History of PGA Tour Champions in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: November 14, 2025

PGA Tour Champions is a professional golf tour for men aged 50 and above. It's a branch of the PGA Tour, providing a competitive platform for senior golfers. The tour features notable former PGA Tour players and offers them continued opportunities to compete at a high level. Tournaments often have significant prize money and are broadcast on television, maintaining interest in the sport among an older demographic and providing a stage for seasoned players to extend their careers.

1937: Senior PGA Championship Founded

In 1937, the Senior PGA Championship was founded. For many years, it remained the only high-profile tournament for golfers over the age of 50.

1978: Legends of Golf Event

In 1978, the Legends of Golf event at Onion Creek Club in Austin, Texas, was a highly successful competition between two-member teams of older golfers, which served as an inspiration for the senior tour.

1980: Senior PGA Tour Established

In 1980, the Senior PGA Tour was formally established, marking the beginning of a tour specifically for golfers over 50.

1990: Charles Schwab Cup Inception

In 1990, the Charles Schwab Cup was established, marking the beginning of a season-long points race culminating in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

October 2002: Senior PGA Tour Renamed Champions Tour

In October 2002, the Senior PGA Tour was renamed the Champions Tour, a change that lasted through the 2015 season.

2006: Golf Cart Usage Allowed

In 2006, the Champions Tour Division Board of the PGA Tour organization voted to allow players the option to use golf carts during most events on the tour, with some exceptions for major championships and pro-ams.

2007: 2007 Prize Money

In 2007, the tour offered a total of $55.2 million over 29 events.

2008: 2008 Prize Money

In 2008, the prize money was $51.4 million over 26 events.

2010: 2010 Schedule and Prize Money

In 2010, of the 26 tournaments on the schedule, all were in the United States except for the Cap Cana Championship in the Dominican Republic, the Senior Open Championship in Scotland and tournaments in Canada and South Korea. The guaranteed minimum official prize money was $51.5 million over 26 tournaments, with a record average purse of $1.98 million per event.

2011: Clampett's Blog Post

In 2011, Clampett attempted to explain the process in a post on his blog regarding standard tour events.

2015: Champions Tour Renamed PGA Tour Champions

In 2015, the Champions Tour was renamed PGA Tour Champions, adopting the current name of the tour.

2015: Charles Schwab Cup Format Through 2015

Through the 2015 season, the Charles Schwab Cup was a season-long points race where points were given to players who finished in the top 10, and the top 30 players competed in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

2015: Charles Schwab Cup Championship Format Until 2015

Until 2015, the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, with a limited field of 36, was played over 72 holes with no cut.

2016: Charles Schwab Cup Format Change in 2016

In 2016, the format of the Charles Schwab Cup was radically changed to a playoff-style format similar to that used for the FedEx Cup on the main PGA Tour, with qualification based on money earned and a points system in place for playoff events.

2016: Charles Schwab Cup Championship Format Change in 2016

Since 2016, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship has been played over 54 holes with no cut.

2023: Top Ten Career Money Leaders Through 2023

In 2023, the table shows the top ten career money leaders on PGA Tour Champions through the 2023 season.

2023: Multiple Money List Title Winners Through 2023

Through 2023, the following players have won more than one money list title on the PGA Tour Champions.

2024: Career Earnings Leader as of 2024

As of the 2024 season, Phil Mickelson is the top player on the PGA Tour's list of total career earnings on its three main tours, with a combined career total of $98,201,178.