History of PGA Tour in Timeline
The PGA Tour is a non-profit organization that runs professional golf tours mainly in the United States and North America. Its most notable series of tournaments is called the PGA Tour, but it also organizes the PGA Tour Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Canada, and PGA Tour Latinoamérica. Previously, it also ran the PGA Tour China. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the PGA Tour is a major force in the world of professional golf.
April 10, 1916: Formation of the PGA of America
On April 10, 1916, the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) was formed, marking the beginning of the modern PGA Tour.
1916: Establishment of Prestigious Golf Tournaments
By 1916, several prestigious golf tournaments offering prize money were established in America, forming the initial schedule of what would later become the PGA Tour.
1929: Formalization of "The Circuit"
In 1929, the informal "The Circuit" for professional golfers in the PGA became more formalized with the formation of a tournament committee.
1930: Hiring of PGA Tournament Bureau Manager
In 1930, Bob Harlow was hired as manager of the PGA Tournament Bureau, working to formalize a year-round schedule of tournaments.
1938: First Woman Competes in a PGA Tour Event
In 1938, Babe Zaharias became the first woman to compete in a PGA Tour event.
1945: First Woman Makes Cut in a PGA Tour Event
In 1945, Babe Zaharias became the first and only woman to make a cut in a PGA Tour Event.
1948: Establishment of PGA Player of the Year Award
The PGA Player of the Year award, initially named PGA Golfer of the Year, was established in 1948.
July 1968: Formation of American Professional Golfers, Inc.
In July 1968, due to a dispute over revenue distribution, leading tour pros formed American Professional Golfers, Inc. (APG), independent of the PGA of America.
December 1968: PGA Tour Spin-off
In December 1968, the PGA Tour was spun off from the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America) into a separate organization for tour players.
January 1969: Appointment of First PGA Tour Commissioner
In January 1969, Joseph Dey, recently retired USGA executive director, was appointed as the tour's first commissioner.
1974: Deane Beman Becomes Commissioner
In 1974, tour player Deane Beman succeeded Joseph Dey as the PGA Tour commissioner.
1975: Name Change to "PGA Tour"
In 1975, the Tournament Players Division officially adopted the name "PGA Tour".
1978: Removal of Restrictions on Women
In 1978, the PGA Tour removed its restrictions on women, though no women have joined since then.
1979: Transformation of the Ryder Cup
In 1979, with the inclusion of players from continental Europe and expanded television coverage, the Ryder Cup became a highly competitive and popular international team event.
August 1981: Temporary Name Change to "TPA Tour"
In August 1981, due to a marketing dispute with the PGA of America, the tour temporarily changed its name to the "TPA Tour" (Tournament Players Association).
March 1982: Return to "PGA Tour" Name
In March 1982, after resolving the disputed issues with the PGA of America, the tour's name reverted to the "PGA Tour."
1982: Introduction of Points System for PGA Player of the Year
A points system was implemented in 1982 to select the winner of the PGA Player of the Year award, considering wins, money list position, and scoring average.
1990: Inaugural PGA Tour Player of the Year Award
The PGA Tour Player of the Year Award was first given out in 1990.
1990: Introduction of Rookie of the Year Award
The Rookie of the Year award was introduced in 1990, recognizing players in their first season of PGA Tour membership with limited prior participation.
1992: PGA and PGA Tour Player of the Year Alignment
From 1992 onward, the PGA and PGA Tour Players of the Year awards were consistently awarded to the same player.
June 1994: Tim Finchem Becomes Commissioner
In June 1994, Tim Finchem became the third commissioner of the PGA Tour.
1995: The Open Championship Joins PGA Tour
In 1995, The Open Championship, the oldest golf tournament in the world, became a PGA Tour event.
2002: Retroactive Recognition of Open Championship Wins
In 2002, all Open Championship wins dating back to 1860 were retroactively recognized as PGA Tour victories.
2003: Annika Sörenstam and Suzy Whaley play in PGA Tour Events
In 2003, Annika Sörenstam and Suzy Whaley played in PGA Tour events.
2004: Michelle Wie Begins Competing in PGA Tour Events
In 2004, Michelle Wie began playing in PGA Tour events, and continued doing so each year until 2008.
2005: Adam Scott's Unofficial Win at the Nissan Open
In 2005, Adam Scott's win at the Nissan Open was considered unofficial as the tournament was shortened to 36 holes due to the PGA Tour's inability to guarantee four rounds of play.
