Michigan Golf Journal June 2020

Michigan Golf Journal Sr. PGA Champion PGA Tour Champions 2-time winner Ken Tanigawa isn’t a household name – and he seems just fine with that. But you certainly do not win golf’s oldest senior major, the Senior PGA Championship, and win 2018 Rookie of the Year, unless you’ve truly got game. Tanigawa won the KitchenAid Sr. PGA Championship last year in Rochester, N.Y., and was ready to defend his 2019 title as the event was to come to Benton Harbor this year in its round robin site format of playing every other year at Harbor Shores Golf Club along the Lake Michigan shoreline. COVID-19 saw to it that the tournament wasn’t played as planned May 28-31, and was cancelled for the year. “I was ready to play; I was looking forward to defending,” Tanigawa said in a one-on-one interview with Michigan Golf Journal. “I had that one other occasion where I was fortunate enough to win at Pebble Beach (in 2018 with an eagle on the final hole) and I was able to get back there to play. So, I was looking forward to going up to Benton Harbor and playing, where I did okay my first time (2018). Disappointing we couldn’t The Senior PGA Title Defense That Never Happened Major set for Benton Harbor was cancelled Courtesy PGA Tour Continues on page 17 >>