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Professional Golfers' Association of America

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A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pro", most of whom are teachers/coaches. The professional golfer status is reserved for people who play, rather than teach, golf for a career.

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45-499: The Professional Golfers' Association of America ( PGA of America ) is an American organization of golf professionals that was founded in 1916. Consisting of nearly 29,000 members, the PGA of America's undertaking is to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. In 1968, the PGA Tour was spun off from the PGA of America as

90-403: A living solely from playing tournament golf until some way into the 20th century ( Walter Hagen is sometimes considered to have been the first man to have done so). In the developed world, the class distinction is now almost entirely irrelevant. Golf is affordable at public courses to a large portion of the population, and most golf professionals are from middle-class backgrounds, which are often

135-570: A professional may not play in amateur tournaments unless the Committee is notified, acknowledges and confirms the participation. It is very difficult for a professional to regain their amateur status; simply agreeing not to take payment for a particular tournament is not enough. A player must apply to the governing body of the sport to have amateur status reinstated. Historically, the distinction between amateur and professional golfers had much to do with social class . In 18th and 19th century Britain, golf

180-571: A rustic setting. The area became "Bronxville" when the village was formally established. The population grew in the second half of the 19th century when railroads enabled commuters from Westchester County to work in New York City. Lawrence's influence can be seen throughout the community, including the historic Lawrence Park neighborhood, the Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate Corporation, and Lawrence Hospital . The village

225-654: A separate organization to administer professional golf tours . However, the PGA of America still directly conducts several tournaments, including the PGA Championship , the Senior PGA Championship , and the Women's PGA Championship . On December 4, 2018, the PGA of America announced plans to relocate its headquarters from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida , to a planned 660-acre mixed-use development in Frisco, Texas . PGA Frisco

270-649: A very small part of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation. The Reservation, Westchester’s oldest park, was created as an adjunct to the Bronx River Parkway that opened in 1925, and was the first linear park in the United States. The Reservation features ponds, wooden footbridges and hundreds of varieties of native trees and shrubs. The park is owned by Westchester County, and it is a favorite place for bicycling, walking, running, and nature study. It

315-543: Is Play Golf America, instigated in 2004 with the help of the Allied Associations ( LPGA , National Golf Course Owners Association , PGA Tour , USGA , and others involved in the annual Golf 20/20 Conference ). The PGA is organized into 14 districts and 41 sections. To be elected to membership of the PGA, aspirant golf professionals (apprentices) and students go through three levels of education courses, written exams, simulation testing, seminars, and must pass

360-683: Is a public and private partnership between the PGA of America, Omni Hotels & Resorts , the City of Frisco and the Frisco Independent School District . The 660-acre campus inaugurated in May 2023 and it includes the headquarters of PGA America, Northern Texas PGA, Fields Ranch (two world-class 18-hole championship golf courses and a state-of-the-art clubhouse), Omni PGA Frisco Resort, The Monument Realty PGA District (retail and entertainment district). The Professional Golfers' Association of America

405-474: Is sometimes referred to by locals as the "Duck Pond". The Bronxville School's athletic fields contain a football field, three smaller fields used for various sports like field hockey and lacrosse, and a running track (which is only 380 meters in Lane 1 because of space issues). Bacon Woodlands, located on Kensington Road, is a natural rock outcropping which has been left in its natural state, the flatter portion of which

450-658: Is the case in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. Professional golfers from these countries are quite often from poor backgrounds and start their careers as caddies, for example, Ángel Cabrera of Argentina , and Zhang Lian-wei , who is the first significant tournament professional from the People's Republic of China . In various countries, Professional Golfers' Associations (PGAs) serve either or both of these categories of professionals. There are separate LPGAs (Ladies Professional Golf Associations) for women. Under

495-484: Is to positively impact the lives of youth, military, and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf. Professional golfer In golf, the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose said status. A golfer who has lost their amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;

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540-454: The PGA Championship , several leading tour pros voiced their dissatisfaction with the venue and the abundance of club pros in the field. The increased friction resulted in a new entity in August, what would eventually become the PGA Tour . Tournament players formed their own organization, American Professional Golfers, Inc. (APG), independent of the PGA of America. After several months, a compromise

