The Champions Dinner of the PGA Championship – More Than Just a Feast

While the world of golf is embraced with a set of longstanding traditions in the month of April, thanks to the Masters, the list of customs continues to follow at the next month’s PGA Championship. The 107-year-old event is perhaps one of the oldest tournaments in the sporting world. And understandably it also follows a long list of traditions. But among the many legendary ceremonies, it is the Champions Dinner that stands out from the rest.

Similar to the Masters’ Champions Dinner, the Major organized by the PGA of America also hosts a similar iconic pre-tournament feast on the Tuesday of the PGA Championship week. Nonetheless, the dinner hosted in the month of May has plenty of attributes that stand out from the night at Augusta National.

The Foundation of PGA Championship’s Champions Dinner

Though the Major was founded in 1916, the iconic dinner began 49 years after its foundation. Ahead of the 1965 PGA Championship, the PGA of America asked the previous year’s winner Bobby Nichols to host the inaugural Champions Dinner. The golfer agreed and invited all the past winners to the special night.

The first-ever PGA Championship pre-tournament feast was attended by all the past 19 winners. Some of the names that were present that night are Bryon Nelson, Paul Runyan, Sam Snead, and the youngest PGA Championship winner, Gene Sarazen. However, among the many legends in attendance, only one golfer missed out.

The man was none other than the founder of the Masters’ Champions Dinner, Ben Hogan. Regardless, since the first PGA Championship Champions Dinner in 1965, the tradition has been followed annually by the current generation of golfers.

The Champions Dinner is more than just a feast

Unlike the Masters, where all the previous edition winners arrive at Augusta National to celebrate the special night with special food, the dinner hosted by the PGA Championship winner differs massively. During the Champions Dinner in May, the host, apart from serving his pre-decided menu, also provides gifts to his guests.

The transition from just a feast night to providing goodies came in the early 1990s. However, the first time when the golf fans were made aware of the PGA Championship’s adorable tradition was when David Toms hosted the pre-tournament dinner in 2002. Toms gifted his fellow Wanamaker Trophy winners with alligator-skinned belts in a nod to his native Louisiana.

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From thereon, a new tradition was born and got more advanced in the years moving forward. However, two years before David hosted the evening, Tiger Woods gifted the guests Wooden Clocks. As he successfully defended his PGA Championship later that week, he again hosted the feast in 2001 and gifted his peers Tiffany sterling necklaces and bracelets, along with cigar humidors.

In the following years, 2002 PGA Championship winner Rich Beem, went with ostrich-leather cowboy boots while the next year’s winner, Shaun Micheel gave Gibson electric guitars. Though Rory McIlroy has two Wanamaker Trophies to his name, during one of his times as the host, the Northern Irish star decided on handing out wireless Bose speakers.

Who pays for the PGA Championship’s Champions Dinner?

With some of the greatest golfers on the planet sitting together for one eventful dinner, the bill will undoubtedly be exorbitant. Though Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer has never won the PGA Championship, he has had the privilege to host the Masters’ Champions Dinner twice. Since it is the golfer who pays for the feast in Augusta National, the price is quite ‘hefty’ according to Langer.

However, at the PGA Championship, all the expenses of the dinner are taken care of by the PGA of America. But during its first occurrence in 1965, Bobby Nichols stood up and announced to his peers at the dinner table that he will be assisting the PGA of America in paying the bill. Nonetheless, the organizers pay on behalf of the hosts to this day.

Phil Mickelson, despite being the host, missed the Champions Dinner in 2022. However, the PGA of America handed out fire pits on his behalf to the guests. Though PGA Championship’s Champions Dinner may not have as many golfers as the one in Georgia, its unique tradition is what makes it comparatively much more admirable than the Masters.

Perhaps, more new traditions need to be taken place in forthcoming years at the second Major of the season. What are your thoughts on PGA Championship’s Champions Dinner? Let us know in the comment section below.

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