Photo by Lo Sarno on Unsplash Statistical analysis of amateur golf performance consistently reveals a counterintuitive finding: distance control errors on approach shots cost recreational golfers more strokes than directional errors, even though most golfers practice and worry about direction far more. The Statistical Pattern Shot-tracking data from systems used across recreational and competitive golf shows that amateur golfers are typically far more likely to miss an approach shot short or long of their intended distance than they are to miss significantly left or right of their intended line. A shot that's 15 yards short or long frequently finds trouble — a bunker, water, or simply a much longer subsequent putt — in a way that a shot 10 yards left or right of the pin, but still on the green, does not. Why This Happens Directional misses are usually caused by face-to-path errors, covered in our ball flight laws article , which tend to be relatively consistent for an individual g...
The Wanamaker Trophy is one of the most distinctive prizes in professional sport. At more than 27 pounds and nearly three feet tall, it is the largest and heaviest of the four major championship trophies — and the only one that goes home with the champion. Here is the complete story of the Wanamaker Trophy.
Rodman Wanamaker and the Trophy's Origins
The Wanamaker Trophy was created for the inaugural PGA Championship in 1916, funded and proposed by Rodman Wanamaker, the son of department store magnate John Wanamaker. Rodman Wanamaker hosted the luncheon at the Taplow Club in New York that led to the formation of the PGA of America, and he donated both the prize money ($2,580) and the trophy. The trophy bears his name and has been awarded to every PGA Championship winner since 1916.
The Trophy Itself
The Wanamaker Trophy stands approximately 28 inches tall and weighs over 27 pounds — making it significantly heavier than the Masters trophy, the Claret Jug (the Open Championship trophy), or the US Open trophy. It is made of silver and features elaborate decorative work. The base of the trophy is engraved with the names of every PGA Championship champion. When a new champion wins, their name is added to the base.
The Original Trophy
The original 1916 Wanamaker Trophy is kept at PGA of America headquarters rather than being awarded to the champion. Champions receive a replica of the trophy — one that is still genuinely enormous and heavy but is a duplicate of the original. The original remains in the PGA of America's permanent collection as a historical artifact.
The Trophy Goes Home
Unlike the Masters green jacket — which is kept at Augusta National when the champion leaves — the Wanamaker Trophy travels home with the winner. Champions keep the trophy for the year until the next PGA Championship. This tradition means the Wanamaker has been in homes, offices, and on private jets around the world for over a century. Stories of champions using it as a cereal bowl, a bathtub fixture, or a prop for photographs have become part of major championship folklore.
The Heaviest Trophy Lift in Golf
Lifting the Wanamaker Trophy for the victory photograph has become a rite of passage for PGA Championship winners. At over 27 pounds, the lift requires genuine physical effort — and players have occasionally struggled with the awkward combination of size and weight in the emotion of the moment. The Wanamaker Trophy victory photograph, with the champion straining slightly under the weight of the silver trophy, is one of the most recognizable images in professional golf.
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