By Dorothy J. Gentry
Sports Editor
The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship continued through the Memorial Day weekend with a packed crowd of spectators in Frisco.
Padraig Harrington finished Saturday in 1st place with a one shot lead (200) over Steve Stricker (201) after three rounds. The two will be paired for Sunday’s final rounds before the Senior PGA Champion is crowned.
“Yeah, look, I love playing competitive golf where you’re trying to win. I know it’s a major tomorrow and you want to go out there and win majors more than the next event. But in the end of the day we all play for that buzz coming down Sunday evening in with a chance at winning, trying to manage our game, our thoughts,” said Harrington after being asked about his excitement level going into Sunday’s championship rounds.
“And it is really our thoughts, what we’re thinking, good, bad, indifferent. And that’s why we do it. We put ourselves out there and you would love in a perfect world that there was no drama in it, but the likelihood is at some stage tomorrow it will be a bit of drama and we’ll have to figure it out,” he said.
Also on Saturday, over 130 North Texas PGA Jr. League golfers between the ages of seven and 17 participated in PGA Jr. League Day. The young golfers toured the grounds at PGA Frisco and got an insider look at major championship-level golf, providing early exposure to a career in the golf industry.
The visiting boys and girls each received a KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship souvenir ticket and group photos with the Alfred S. Bourne trophy and the PGA of America Officers President John Lindert, Vice President Don Rea Jr. and Secretary Nathan Charnes.
“The Continued growth of PGA Jr. League the last couple of years is incredible, 70,000 kids last year,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at The Country Club of Lansing in Lansing, Michigan. “We’re not just talking about kids playing golf now, it’s the future of the game. In golf you’re taught how to call penalties on yourself, you’re taught sportsmanship to take your hat off and shake someone’s hand. It’s real life learning lessons and the game itself does that.”
PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth pillar program of the PGA of America’s 501 (c)(3) foundation, PGA REACH, with efforts focused on making the program accessible to every child, everywhere. PGA Jr. League Scholarships are available for children who qualify for financial assistance or are from military families.
The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship is the first major event hosted at PGA Frisco, which is slated to host six major championships over the next 12 years – including two PGA Championships. It is celebrating its 83rd edition this year at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco (East Course) in Frisco.
This Championship was established to provide the opportunity for PGA Members ages 50 and over to compete with their peers and brings together the legends of the game and the newest members of senior professional golf for seventy-two holes of stroke play. Play continues Sunday with a champion crowned at the end of the day.
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