Power Rankings: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
2 Min Read
The season of majors is in full swing on PGA TOUR Champions as the second of five marquee events tees off this week at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan. With a week off between the first and second big events of the season, the pros should be rested and ready to go.
The 82nd KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, the oldest major championship on PGA TOUR Champions, will make its fifth appearance at the 2010 Jack Nicklaus design and its first since 2018.
Defending event champion Alex Cejka picked up the 2021 trophy at Southern Hills. Yet it was Paul Broadhurst who was the last man to win on the shores of Lake Michigan as the Englishman posted 19-under 265 for his second major championship.
The full field event of 156 will be cut to the top 70 and ties after 36 holes. On the line is a purse of $3.5 million (2021) with $585,000 (2021) plus the Alfred S Bourne trophy going to the champion.
Read more about the challenges presented by this Nicklaus design constructed on multi-diverse terrain after the featured players.
POWER RANKINGS
| RANK | PLAYER | COMMENT | ||
Just Missed: Jerry Kelly, Doug Barron, Darren Clark, Brandt Jobe
The Golf Club at Harbor Shores
| Yards (per official scorecard): | 6,852 |
| Par: | 71 (36-35) |
| Greens: | A1/A4 Bentgrass; 5,486 square feet on average. |
| Stimpmeter: | Tournament Speed. |
| Rough: | Kentucky Bluegrass/Fescue at 3 inches. |
| Bunkers/Water Hazards | 72/16 |
| Architects: | Jack Nicklaus (2010). |
| Defending Champion (event): | Alex Cejka |
| Defending Champion (course): | Paul Broadhurst (-19; 265). |
| Tournament Course Record (entered this week): | 62; Rocco Mediate (2016). |
| Tournament Scoring Record (course): | 265; Paul Broadhurst (2018); Rocco Mediate (2016). |
| Fact of the Week: | Full field of 156 includes top players from sanctioned world tours, and club professionals (35 pros). |
| Fact of the Week II: | The course has ranked no worse than eighth most difficult on TOUR in four previous editions. |
Back-to-back major championships can lead to sore backs but a week between the Regions Tradition and this week's 82nd Senior PGA Championship should be helpful.
Course history will be in play this week as this will be the fifth edition since the debut event in 2012. Even numbered years have been the trend with the only exception being the 2020 COVID-19 cancellation. The event will return in 2024 as well.
Jack Nicklaus' design wanders and meanders through four different styles of terrain. The inland holes are followed by Nos. 7-9 navigating the dunes overlooking Lake Michigan. Tree-lined fairways from Nos. 10-13 will require full concentration off the tee before the Paw Paw River and St Joseph River valleys provide the final challenge.
And it's challenging.
Distance is usually the issue when determining the most difficult courses but not this week.
| Course Rankings Year/TOUR rank | Yards | Scoring Average |
| 2018: 6th hardest | 6,852 | 71.76 |
| 2016: 8th hardest | 6,852 | 71.546 |
| 2014: 3rd hardest | 6,852 | 73.017 |
| 2012: 3rd hardest | 6,822 | 73.034 |
| 2012: 3rd hardest | 6,822 | 73.034 |
Only once in four previous championships have more than eight players reached 10-under par for the week. The cut has never been under par as the best 36 hole mark was Even in 2016.
With plenty of room to move it off the tee, finding GIR will be the order of the day. Those who don't will need to excel with the short game to keep up. The Bentgrass greens should run perfectly and the examination will get tougher the closer the pros get to the hole. Trademark Nicklaus!
Mother Nature suggests a rainy 36 holes before the field is cut. Prevailing winds on Thursday will shift to NNW in Round 2. The weekend dries out with warming temperatures and finally hitting 80 or better for the final round.
Previous Winners - The Golf Club at Harbor Shores
| Year | Winner | Score | Comment |
| 2018 | Paul Broadhurst | -19 | Came from two back on the weekend to win by four shots. |
| 2016 | Rocco Mediate | -19 | Tied the course record with 62 in Round 1 and went on to set the tournament scoring record on this track; won by three. |
| 2014 | Colin Montgomerie | -13 | Posted all four rounds in the 60s and was the only player to post double digits or better; won by four. |
| 2012 | Roger Chapman | -13 | Leading by five after 54 holes, the Englishman shot 72 in the final round and still won by two. |
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