PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Open Champion Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, who won his first major championship in a record 20th attempt, last weekend at Royal St. George’s, has become the third major champion to earn a berth in the 29th PGA Grand Slam of Golf.
Clark, 42, the oldest major champion since Vijay Singh in 2004 at the PGA Championship, will be joined by Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa and U.S. Open Champion and fellow countryman Rory McIlroy, Oct. 18-19, at Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda.
The PGA Grand Slam of Golf, the season-ending showcase event that boasts the most difficult qualification requirement in the game – a major championship – will be televised by TNT to a worldwide audience.
Clarke turned in a closing even-par 70, and finished at 5-under-par 275, good for a three-stroke victory over Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
The PGA Grand Slam of Golf is hosted by the Bermuda Department of Tourism; Port Royal Golf Course, a 6,842-yard, par-71 public course that opened for play in 1970; and the Fairmont Southampton Hotel, the official hotel site of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda.
The PGA Grand Slam of Golf features a $1.35 million purse, with the winner receiving $600,000, second place $300,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.
TNT’s prime-time broadcast of the event reaches a worldwide audience of 88.9 million U.S. homes and international viewers in more than 100 countries.
Established in 1979, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf has grown from an 18-hole, single-day charity event to a 36-hole annual showdown that matches professional golf’s best against each other. Ernie Els captured the 2010 PGA Grand Slam of Golf title at Port Royal.
The final spot in the 29th PGA Grand Slam of Golf will be awarded to the winner of the 93rd PGA Championship, Aug. 8-14, at Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga.
The PGA of America
Celebrating its 95th year, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission of its founders: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in a multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public’s interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.
