The 2021 PGA Championships is here, and in celebration of some more competitive action we are rounding up some current information about this year’s tournament at Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, along with a few interesting facts that you may not have known:
Date of Championship: 20th-23rd May 2021
Venue: Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Defending Champion: Collin Morikawa
Length: 7,848 yards (7,176m)
Field: 165 Players
Prize fund for 2021: $11,000,000
Winner’s share: $1,980,000
Architect: Pete Dye, built 1991 to host the 1991 Ryder Cup
Ocean Course Green Fee: $383
With such a great tournament there is always an interesting history. The winner of the tournament will receive a replica of the Wanamaker Trophy which they can keep for one year. The trophy is named after Rodman Wanamaker a New York City department store magnet who was pivotal in setting up the first tournament that was held in 1916. Wanamaker was the one who provided the cash prize of $2,500 (around $55,000 in today’s money) and the trophy for the inaugural tournament.
The Original Wanamaker Trophy is currently housed in the PGA Gallery at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The original trophy was lost in 1928 by the champion of the time, Walter Hagen. The trophy continued to be missing between 1928-1930, when it was found by a porter cleaning a basement at a business which made golf clubs bearing Hagen's name. Due to this history, the champion receives the replica trophy which was made in 1928 for a year. They can opt to receive a replica which is 90% smaller than the original Wanamaker trophy and which they may keep permanently.
For those real golf enthusiasts, why not look at the course website detailing the course hole-by-hole. There are descriptions for each hole with tips on how to master each one. With comments from the course architect, you can get a real detailed description on what the players will be facing.
We would love to hear your thoughts, please feel free to leave a comment below. If you are looking at joining PlayMoreGolf click through to our Explore Page to find a home club near you. For those current members, our explore page is a great opportunity to explore all our partner courses to enable you to make bookings using your flexi points.
