PGA Historical Center Unveils a Special Tribute to the 43rd PGA Professional National Championship

In celebration of the kickoff to the 43rd PGA Professional National Championship at French Lick (Ind.) Resort, the PGA Historical Center golf museum, in Port St. Lucie, Fla., has unveiled a tribute to the Championship, which decides the 20 PGA Professionals that will advance to play in the 92nd PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, in Kohler, Wis., Aug. 9-15. The display will pay tribute to past Champions of the event, including the likes of Sam Snead, Bob Rosburg, Larry Gilbert and defending Champion Mike Small, a two-time winner and head golf coach at the University of Illinois. The exhibit is part of an ongoing series of displays that have already showcased the Senior PGA Championship, Arnold Palmer, PGA Past President Horton Smith, Black History Month and PGA Professional instruction. The PGA Professional National Championship began in 1968, to provide additional playing opportunities for PGA Professionals. Over more than four decades, it has become a showcase event for PGA Professionals, featuring some of the finest players in the Association. The 2010 PGA Professional National Championship will begin this Sunday, June 27, at French Lick Resort, the site of the 1924 PGA Championship, with a field of 312 PGA Professionals who have advanced from the 41 PGA Section Championships. They will vie for a coveted spot in the PGA Championship, and a total purse of more than $1.65 million from both the Section and National Championships. The PGA Professional National Champion is annually presented with the crystal Walter Hagen Cup. The Golf Channel will televise the event on Sunday, from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. EDT; and Monday, June 28-Wednesday, June 30 from 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m. EDT. Upcoming PGA Historical Center exhibits include displays dedicated to the PGA Championship in August; the Ryder Cup in September; and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in October. The museum is also home to the Ryder Cup Trophy, the four major Championship trophies in golf, Donald Ross’ workbench, an interactive exhibit that showcases African-American Pioneers in the game, a Walter Hagen exhibit that features his birth certificate and the oldest known mention of golf from the Articles of Parliament in the 1500s. Admission to the PGA Historical Center is complimentary. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursdays-Sundays, from Easter-Christmas Eve; and daily Christmas-Easter. The museum is located adjacent to the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance at 8565 Commerce Center Dr., Port St. Lucie, Fla. Combined with the nearby PGA Golf Club, the facilities form PGA Village, which is ranked among the “75 Best Golf Resorts in North America” by Golf Digest. For more information, please visit www.pgavillage.com or call 800-800-GOLF (4653).