahickon Course. In the event of a
tie for first place upon completion of play, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff starting on the 18th hole. If still tied, players
will advance to Hole No. 1, with the rotation to repeat until the Champion is determined. The playoff for the top 20 berths
in the 2015 PGA Championship will be a hole-by-hole format beginning approximately 15 minutes after the completion of
play. The playoff will begin on Hole No. 11, and if still tied, proceed to Holes 12 through 18. This rotation will be repeated
until spots/alternates are determined.
A playoff for the PGA Cup, if necessary, will begin approximately 15 minutes after the completion of play. The playoff will
start on Hole No. 3 and then, if necessary, continue to Holes No. 4 through 10. This rotation will be repeated until the
spots/alternates are determined.
Eligibility
The field of 312 will be limited to those PGA members who are eligibly employed as PGA Professionals and in certain preestablished membership classifications as of May 6, 2015. The PGA of America reserves the right to determine whether or not
any applicant is so employed and to reject any applicant who does not meet the requirements.
No player will be eligible if he or she has played in more than ten 10 combined Adams Golf Pro Tours, Asian Tour,
Australia/New Zealand Tour, Champions TOUR, Dakotas Tour, eGolf Gateway Tour (formerly eGolf Professional Tours
and All-American Gateway Tours),European Challenge Tour, European Senior Tour, European Tour, JPGA Senior Tour,
JPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour (LET), LPGA Futures Tour (Symetra Tour), LPGA Tour, LPGT,SwingThought.com
Tour (formerly NGA Pro Golf Tours), PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Canada, PGA TOUR LatinoAmerica, The Safari Tour, The
Sunshine Tour and web.com TOUR tournaments between May 6, 2014 and May 5, 2015. The U. S. Open, U.S. Senior
Open, PGA Championship and Senior PGA Championship are not included in the 10-tournament count.
The National Car Rental PGA Assistant Champion will be exempt into the national field, provided that he or she was a PGA
member at the time he or she won the Championship, and is eligibly employed or in an eligible PGA classification at the time of
entry into the PGA Professional National Championship.
Rules and Regulations
The Rules of Golf, which govern play, are determined by the United States Golf Association and applied by the PGA of
America Rules Committee. The PGA Professional National Championship is subject to the overall supervision of the
board and the PGA Rules Committee.
The Philadelphia Cricket Club hosts first PGA Professional Showcase Event
The Philadelphia Cricket Club, the only country club in America to have opened a golf course in each of the past three
centuries, hosts the 48th PGA Professional National Championship presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz and OMEGA.
It marks the second time the PGA of America’s showcase event for PGA Professionals will be hosted in the Philadelphia
PGA Section.
The Philadelphia Cricket Club, located 20 minutes northwest of downtown Philadelphia, will utilize the Wissahickon
Course (formerly Flourtown), built by renowned golf architect A.W. Tillinghast in 1922; and the Militia Hill Course, a 2002
design by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry. Wissahickon, named after the creek that borders one side of the property
and dedicated to Tillinghast, will host the Championship’s final 36 holes.
Founded in 1854, The Philadelphia Cricket Club is one of the oldest clubs in the U.S. devoted to the playing of games. Its
English founders played cricket on available grounds before the club’s first golf course, St. Martins, was built in 1895 by
Willie Tucker. It was expanded to 18 holes two years later. The course hosted the 1907 and 1910 U.S. Open, before the
club purchased its current property. The original nine-hole St. Martins layout exists today. Wissahickon underwent a 2014
restoration that was completed in late spring.
Since 1887, The Philadelphia Cricket Club has been the site of both Golf Association of Philadelphia and Philadelphia
PGA-sanctioned championships. The par-70, 6,816-yard Wissahickon highlights Tillinghast’s unique strategic bunkering,
contoured greens, and narrow fairways.
Wissahickon, a past member of “America’s Top 100 Courses” by Golf Digest, has hosted numerous state and local
championships and has been a multiple honoree as a “Top 100 Classic Course.” Militia Hill, a par-72, 6,999-yard design,
was named in honor of the surrounding parkland, which commemorates George Washington’s last encampment before
Valley Forge. The course was dedicated to Willie Anderson, a former Philadelphia Cricket Club Professional, who was
one of four players to win the U.S. Open four times. Militia Hill has been a regular “Top 25” Golf Digest selection in
Pennsylvania.