585-553: The PGA Championship , the Senior PGA Championship , and the Women's PGA Championship (which was renamed from the LPGA Championship in 2015 after a partnership between the LPGA and the PGA of America to heighten the event's profile). All three tournaments feature professional golfers, but their fields also contain slots reserved for club professionals. The PGA conducts more than 30 tournaments for its members and apprentices, including

630-818: The PGA Professional Championship and the Assistant PGA Professional Championship. It also co-organizes the biennial Ryder Cup , PGA Cup and in 2019, the inaugural Women's PGA Cup . In 2003, the PGA of America created the Player Development department within the Association in an endeavor to reach out to new, past and sporadic adult golfers. This is accomplished through the growth, promotion and support of instructional programs and events at PGA Member facilities that support adults and families to play golf. Included in these programs

675-525: The Underhill and Morgan families. The Underhills built a sawmill and a gristmill , which was the first factory in the area, on the Bronx River . After they built a wooden bridge, the area became known as Underhill's Crossing. Millionaire real-estate and pharmaceutical mogul William Van Duzer Lawrence sparked the development of Bronxville as an affluent suburb of New York City by building grand homes in

720-633: The 32 lowest finishers in the U.S. Open would be paired for match play, following Robert White's contention that the U.S. was too large for section qualifiers. The all-professional match play concept was in direct contrast to the United States Golf Association's medal (stroke) play format. Wanamaker requested that the proposal for the Championship be contingent upon approval by the USGA or other governing bodies. Tillinghast spoke up and declared that

765-750: The Concordia College campus is the Chapel School—a pre-K-8 school affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Bronxville Public School is known as The Bronxville School. The school was started as a progressive educational institution in 1922. St. Joseph School is a Catholic parochial school run by St. Joseph's Church . It was established in 1951, and schools children from kindergarten through eighth grade. The Village of Bronxville has more than 70 acres (280,000 m ) of parkland including athletic fields, woodlands, and

810-556: The Hotel Martinique on 32nd and Broadway, the Professional Golfers' Association of America was born. There were 78 members elected that day, including 35 PGA Charter Members, of which 28 were born outside the U.S. The Association began with seven PGA Sections: Metropolitan, Middle States, New England, Southeastern, Central, Northwestern and Pacific. Today, there are 41 PGA Sections nationwide. From 1934 through November 1961,

855-468: The PGA Playing Ability Test. These men and women have the option to pursue the PGA education through self-study, by the use of accredited PGA Golf Management Universities (currently 18 universities in the United States offer a PGA Golf Management program), or through an accelerated PGA Golf Management Program. PGA Reach is the charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of PGA Reach

900-473: The PGA moved it to Philadelphia at Aronimink . With an increase of revenue in the late 1960s due to expanded television coverage, a dispute arose between the touring professionals and the PGA of America on how to distribute the windfall. The tour players wanted larger purses, where the PGA desired the money to go to the general fund to help grow the game at the local level. Following the final major in July 1968 at

945-481: The PGA of America maintained a "Caucasian-only" membership clause in its bylaws. The clause was removed by amending its constitution. The previous year, it had voted to retain the clause, and had gained the ire of California Attorney General Stanley Mosk , who threatened to shut down the PGA in the state until the clause was removed. The 1962 PGA Championship was scheduled for Brentwood Country Club in Los Angeles, but

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990-445: The U.S., McNamara believed that his fellow professionals could benefit by working together. Wanamaker also believed consolidating professionals would also improve their social standing, having long been treated by club members as second-class citizens. Toastmaster Joseph H. Appel, vice president of Wanamaker's foundation, presented Wanamaker's offer to conduct a match play championship for professionals, similar to Great Britain's News of

1035-614: The United States, the PGA of America has 31 distinct member classifications for professionals. Many of the classifications also have corresponding apprenticeship positions. Bronxville, New York Bronxville is a village in Westchester County , New York , United States, located approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Midtown Manhattan . It is part of the town of Eastchester . The village comprises one square mile (2.5 km ) of land in its entirety, approximately 20% of

