PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS' ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

(PGA) organization formed in the United States in 1916 at the instigation of Rodman Wanamaker, a Philadelphia businessman, with the stated purpose of promoting interest in professional golf, elevating the standards of the game, and advancing the welfare of its members. By the late 1980s the PGA had a membership of about 8,500 playing and teaching professionals. Its annual PGA national championship tournament was one of the world's major golf events. In addition, it shared in the conduct of an international team match with Great Britain for the Ryder Cup and cosponsored an annual yearlong series of tournaments, called the tour, held throughout the United States. Other activities included maintenance of a PGA Hall of Fame and a training program for would-be touring professionals. Differences between the touring professionals and the teaching professionals were resolved in 1982 by the addition of a second tour. The PGA headquarters are in Lake Park, Fla. Similar organizations exist in other countries (the Canadian PGA was founded in 1911). The women's equivalent of the PGA is the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), founded in 1950. It provides organized professional tournament golf for women and holds the LPGA Championship tournament.