This past weekend was the 1000th PGA Senior Tour event and it was won by a first time winner on the US PGA Senior Tour, Bart Bryant. The US PGA Senior Tour started in 1980 and the Senior Tour’s first Commissioner was Brian Henning from South Africa. The first US Senior tournament was played at the Atlantic City Country Club in New Jersey and the US Senior Tour’s first winner was Don January. What made Bart Bryant first win in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open extra special is that Don January was on hand to present him with the winner’s trophy.
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When interviewed at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, January remembered how the senior tour had first begun. The older players on the US Tour were trying to find a way to earn a living, since as 40 and 50 year olds most of them were struggling. They still felt competitive and they were still pretty good, but not quite good enough for the regular tour. In its first year the US Senior Tour managed to put together a total four tournaments. The total prize money at the first tournament, the Atlantic City Senior International, was $125,000 and Don January’s winning purse was $20,000. The total prize money for the four tournaments that made up the first US PGA Senior Tour season was $475,000. This past weekend Bart Bryant won $270,000 of a total $1.8 million tournament prize fund and the total prize money for the season on what is today known as The Champions Tour is $50.95 million. The growth of the Champions Tour has been amazing!
January remembered how the players were not sure if a Seniors Tour would be successful and if it could be sustained. It is now apparent that the older players are still in great demand and many people enjoy watching the way that these players continue to play the great game of golf.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]