The Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) is the professional body which represents the interests of teaching and club golfprofessionals in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was established in 1901 and is based at The Belfry near Birmingham, England. It has a membership of over 7,500 professionals with 1,500 working overseas in more than 70 countries worldwide. Since 2017 the chairman of the board has been Alan White, club professional at Lanark Golf Club.
It is one of many Professional Golfers Associations around the world, but has no territorial designation in its name because it was the first in the world to be founded. For many years it was a combined organisation for club professionals and tournament professionals, but when the two branches of the golfing profession diverged due to the increasing financial rewards available to leading tournament golfers, it split in two. A separate Tournament Division with its headquarters at Wentworth Club was established in the 1970s, and in 1984 this became the independent PGA European Tour.
Its activities include the training of assistant professionals and the continuing education of members; the organisation of golf tournaments, including tournaments for its members such as the PGA Cup, contested between Great Britain and Ireland, and the Ryder Cup organized in conjunction with the Professional Golfers Association of America; the promotion of pro-am golf tournaments and amateur golf, which provide work for its members; and the promotion of junior golf. The PGA, on behalf of the sport of golf, also leads on the development of coach education and training. A full review of the existing coach education structure, following guidance from the quality standards of the UK Coaching Certificate, has led to the establishment of a new, coach-centered education system that meets the needs of coaches and, ultimately, players.
Regions
The PGA is divided into seven regional sections and a dedicated women's section (the WPGA), each of which has its own headquarters and organises its own tournaments:
East (England)
Midlands (England)
North (Northern England, North Wales and the Isle of Man)
The PGA also has an international community for members outside Great Britain and Ireland.[1]
All students who go through the three-year course and succeed in passing the comprehensive examinations at the end of that period are then known as PGA Professionals and are able to teach and work within the golf industry anywhere in the world. The Professional Golfers' Association qualification (Foundation Degree in Professional Golf Studies) is recognised as one of the most prestigious golfing qualifications in the world. For information on how to become a PGA professional see on the official site. A second route into the PGA is via a three-year BA Hons Degree in Applied Golf Management Studies at the University of Birmingham. The AGMS is the first degree of its kind in the UK and is ideal for golfers interested in pursuing senior managerial roles in golf.
History
It was a letter from a North Wales pro in Golf Illustrated on 12 April 1901 that triggered the idea of a professional golfers' association, advocating that pros needed to band together to protect their interests.
Within months the leading players of the day, led by the legendary J.H. Taylor had galvanised enough support to form the London and Counties Professional Golfers' Association. The formation of the association was announced in The Times on 9 August 1901.[2]Arthur Balfour consented to be the president of the association.[3] The association had already announced its first competition, to be held at Tooting Bec Golf Club, Furzedown on 8 October.[4] The event was delayed by a week and was played on 15 October. The Tooting Bec Club donated a "silver challenge cup" to be awarded to the winner. Of the 50 members who entered 46 played, the tournament being over 36 holes of stroke play.[5]
The name of the association was changed at the first AGM on 2 December 1901 to The Professional Golfers' Association. Membership was reported as 59 professionals with 11 assistants and funds of just over £47. The golfing landscape in those early days was very different to the modern game with pros, even the very best like Taylor, Vardon and Braid, earning a living from club duties, club and ball-making, green-keeping, teaching here and there and of course competing in tournaments.
A separate Northern Counties Professional Golfers' Association was formed as a result of a meeting in Leeds on 9 January 1902.[6] At a subsequent meeting, also in Leeds, on 24 March 1902 it was decided that, subject to certain conditions, it would amalgamate with the London-based Professional Golfers' Association and become the northern section of the new enlarged association.[7] The same meeting also agreed to accept an offer from the Leeds Golf Club to host a tournament on 6 May at which the club would provide a prize. This prize became the Leeds Cup.
Administration and organisation of the PGA took a big step forward with the appointment of Commander Roe as secretary in 1934.
He was at the helm for 28 years and under his leadership regulated membership, improved the quality of tournaments, balanced the books and generally endeavoured to promote an increase in the number of people playing the game.
During the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, the advent of the Ryder Cup, new golf heroes such as Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and Henry Cotton, all helped golf's popularity and reinforced the PGA's position as a leading golf organisation.
As the tournament circuit flourished in the late 1960s and 1970s, the PGA Tournament Division went from strength to strength, ultimately going on to form the European Tour in 1984, while the interests of the club professional continued to be represented by the Association at its Belfry headquarters.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the PGA rejuvenated its training and education programme, something it has continued to the present day with assistant professionals now graduating with foundation degrees and honours degrees covering all aspects of golf – from playing and coaching through to golf business and marketing.
The PGA has strong links to Europe as a member of the PGAs of Europe and is committed to growing the game and helping ordinary golfers enjoy the game to its maximum.
