Professional Golfers' Association of America

The PGA of America ( Professional Golfers' Association ), the American Association of Professional Golfers. Currently, it has about 28,000 members in 41 sections. She sees herself as the world's largest professional organization in the field of sport.

History

The department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker invited on 16 January 1916 a number of professional golfers and top amateurs for lunch in New York City and suggested that an association in order to promote the sale of golf equipment. On April 10, it came to the inaugural meeting of the PGA of America with 35 members. Shortly thereafter, from 10 to 14 October took place the first PGA Championship, for the Wanamaker trophy and the prize money of $ 2,580 donated.

In the following years, the PGA of America dealt mainly with the issue of equipment, make recommendations published price and even official " Approvals " for certain clubs. In particular, they campaigned for the legalization of steel shafts, which it did during the 1920s. As of 1927, the PGA Championship with the Ryder Cup, the second major tournament which will PGA Seniors ' Championship was launched in 1936.

1933 a three-year training period was introduced to make a learnable and recognized profession with the aim of the "Golf Professional". Another institution, the Golf Hall of Fame was founded in 1941 and subsequently began with the purchase or construction of PGA -owned golf courses. The still important golf show in the world, the PGA Merchandise Show, took place in 1954 instead of in the parking lot of the PGA National Golf Club in Dunedin, Florida.

The tournament player who acted completely autonomously since 1946, founded in 1968, first in Tournament Players Division in 1975 and eventually received the name still used today PGA TOUR own organization, the Association of Professional Golfers, which was renamed shortly thereafter.