2005: PGA Tour Reaches Deal with XM Satellite Radio
In 2005, the PGA Tour reached a deal with XM Satellite Radio to co-produce a channel, the PGA Tour Network (now Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio).
2005: PGA Tour Launches "Drive to a Billion" Campaign
In 2005, the PGA Tour started a campaign to push its all-time fundraising tally past one billion dollars, called "Drive to a Billion". It reached that mark one week before the end of the season.
2006: Sky Sports Loses Main Broadcaster Status
Sky Sports was the main broadcaster of the PGA Tour in the United Kingdom for a number of years, until 2006.
2007: Golf Channel Becomes Pay Television Rightsholder
Golf Channel began serving as the pay television rightsholder of the PGA Tour in 2007.
2007: PGA Tour Introduces Tournament in Mexico
In 2007, the PGA Tour added a new tournament in Mexico, scheduled as an alternate event during the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
2007: PGA Tour Introduces Fall Series for Less Successful Players
In 2007, the PGA Tour introduced the Fall Series, initially with seven tournaments, to provide less successful players an opportunity to retain their tour cards. These events took place in seven consecutive weeks following the Tour Championship.
2007: PGA Tour Schedule Revamped with The Players Championship Moving to May and Tour Championship to Mid-September
In 2007, the PGA Tour significantly altered its schedule, moving The Players Championship to May and the Tour Championship to mid-September. This change ensured a marquee event every month for five consecutive months.
2007: Setanta Sports Gains Exclusive UK and Ireland Rights
Setanta Sports won exclusive UK and Ireland rights to broadcast the PGA Tour for six years, starting in 2007.
2008: Michelle Wie's Last Year Competing in PGA Tour Events
2008 marked the last year that Michelle Wie would play in PGA Tour events, having started in 2004.
2008: PGA Tour Policy Board Approves Changes to Cut Policy
In 2008, the PGA Tour Policy Board revised the cut policy, affecting events like the Sony Open and Buick Invitational. A second 54-hole cut was introduced for fields exceeding 78 players.
2008: PGA Tour Introduces Tournament in Puerto Rico
In 2008, the PGA Tour added a tournament in Puerto Rico, serving as an alternate event during the WGC-CA Championship.
2008: PGA Tour Adjusts Fall Series Schedule with Break for Ryder Cup and Tour Championship
The 2008 Fall Series schedule included a break for the Ryder Cup, with the first event held concurrently. Another break was implemented for the Tour Championship before continuing with the remaining six events.
2008: PGA Tour Schedule Tweaked with Break Before Ryder Cup
The PGA Tour's 2008 schedule featured a break before the Ryder Cup, with the Tour Championship following the week after.
June 23, 2009: Setanta's UK Arm Ceases Broadcasting
On June 23, 2009, Setanta's UK arm went into administration and ceased broadcasting.
2009: PGA Tour's Role and Events
In 2009, the PGA Tour organized 43 weekly events, including The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup events, as well as the biennial Presidents Cup.
2009: PGA Tour Raises $108 Million for Charity
In 2009, the total raised by the PGA Tour for charity was some $108 million.
2009: PGA Tour Implements Major Changes to Fall Series Schedule
The 2009 Fall Series underwent substantial revisions, moving one event to May, eliminating another, and returning to the original start date after the Tour Championship. Breaks were included for the Presidents Cup and the HSBC Champions, which was elevated to World Golf Championships status.
2009: PGA Tour Schedule Tweaked with Break Before Tour Championship
The 2009 PGA Tour schedule incorporated a break before the Tour Championship, with the Presidents Cup held two weeks later.
2010: Sky Sports Regains TV Rights
Sky Sports regained the TV rights to the PGA Tour with an eight-year deal from 2010 to 2017.
2011: Isabelle Beisiegel Earns Tour Card
In 2011, Isabelle Beisiegel became the first woman to earn a Tour card on a "men's" professional golf tour, the Canadian Tour, now PGA Tour Canada.
2011: Hyundai Takes Over Title Sponsorship
In 2011, Korean automobile manufacturer Hyundai took over the title sponsorship of the PGA Tour's season opening tournament from SBS, who became a sponsor in 2009. SBS still remains a sponsor of the event.
2011: PGA Tour Reduces Fall Series to Four Events
In 2011, the PGA Tour reduced the Fall Series to four events, all held after the Tour Championship, following the Viking Classic's move to the regular season as an alternate event.
