PGA Championship 2026: The Wanamaker Trophy — History, Weight and Traditions

Photo by Rob Tol on Unsplash

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.