1080-714: The World Tournament. Appel also broached the subject of a national association of professionals. In addition, Wanamaker would donate a cup and $ 2,580 in prize money, and would ultimately pay the travel expenses of the competitors. That "cup" became the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy, and the tournament the PGA Championship . The inaugural PGA Championship was held October 10–14, 1916, at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York , and won by English-born Jim Barnes . Former British PGA Secretary James Hepburn suggested that

1125-760: The country. Wanamaker's ninth floor restaurant was chosen as the site for the Monday luncheon, which attracted amateur great Francis Ouimet; noted writer, player and budding architect A.W. Tillinghast; and P.C. Pulver, the New York Evening Sun reporter and one of the first newspaper golf "beat" writers who later served as the first editor of The Professional Golfer, today's PGA Magazine. The guest list also included some of America's top professionals: Alex Smith, James Maiden, Robert White, Jack Mackie and Alex Pirie, as well as others who derived their livelihoods from their jobs at private and public golf facilities. The Taplow Club

1170-507: The downtown area, was attended by the Kennedys when they were residents from 1929 to about 1938 before moving to London ; Edward Kennedy returned to St. Joseph's in 1958 for his wedding to Joan Bennett. Two years later, in the 1960 Presidential Election voters in the Village overwhelmingly chose Richard Nixon over Edward's brother, John , by a 5-to-1 margin. The US Post Office–Bronxville

1215-453: The group was American-born. This group drafted a constitution, turning to the British PGA for assistance. The luncheon agenda addressed giving golf professionals say when it came to the organization and staging of tournaments, among other employment issues. The response to creating such a body was positive, and additional meetings followed. On April 10, 1916, in the second-floor boardroom of

1260-494: The mid-1970s. Women were not allowed to be members of the PGA until 1977. In October 2014, PGA President Ted Bishop responded to Ian Poulter 's criticism of the Ryder Cup captaincy of Nick Faldo and Tom Watson by calling Poulter a "lil' girl", which led to Bishop's firing. The PGA called Bishop's statements "unacceptable" and "insensitive gender-based". The PGA conducts annual men's , senior , and women's major championships:

1305-431: The player's score on a hole is not the primary goal, such as long drive and putting competitions, outside the amateurism rules. If an amateur accepts a prize of greater than this in a competition covered by the amateurism rules, they forfeit their amateur status, and are therefore by definition a professional golfer. Professional golfers are divided into two main groups, with a limited amount of overlap between them: In

1350-455: The population. As of 2000, there were 2,387 housing units, at an average density of 2,506.0 per square mile (967.6/km ). There were 2,312 households, of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. In the village, 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who

1395-580: The professionals should be independent of the USGA in handling their own affairs and competitions. Tillinghast's argument held, as a follow-up organizational meeting was planned the following day in Wanamaker's store. Organizers then formed a seven-person group whose primary task was to define tentative bylaws for the new association. They named Hepburn to chair an organizational committee of professionals that included Maiden, White and Mackie, as well as Gilbert Nicholls, John "Jack" Hobens, and Herbert Strong—none of

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1440-433: The rules of golf and amateur status, the maximum value of a prize an amateur can accept is £700 or US$ 1000. Before the most recent increase in 2022, the maximum had been £500 or $ 750. The 2022 changes also significantly reduced the scope of competitions in which the prize limit applies. Before that time, the only competitions exempt from prize limits were hole in one contests. The 2022 changes took all competitions in which

1485-404: The same sort of backgrounds as the members of the clubs where they work or the people they teach the game, and are educated to university level. Leading tournament golfers are very wealthy; upper class in the modern U.S. usage of the term. However, in some developing countries, there is still a class distinction. Typically, golf is restricted to a much smaller and more elite section of society than

1530-442: The town of Eastchester. As of the 2020 U.S. census , Bronxville had a population of 6,656. In 2016, Bronxville was rated by CNBC as the most expensive suburb of any of the U.S. ten largest cities, with a median home value of $ 2.33 million. The region that includes the contemporary village of Bronxville was deeded to British colonists in 1666, but first settled by Europeans in the early 18th century. The two founding inhabitants were