PAR AND YARDAGES: The Wissahickon Course and Militia Hill Course will be used during the Championship’s first two
rounds. Wissahickon will host the final two rounds, and play to 6,816 yards and to a par of 35-35-70. Militia Hill will play to
6,999 yards and to a par of 36-36-72.
WISSAHICKON COURSE – HOLE-BY-HOLE (Par-70, 6,816 Yards)
HOLE
PAR
Men’s Yardage
HOLE
PAR
Men’s Yardage
1
4
395
10
3
174
2
4
425
11
4
392
3
3
121
12
5
540
4
4
470
13
4
448
5
3
200
14
4
437
6
4
441
15
3
188
7
5
555
16
4
395
8
4
367
17
4
451
9
4
350
18
4
467
TOTAL
35
3,324
TOTAL
35
3,492
9
TOTAL
MILITIA HILL COURSE – HOLE-BY-HOLE (Par-72, 6,999 Yards)
HOLE
PAR
Men’s Yardage
HOLE
PAR
Men’s Yardage
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
4
4
5
4
3
5
4
4
3
36
412 406 496 392 191 557 412 382 225 3,473
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 TOTAL
4
3
4
4
5
3
4
5
4
36
403 165 397 449 532 203 397 565 415 3,526
PGA Professional National Championship – The PGA Professional’s Showcase
The PGA Professional National Championship began in 1968, to provide additional playing opportunities for PGA
Professionals. In more than three decades, it has become a showcase event for PGA Professionals, featuring some of the
finest players in the Association. Formerly a 360-player field, the format of the PGA Professional National Championship was
converted from 1997-2005 to a larger nationwide event featuring the finest 156 players at the peak of their games.
Previously, the Championship was contested after the golf season had ended across much of the United States. In 1997, local
Sectional PGA Professional Championships were created, along with four new Regional PGA Professional Championships.
The National Championship then moved its dates to one month prior to the PGA Championship. Following the 2004 fall
season, the Regional PGA Professional Championships were discontinued, focusing more on the Section Championships and
National Championship.
The Championship has been conducted in 16 states in the previous 45 years: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana,
Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and
Wisconsin.
The list of Champions over the past 45 years includes: Sam Snead, Bob Rosburg, Ed Dougherty, Bruce Fleisher; Larry Gilbert;
Rex Baxter Jr., Don Massengale, Laurie Hammer, Larry Webb, Bob Boyd, Brett Upper, Bruce Zabriski and Mike Small.
In 1997, the 30th PGA Professional National Championship was the first to be televised live by Golf Channel to millions of
viewers across the U.S., Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Malaysia, the Middle East, Scandinavia and Singapore.
This year’s PGA Professional National Championship has a potential audience of 110 million.
The 48th PGA Professional National Championship features a field of 312 players who have advanced from the 41 PGA
Section Championships, along with eligible past Champions. The final 36 holes of the National Championship will be
conducted on one course, featuring a field of the low 70 scorers and ties. The Championship will distribute a total purse of
more than $1.65 million, which will be awarded in both the Section and National Championships.
PGA Professional National Champions through the Years
Year
Champion
Score
Runner-up(s)
Site
Inaugural1968
Howell Fraser
272
Chuck Malchaski, Bob Rosburg
Century CC & Roadrunner CC, Scottsdale, Ariz.
2nd
1969
Bob Rosburg
275
Jimmy Wright
Roadrunner CC & San Marcos CC, Chandler, Ariz.
3rd
1970
Rex Baxter
285
Ernie George, Bob Duden
Sunol (Calif.) Valley CC
4th
1971
Sam Snead
275
Jerry Steelsmith, Ron Letellier Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & CC
5th
1972
Don Massengale 280
Bob Bruno
Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & CC
6th
1973
Rives McBee
282
Stan Brian
Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & CC
7th
1974
Roger Watson*
284
Sam Snead
Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & CC
8th
1975
Roger Watson*
279
David Jimenez
Callaway Gardens Resort, Pine Mountain, Ga.
9th
1976
Bob Galloway
280
George Lanning, Larry Gilbert,
Callaway Gardens Resort, Pine Mountain, Ga.
Jim Ferriell
10th
1977
Laurie Hammer
282
Steve Benson
Callaway Gardens Resort, Pine Mountain, Ga.
11th
1978
John Gentile*
276
Jim Ferree
Callaway Gardens Resort, Pine Mountain, Ga.
