Professional Golfers' Association

In the mid-1950s, Wilfred “Bill” Winkenbach, a part-owner of the Oakland Raiders, concocted two fantasy sports games: one for Major League Baseball and one for the Professional Golfers’ Association. In 1962, he invented fantasy football alongside two writers from the Oakland Tribune.

Automatic eligibility is granted to past PGA Championship winners, while newcomers must win a PGA-approved tournament, rank in the top 70 of the FedEx Cup standings, or finish in the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour finals.

The Masters Champions' Dinner is an annual tradition celebrated the Tuesday before the tournament begins. The previous year's champion sets the menu, leading to a history of eclectic meals. This resource from Today's Golfer provides a brief history of the tradition and then details every menu since 1986. It’s an interesting window into the tastes of professional athletes (Tiger Woods, apparently loves chicken fingers!) and the less-than-healthy habits from the sport’s past.

This in-depth analysis of August National Gold Club, the famed site of the annual Masters Tournament, breaks down the course's complex greens and tricky layout. Golf Digest editor Luke Kerr-Dineen walks viewers through the course's green book, demonstrating just how difficult Augusta is compared to more typical locations. More than anything, it gives you some context to better understand why your favorite golfers might struggle with the course's punishing slopes.

In 2021, the rival professional league LIV Golf Investments was unveiled. It was move that reshaped men’s professional golf. This Sports Illustrated Timeline dives into the twists and turns occurring since the announcement. Learn what star players left the PGA for LIV. Also, get details about the mutual agreement outlined in 2023—which has yet to come to fruition a year after a self-imposed deadline.

With over 1 billion golf balls produced annually, an estimated 300 million to 1.5 billion are lost worldwide. On average, thousands of balls are left behind on each course, often ending up in ponds, forests, and beaches. While many golf courses recover and reuse some of these balls, studies suggest countless remain unretrieved.

Jack Nicklaus. Ben Hogan. Tiger Woods. They are the legendary names in professional golf that no one forgets. While you may not know Charles Blair Macdonald’s name, his contributions to golf course design are just as legendary as the players. Read this Fried Egg article to learn more about the man who created the 21 design principles still used today, and why he never charged for his services.

In 1961 the PGA removed the “Caucasian-only” membership clause, marking the last major professional sports organization to desegregate. But unlike other sports, golf didn’t see an influx of Black players following the change. This article from The Ringer examines golf’s complicated history with race and gender, showing both the progress made and the challenges that remain.

When the PGA was formed in 1916 its primary objective was to help grow the game of golf, so it was set up as a nonprofit. When the PGA Tour split off in 1968, that nonprofit status stayed. But as revenue jumped past $1 billion, questions began to arise. This “Outside the Lines” investigation from 2013 dives into their tax records and details how much the PGA actually gives to charity.

In 1994 Greg Norman was enjoying success as a pro golfer. But the Australian wanted to see more opportunities for global players like himself, leading him to found the World Golf Tour. Read this Sports Illustrated deep dive on Norman’s failed golf league and the lesson he learned that would help him launch and become CEO of LIV Golf in 2021.