1575-543: The village of Bronxville proper, plus Chester Heights and other sections of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe , and Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls , Armour Villa , and other sections of Yonkers . These areas are collectively known as "Bronxville P.O." This brings the ZIP Code's population to 22,411 (2000 census), covering an area more than twice as large as the municipality of Bronxville itself and encompassing several institutions, including Sarah Lawrence College . Bronxville

1620-415: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71, and the average family size was 3.27. Age distribution was 29.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males. Bronxville's 10708 ZIP Code covers

1665-639: Was a residence hotel in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Gramatan was the name of the chief of the local Siwanoy Indian tribe that was centered in the Gramatan Rock area above Bronxville Station . Chief Gramatan sold the land to the settlers. The hotel was demolished in 1970, and a complex of townhouses was built on the site in 1980. Elizabeth Clift Bacon, General George Armstrong Custer 's widow, lived in Bronxville, and her house still stands to this day. St. Joseph's Catholic Church , located in

1710-530: Was established on April 10, 1916, but the genesis of the first all-professional golf body in the United States was sparked by a luncheon on January 17, 1916, hosted by Rodman Wanamaker at Wanamaker's Store on Ninth Street and Broadway in New York City. Sixty attendees were invited by the Taplow Club, which was a business group within Wanamaker's Store and led by professional Tom McNamara of Brookline, Massachusetts , an outstanding player and talented salesman who

1755-559: Was home to Concordia College , a liberal arts college operated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod . The college was shuttered on January 28, 2021, following financial difficulties accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic . Plans are set for the campus to become acquired by nearby Iona University . In 2021, the purchase by Iona College, New Rochelle, NY was completed as the site for their new Health Sciences campus. Adjacent to

1800-492: Was home to an arts colony in the early 20th century, when many noteworthy houses were built by prominent and casual architects. After the Bronx River Parkway was completed in 1925, the village expanded rapidly with the construction of several apartment buildings and townhouses, many of them built by the Lawrence family. As of 1959, the family continued to own or manage 97% of the rental market. The Gramatan Hotel on Sunset Hill

1845-466: Was keenly aware of the welfare of the club professional. McNamara pressed upon Wanamaker that it was prime time to bring U.S. professionals together, and that the publicity generated would be advantageous. Locked into a retail battle with rival A.G. Spalding & Bros. for the sale of golf balls, Wanamaker enthusiastically approved the initiative. He asked McNamara to arrange the luncheon inviting prominent amateur and professional golf leaders from throughout

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1890-752: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Other sites on the National Register are the Bronxville Women's Club , Lawrence Park Historic District , and Masterton-Dusenberry House . As of the 2020 census , there were 6,656 people and 2,212 households. The population density was 6,861.86 inhabitants per square mile (2,649.38/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 87.5% White , 1.1% African American , 0.1% Native American , 7.1% Asian , 0% Pacific Islander , 2% from two or more races . Hispanic or Latinos of any race were 7.3% of

1935-462: Was not an eatery or dining establishment. Instead, it was Wanamaker's nickname for his in-store business group. He had taken the name from a palatial estate he leased on Taplow Court some 25 miles outside London. He would later stamp "Taplow" on his store's lower-end, private-label golf balls. Wanamaker, who was not a golfer, was never reported to have attended the luncheon. He delegated the details to McNamara. With golf becoming more and more popular in

1980-449: Was played by the rich, for pleasure. The early professionals were working-class men who made a living from the game in a variety of ways: caddying , greenkeeping, clubmaking, and playing challenge matches. When golf arrived in America at the end of the 19th century, it was an elite sport there, too. Early American golf clubs imported their professionals from Britain. It was not possible to make

2025-503: Was reached in December: the tour players agreed to abolish the APG and form the PGA "Tournament Players Division", a fully autonomous division under the supervision of a new 10-member Tournament Policy Board. The board consisted of four tour players, three PGA of America executives, and three outside members, initially business executives. It hired its own commissioner and was renamed the "PGA Tour" in

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