March 2012: Introduction of PGA Tour Courage Award
In March 2012, the PGA Tour Courage Award was introduced, replacing the Comeback Player of the Year award.
March 20, 2012: PGA Tour Announces Radical Changes to Season and Qualifying Process
On March 20, 2012, the PGA Tour announced significant changes to the season and qualifying process, with further details regarding the Fall Series revealed in June and July.
2012: PGA Tour Changes Criterion for Retaining Tour Cards
In 2012, the PGA Tour changed the criterion for retaining tour cards at the end of the season. Until 2012, the top 125 players on the money list at the end of the season retained their cards.
2012: PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament Format
Through the 2012 edition of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, the top-25 finishers, including ties, received privileges to play on the following year's PGA Tour.
2013: PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament Name Change
Before 2013, the official name of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament was the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. It is now officially the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.
2013: Minor Tweak Implemented to Final Details of PGA Tour Changes
In 2013, a minor adjustment was made to the final details of the PGA Tour's previously announced changes, effective only for that season.
2013: PGA Tour Introduces New Qualifying System
In 2013, the PGA Tour introduced a new qualifying system where the top 125 players on both the money list and the FedEx Cup points list at the end of the FedEx Cup regular season in August retained their cards.
2013: Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Privileges
Since 2013, 50 Korn Ferry Tour golfers earn privileges during the next PGA Tour season, which now begins the month after the Tour Finals. The top 25 money winners over the regular season receive PGA Tour cards, as do the top 25 money winners in the Finals.
2013: Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio Begins Audio Simulcasts
Since 2013, Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio has included audio simulcasts of selected Golf Channel programs.
2013: PGA Tour Concludes Season with 40 Events and Presidents Cup
The 2013 PGA Tour season concluded with 40 official-money events across 38 weeks, including three alternate events played concurrently with higher-status tournaments. The season also included the biennial Presidents Cup.
2013: PGA Tour's Final Season Within a Calendar Year
The 2013 season marked the last PGA Tour season conducted entirely within a single calendar year.
2014: PGA Tour Implements FedEx Cup Points List for Tour Card Retention
Starting in 2014, the PGA Tour implemented the planned move to have the top 125 players on the FedEx Cup points list retain their tour cards.
2014: PGA Tour Transitions to Season Spanning Two Calendar Years
Starting in 2014, the PGA Tour transitioned to a season that spans two calendar years, commencing in October following the Tour Championship.
2015: PGA Tour Exemption for Military Service
In 2015, the PGA Tour added a clause to freeze an exemption for those required to perform military service in their native countries.
2016: Pilot of Free PGA Tour Live Coverage on Twitter
At the end of the 2016 season, a pilot program was run in which portions of the PGA Tour Live coverage were carried for free via the PGA Tour's Twitter account. This would be continued in 2017.
2016: PGA Tour Unveils Priority Ranking System
In 2016, the PGA Tour announced its priority ranking system for selecting tournament fields.
January 1, 2017: Jay Monahan Succeeds Tim Finchem
On January 1, 2017, Jay Monahan succeeded Tim Finchem as the commissioner of the PGA Tour.
2017: PGA Tour Generates $180 Million for Charity
In 2017, the PGA Tour announced to have generated $180 million for charities through the tournaments of its six tours.
2017: Portions of PGA Tour Live Coverage Carried Free on Twitter
Since 2017, portions of the PGA Tour Live coverage are carried for free via the PGA Tour's Twitter account, following a pilot at the end of the 2016 season.
2017: Sky Sports' Contract Expires
Sky Sports regained the TV rights to the PGA Tour with an eight-year deal lasting from 2010 to 2017.
2017: PGA Tour Considers Opting Out of Broadcast Television Contracts
The PGA Tour considered invoking an option to opt out of its broadcast television contracts in 2017, but ultimately decided against it.
June 2018: Discovery Inc. Acquires International Media Rights to the PGA Tour
In June 2018, Discovery Inc. secured a 12-year, $2 billion deal for exclusive international media rights to the PGA Tour, starting in 2019.
2018: End of Consistent Alignment for Player of the Year Awards
The consistent alignment of the PGA and PGA Tour Player of the Year Awards ended in 2018.
January 2019: GolfTV Launches, Replacing PGA Tour Live in International Markets
In January 2019, GolfTV launched in several international markets, replacing PGA Tour Live. The service also secured rights to the Ryder Cup and European Tour in selected markets.