12th
1979
Buddy Whitten*
278
Jack Lewis
Callaway Gardens Resort, Pine Mountain, Ga.
13th
1980
John Traub
283
Jim Albus
PGA National GC, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
14th
1981
Larry Gilbert*
285
Don Padgett II
PGA National GC, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
Larry Gilbert
Larry Webb
Bill Schumaker*
Ed Dougherty
Bob Lendzion
Jay Lumpkin
284
283
284
277
284
279
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
27th
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
Robert Boyd*
Bruce Fleisher
Brett Upper
Larry Gilbert
Ron McDougal
Jeffrey Roth
Sammy Rachels*
287
277
275
267
273
275
284
28th
29th
1995
1996
Steve Schneiter
Darrell Kestner
278
271
30th
1997
Bruce Zabriski
281
31st
1998
Mike Burke Jr.
281
32nd
1999
Jeff Freeman
287
33rd
34th
2000
2001
Tim Thelen*#
214
35th
36th
37th
38th
39th
40th
41st
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Barry Evans
Tim Thelen
Bob Sowards
Mike Small
Ron Philo Jr.*
Chip Sullivan
Scott Hebert
281
282
276
289
278
281
289
Milan Swilor, Christopher Toulson,
Brett Upper
Mark Brown
Tim Thelen, Don Berry,
Mark Brown, John Aber
Mike Gilmore
Steve Schneiter
Mike Small
Travis Long
Alan Schulte
Mike Small, Ryan Benzel
Sonny Skinner
42nd
2009
Mike Small
277
Steve Schneiter
43rd
2010
Mike Small
278
Sonny Skinner
th
44
2011
David Hutsell*
274
45th
46th
47th
2012
2013
2014
Matt Dobyns
Rod Perry
Michael Block*
275
277
286
Faber Jamerson
Scott Erdmann
Rod Perry, Kelly Mitchum
Ryan Polzin
Jamie Broce
*Won Playoff
Wayne DeFrancesco278
Steve Benson
PGA National GC, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Bob Ford
La Quinta (Calif.) Hotel/Mission Hills
Gary Ostrega
PGA National GC, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Jim White
La Quinta (Calif.) Hotel/Mission Hills
Bob Betley
PGA West/La Quinta (Calif.) Hotel/Mission Hills
Jeff Roth, Bob Menne,
PGA West/La Quinta (Calif.) Hotel/Mission Hills
Gibby Gilbert
Rick Morton
Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & CC
Jeff Thomsen
PGA West/La Quinta (Calif.) Hotel/Mission Hills
Gibby Gilbert, Larry Gilbert
PGA West/La Quinta (Calif.) Hotel/Mission Hills
Gene Fieger, Ron McDougal Doral Resort & CC, Miami
Sammy Rachels
PGA West/La Quinta (Calif.) Hotel/Mission Hills
John Lee
PGA National GC, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Darrell Kestner, Ron McDougal
Marriott’s Tan-Tar-A Resort/The Oaks Course
Osage Beach, Mo. .
North Port National GC, Lake Ozark, Mo.
The Lodge of Four Seasons/Jones Course,
Osage Beach, Mo.
John DeForest, Bob Ford
PGA West/La Quinta (Calif.) Hotel/Mission Hills
Dan Bateman
PGA West/Nicklaus Private, Palmer Private,
Weiskopf Private, La Quinta, Calif.
Steve Schneiter, Jay Overton,
Pinehurst (N. C.) Resort & CC
Mike Burke Jr.
Bob Gaus
Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & CC
#-Shortened to 54 holes due to inclement weather
Whistling Straits (Straits Course), Kohler, Wis.
Oak Tree Golf. Club, Edmond, Okla.
Crosswater Club, Sunriver, Ore.
Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Ky.
Twin Warriors GC, Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.
Longaberger Golf Club, Nashport, Ohio
The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, S.C.
Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, N.Y.
Crosswater Club, Sunriver, Ore.
Great Waters Course & Reynolds Landing,
Greensboro, Ga.
Twin Warriors Golf Club & Santa Ana Golf Club,
Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.
The Pete Dye Course & Donald Ross Course
French Lick, Ind.
Hershey (Pa.) Country Club
East & West Courses
Bayonet Black Horse. Seaside, Calif.
Crosswater Club, Sunriver, Ore.
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club & Grande Dunes Resort Club
Myrtle Beach, S.C.