Chapman leads 10 past champs for 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Defending Champion Roger Chapman of England, who rose out of obscurity a year ago to capture two senior major titles, heads 10 past Champions returning for the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, May 23-26, at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Mo.

Chapman, who turns 54 on May 1, ended a victory drought in style in 2012 by winning the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid followed less than two months later by adding the U.S. Senior Open – all in the state of Michigan. They were his first professional victories since 2000.

"There must be something in the air," joked Chapman about his Michigan visits. "It has been a remarkable feeling to say that I have won the Senior PGA Championship. It was the best feeling in the world. I was also glad that I was able to go on and prove that I was not a one-off thing, and win a second major."

Past Senior PGA Champions joining Chapman next month at renowned Bellerive Country Club are: Michael Allen (2009); Jay Haas (2006, '08), Hale Irwin (1996, '97, '98, 2004), John Jacobs (2003), Tom Lehman (2010), Mike Reid (2005), Tom Wargo (1993), Denis Watson (2007) and Tom Watson (2001, '1l).

The 156-player field represents 13 countries in the most historic and prestigious event in senior golf. Final entries to the Championship will be made April 19.

There are currently 23 past major champions in the field: Mark Brooks, Mark Calcavecchia, Steve Elkington, Irwin, Jacobs, Steve Jones, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer, Lehman, Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Andy North, Mark O'Meara, Nick Price, Scott Simpson, Jeff Sluman, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Hal Sutton, Bob Tway, Denis Watson, Tom Watson, and Ian Woosnam.

The Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is the oldest event in senior golf, originating in 1937 at Augusta National Golf Club at the invitation of the legendary amateur Bobby Jones. The Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will feature 12 hours of live television coverage on NBC and Golf Channel, with viewership in more than 130 countries and territories worldwide. Tickets to the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid are available by visiting SPGA2013.com.

Among the world-class field are 35 PGA club professionals, including reigning Senior PGA Professional National Champion Jim Woodward of Edmond, Okla. Thirty-five members of the contingent earned a berth last October in the Southworth Senior PGA Professional National Championship in Aldie, Va.

About The PGA of America
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.

About KitchenAid
Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Today, the KitchenAid brand offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars. Cook for the Cure®, the brand's partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, is now in its eleventh year and has raised over $8 million to help find a cure for breast cancer.