Ernie Els, Bernhard Langer among 21 major champions in Senior PGA
World Golf Hall of Famers Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer are among the 13 South Florida golf professionals entered in the Senior PGA Championship that will be held April 16-19 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton. Els and Langer are among 21 major champions in the field for the PGA Tour Champions’ first major of the year and the oldest senior major (86 th edition). It will be held at The Concession – co-designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin – for the next three years, marking the championship’s return to Florida since a 19-year run at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens ended in 2000.
The major champions include defending champion Ángel Cabrera (who won his first senior title at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational at Boca Raton last year), Michael Campbell, Stewart Cink, Darren Clarke, John Daly, Els, Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Lee Janzen, Zach Johnson, Langer, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard, Shaun Micheel, José María Olazábal, Corey Pavin, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson, David Toms, Mike Weir and Y. E. Yang.
More golf: Jack Nicklaus, Tony Jacklin golf course born from a Ryder Cup moment The 156-player field includes 11 past Senior PGA Champions: Cabrera (2025), Steve Stricker (2023), Steven Alker (2022), Alex Čejka (2021), Ken Tanigawa (2019), Langer (2017), Rocco Mediate (2016), Colin Montgomerie (2015, ‘14), Tom Lehman (2010), Michael Allen (2009) and Jay Haas (2008, ‘06). There also are 10 past Ryder Cup captains: Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Harrington, Johnson, Langer, Lehman, Colin Montgomery, Jose Maria Olazabal, Corey Pavin and Steve Stricker. The list of South Florida touring pros entered are Stephen Ames, Ryan Armour, Fredrik Jacobson and Rob Labritz.
Olin Browne, the 2011 Senior U. S. Open champion, has received an invite.
Six of the 35 members of the Corebridge Financial Team of PGA of America Golf Professionals in the field work at Palm Beach County clubs, including Justin Hicks – the Senior PGA Professional champion and reigning Senior PGA Player of the Year – along with Frank Bensel, Mark Brown, Tim Cantwell, Alan Morin and Paul Scaletta. The Concession is named after Nicklaus’ decision in the 1969 Ryder Cup to give a 3-foot-putt to Jacklin on the final hole when a miss would have given the U. S.