Arms
Coat of arms of Professional Golfers' Association
Crest
On a helm with a wreath Argent and Vert and Elephant statant Or tusked Argent the housings on its back and forehead Murrey fringed and tasseled Vert its legs ringed Argent burdened with a belfry Argent the roof clock and weathervane Proper the bell Gold.
Escutcheon
Argent on a chevron Murrey between three pairs of fanes saltirewise Vert the poles Sable as many ancient crowns Or.
John Henry "J.H." Taylor was an English professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the modern game of golf. Taylor is considered to be one of the best golfers of all time. He was a significant golf course architect. Taylor helped to found the British PGA, the world's first, and became respected for his administrative work. He also wrote two notable golf books.
Henry William Vardon was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the 1900 U.S. Open.
James Braid was a Scottish professional golfer and a member of the Great Triumvirate of the sport alongside Harry Vardon and John Henry Taylor. He won The Open Championship five times. He also was a renowned golf course architect. Braid is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1978. It is based at Buckinghamshire Golf Club near London in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money, rather than on making profits for investors. The tour is run by a board of directors and a Players' Council. Most of the players on the tour are European, with members from more than 40 countries internationally. The tour operates tournaments across five continents.
George Duncan was a Scottish professional golfer. He was also a golf course designer. His much sought-after professional teaching and swing analysis skills lead to him being referred to as "the pro's pro." He won the 1920 Open Championship.
Gordon John Brand was an English professional golfer.
William George Longmuir is a Scottish professional golfer.
Ross Drummond is a Scottish professional golfer from Paisley whose most successful year on the PGA European Tour was chronicled by The Guardian's golf correspondent, Lawrence Donegan, in the book Four Iron in the Soul. Drummond did not win a tournament on the European Tour despite a long career, although he did finish as a runner-up at the 1996 Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge. Having retired from the European Tour at the end of 2004, Drummond now plays regularly on the European Senior Tour.
The Tooting Bec Cup is a trophy currently awarded by the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland to the association member born in, or with a parent or parents born in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who returns the lowest single-round score in The Open Championship.
Hugh F. J. Boyle was an Irish professional golfer best known for his achievements in the mid-1960s.
Alfred Henry Toogood, Sr. was an English professional golfer who played during the late 19th and early 20th century. Toogood finished fourth in the 1894 Open Championship and won £7. He also tied for ninth place in the 1895 Open Championship.
The Leeds Cup is a golf tournament that has been played annually in northern England since 1902. The event is organised by the north region of the Professional Golfers' Association. It is the oldest trophy in professional golf that is still played for. The Tooting Bec Cup is older, having been first played for in 1901, but is no longer contested.
Arthur George Gray was an English professional golfer who played in the early 20th century. He was professional at Port Elizabeth Golf Club from about 1904 to 1910 and won the South African Open in 1905 and 1906. He was killed during World War I.
James George Sherlock was an English professional golfer. He had four top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, including a sixth place finish in 1904. In his long golf career, he had at least 16 professional wins. He played for the British team against the United States in the 1921 Ryder Cup match at Gleneagles.
Phillip John Gaudin was a professional golfer from Jersey who played in the late 19th and early 20th century. He had three top-10 finishes in the Open Championship. His best result was a tie for eighth place in the 1914 Open Championship. He tied for ninth place in both the 1901 and 1908 Open Championships.
Cuthbert James Hunt Bradbeer was an English professional golfer who played in the early 20th century. His best finish in a major championship was a tie for seventh in the 1913 Open Championship held on 23–24 June at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. He made his own gutta-percha golf balls and was also a club maker. Bradbeer was a frequent competitor in the Open Championship—having made at least 15 starts—and made his final appearance in 1935 at age 54.
Albert Tingey Sr. was an English professional golfer. Tingey finished tied for ninth in the 1899 Open Championship. He was a club maker, specializing in the production of putters. He served in World War I in a pals battalion and was one of the founding members of the British PGA.
Eric George Lester was an English professional golfer. He won some important tournaments in Britain, including the 1956 Swallow-Penfold Tournament, and had a number of good finishes in the Open Championship, finishing tied for 8th place in 1958. He also had a successful seniors career winning the 1974 PGA Seniors Championship. He played for the British Isles in the 1956 Joy Cup but never made the Ryder Cup team. At 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), he was noted as being one of the taller golfers of his generation.
James Melville Dron Hepburn was a professional golfer from Scotland who played in the late 19th century into the early 20th century. He once served as the secretary of the British PGA and later became one of the founding members of the PGA of America. As a player, he posted two top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, a T8 result in 1909 and a T10 finish in 1911.
James Benjamin Batley (1876–1964) was an English professional golfer. His main successes came in foursomes events, winning the 1909 London Professional Foursomes Tournament and the 1914 Sphere and Tatler Foursomes Tournament. He played for England in the 1912 England–Scotland Professional Match.
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