How old is senior PGA tour?

With the increasing popularity of senior golfing, senior golfers can participate in the Senior PGA championship. The Senior PGA is among the oldest championships in men's senior golf, and it is recognized as a major championship by PGA Tour Champions and the European Senior Tour. To participate in the senior PGA Tour, you must meet certain age requirements.

To participate in the Senior PGA Tour, a player must be at least age 50 or older. Senior golfers who want to play in the various PGA Tour events must wait until their 50^th birthday to participate in the Champions Tour. There is no upper age limit to participate as long as a player is good enough to play and over age 50.

What is the senior PGA championship?

The Senior PGA Championship is one of the major championships in men’s senior golf, and it is managed by the Professional Golfers Association of America. This championship is open to senior golfers aged 50 or older. The Senior PGA Championship was founded in 1937, and it was the only high-profile tournament for golfers over age 50.

The idea of a senior tour was conceptualized in 1978 after the Legends of Gold competition that featured two-member teams of some of the best older golfers at that time. The tour was formally established in 1980, and it was named the Senior PGA tour until 2002 when it was renamed Champions Tour until the 2015 season. The current name “PGA Tour Champions” was formally adopted after the 2015 season.

PGA Tour Champions Age

The age limit for PGA Tour Champions for senior golfers is age 50 and over. Golfers must be at least age 50 or older on the first day of the championships to be eligible to play in the PGA Tour Champions. This age limit allows PGA tour players who have reached age 50 to continue playing at the senior level.

Senior golfers who reach age 50 will still be eligible to pay in the PGA Tour alongside the PGA Tour Champions. There is no upper age limit for senior golfers, and you can compete with the top players if you are good enough to play.

Legends Tour Age

The Legends Tour is also known as the European Senior Tour. To play in the Legends Tour, players must have reached age 50 and over. The Legends Tour is part of the PGA European Tour alongside the European Challenge Tour and DP World Tour, and it is open to the best golfers in Europe who are at least age 50 and over and want to continue competing at a high level in professional golf tournaments.

The Legends Tour was established in 1992, five years after the first Senior Open in 1987. In 2017, the tour was rebranded to Staysure Tour, after the headline sponsor of the tour, Staysure Travel Insurance. In 2020, the tour was renamed to the Legends Tour after a joint venture between the European Tour Group and Staysure Founder and CEO, Ryan Howsam, who also plays in the tours as an amateur.

Eligibility for the senior PGA tour?

To play in the PGA senior tour, you must have reached age 50 and over, or 49 and turning 50 by June 1^st of the tournament year. You can apply to participate in the tour by obtaining the qualifying application from the Champions Tour website.

Additionally, you must provide a copy of your birth certificate to prove your age, results from two tournaments held in the previous year, and two letters of reference from a Champions Tour member or a Class A PGA pro.

How to Qualify for the Senior PGA Tour

To play in the senior PGA tour, players must pass a tough qualifying process. Here are the stages you will need to go through:

Regional qualifying stage

Qualifying for the Champions Tour starts at several regional sites across the United States. 78 golfers compete in each 72-hole tournament. Successful regional participants who move to the final qualifying round are announced at the Regional Qualifying Stage. 

Final qualifying stage

Successful regional participants and exempt players compete in the final qualifying stage. Exempt players are those golfers who were exempt from regional play based on their previous success on the Champions Tour, the European Senior Tour, and Japan's senior tour. 78 golfers who reach the final qualifying stage participate in a 4-day 72-hole tournament.

The top five players in the final earn a Senior PGA Tour card that fully exempts them from the Champions Tour, while the other 7 finishers (6^th to 12^th place) earn conditional exemptions, and they are allowed to play in Champions Tour events on a space-availability basis.

Event Qualification

The top 30 finishers at the final qualifying stage will be eligible to play in the 18-hole qualifier that is scheduled before each Champions Tour event. Amateurs who are at least age 50 and over can enter the PGA Tour Champions event’s pre-qualifier. Popular golfers may also get a sponsorship exemption for a specific tournament, where a sponsor of the golfer gives entry to the tournament.