2019: PGA Tour Live Operated by NBC Sports Gold
From 2019 to 2021, the PGA Tour's streaming service, PGA Tour Live, has been operated under NBC Sports' subscription streaming platform NBC Sports Gold.
2019: SBS Extends Contract with PGA Tour
In South Korea, SBS agreed in 2009 to extend its contract with the PGA Tour through 2019.
June 2020: PGA Tour Announces PGA Tour University
In June 2020, the PGA Tour announced the PGA Tour University, a scheme to create pathways for collegiate golfers to join development tours.
2020: PGA Tour Reduces Cut Line and Eliminates 54-Hole Cut
For the 2020 season, the PGA Tour reduced the cut line to 65 plus ties and eliminated the 54-hole cut.
2020: PGA Tour Renews Contracts with CBS and NBC
In 2020, the PGA Tour renewed its contracts with CBS Sports and NBC Sports to last through 2030.
2021: PGA Tour Expresses Concerns over LIV Golf
In late 2021, The PGA Tour began to express concerns over LIV Golf with White House officials and members of Congress.
2021: PGA Tour's Contract with Sirius XM Expires
The PGA Tour's contract with Sirius XM was renewed through 2021.
2021: PGA Tour Live Ends Operation Under NBC Sports Gold
Until 2021, the PGA Tour's streaming service, PGA Tour Live, was operated under NBC Sports' subscription streaming platform NBC Sports Gold, having begun in 2019.
June 2022: PGA Tour Suspends Players Participating in LIV Golf
In June 2022, the PGA Tour suspended seventeen players who participated in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series event, including major champions.
August 2022: LIV Golf Players File Antitrust Lawsuit
In August 2022, eleven players who had joined LIV Golf filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour challenging their suspensions.
November 2022: PGA Tour University Modification
The PGA Tour University system was modified in November 2022 to award the top-ranked collegiate golfer PGA Tour membership, starting in 2023.
2022: Multiple PGA Tour Player of the Year Award Winners
As of 2022, several players had won the PGA Tour Player of the Year Award, which was first awarded in 1990, more than once.
2022: Top Ten Career Money Leaders
In the 2022–23 season, the PGA Tour announced the top ten career money leaders.
2022: PGA Tour Live Moves Back to ESPN+
Under the 2022–2030 contract, the PGA Tour Live streaming service moved back to ESPN+.
June 6, 2023: PGA Tour, PGA European Tour, and LIV Golf Merger Agreement
On June 6, 2023, the PGA Tour, PGA European Tour, and LIV Golf announced that they would merge their commercial rights into a single, for-profit entity. The Saudi Public Investment Fund, which funded LIV Golf, would initially serve as the "exclusive investor" in the entity.
September 2023: Scheduled Trial for Antitrust Lawsuit
The trial for the antitrust lawsuit filed by LIV Golf players against the PGA Tour was scheduled to begin in September 2023.
October 2023: Gordon Sargent Earns PGA Tour Card through Accelerated Program
In October 2023, Gordon Sargent became the first player to earn a PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program after the World Team Amateur Championship in Dubai.
2023: Multiple Money List Title Winners
The data on players who have won more than one money list title was current through 2023.
December 31, 2023: PGA Tour Merger Deal Deadline
December 31, 2023, was the deadline for completing the merger deal between PGA Tour, PGA European Tour, and LIV Golf.
January 31, 2024: Strategic Sports Group Invests in PGA Tour Enterprises
On January 31, 2024, the PGA Tour announced a $3 billion investment by Strategic Sports Group into its for-profit arm, PGA Tour Enterprises.
2024: Gordon Sargent Deferes PGA Tour Membership
Gordon Sargent elected to defer his PGA Tour membership and return to Vanderbilt for his senior year in 2024.
2024: PGA Tour University Expands Card Opportunities
In 2024, the PGA Tour University expanded card opportunities, awarding PGA Tour Americas cards to golfers ranked 11th-25th and entry into the second stage of PGA Tour Q School.
2030: PGA Tour's Contract with CBS and NBC Expires
The PGA Tour's contracts with CBS Sports and NBC Sports, renewed in 2020, are set to expire in 2030.
2030: Current PGA Tour Live Contract Expires
The current contract between PGA Tour Live and ESPN+, started in 2022, is set to expire in 2030.
