By Fred Altvater
Last month, the 84th Senior PGA Championship was held at Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor for the sixth time in the last 12 years. It was also the last time it will be held there.
Roger Chapman won the title the first time the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship visited Harbor Shores with an impressive win over John Cook.
Colin Montgomerie won his first of two consecutive Senior PGA titles at Harbor Shores in 2014, when he beat Tom Watson by four strokes. Monty also won the Senior PGA the following year at French Lick.
Rocco Mediate won the 2016 championship, besting the defending champion, Montgomerie by three strokes. In 2018, Paul Broadhurst beat Tim Petrovic to hoist the trophy.
Harbor Shores hosted the 2022 Senior PGA won by Steven Alker, who fired a closing round 63 to capture the title by three strokes over Stephen Ames.
Harbor Shores Golf Club has a unique history and helped change the economic fortunes for the Benton Harbor area, providing much needed jobs.
In addition to the additional employment opportunities, the tournament has brought golf groups to the community that want to test their games on the Jack Nicklaus design, stay in the overnight lodging and enjoy dining in this southwestern Michigan destination.
Padraig Harrington said about the course,
“This golf course is quite a tricky course for me because there of the risk-reward. Players need to hit it pretty straight. A lot of 3-woods off the tee and not a lot of drivers. So, yeah, you don’t want to lose focus too often out here. There is trouble out there. If you are hitting good shots there are plenty of opportunities, especially with the way the greens are designed. There is a lot of collection areas, so if you’re hitting good shots the ball moves towards the flag and if you’re hitting bad shots, you’re leaving yourself in trouble.”
Bernhard Langer shared these thoughts about Harbor Shores,
“I thought this was a great golf course from the very get go. I think from tee-to-green it’s one of the best there is. Just some of the greens are a little bit severe, that’s all. But it’s always been in great condition and very well received.”
Included in the field were two Michigan PGA Golf Professionals taking a shot at competing with the big boys on the PGA Tour Champions.
Scott Hebert, the PGA Head Golf Professional at Traverse City Golf & Country Club is no stranger to competing with regular tour pros. He played in five PGA Championships throughout his career and won the 2023 Michigan Senior Open. This is the second time he has qualified for the Senior PGA Championship.
Chad Kurmel, Assistant Men’s Golf Coach at Michigan State University, made his first appearance in the Senior PGA. He finished inside the top 20 at the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship to earn a spot in the field. Kurmel has been an assistant at MSU, since 2022, after working as the Director of Instruction at the Spartan Golf Academy.
Last month’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship marks the last dance for the event at Harbor Shores under the umbrella of the PGA of America in Benton Harbor.
Harbor Shores has been an every-other-year host since 2012. KitchenAid and the PGA of America have enjoyed an impactful 13-year run, making a huge mark in this Michigan community and leaving plenty to celebrate.
