PGA Golf Club to Host 2025 PGA Professional Championship Starting Sunday

The 2025 PGA Professional Championship presented by Club Car, Corebridge Financial and Rolex returns this week to a familiar setting—PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, a venue with an extensive history in hosting PGA of America Member Championships. 

The 57th PGA Professional Championship will be contested April 27-30 on PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker and Ryder Courses. This marks the second edition of the Championship to take place at PGA Golf Club (2021), while the Club also has hosted numerous Senior and Assistant PGA Professional Championships as well as the PGA of America’s annual Tournament Series and Winter Championships. 

First held in 1968, the PGA Professional Championship is golf’s largest all-professional national championship. The 312-player field of PGA of America Golf Professionals represents all 41 PGA Sections.

The Champion and top 20 finishers will earn a spot in the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 12-18, as members of the Corebridge Financial Team. 

Defending Champion Ben Polland (Jackson, Wyo.) will be making his seventh start in the PGA Professional Championship. The 34-year-old shot 2-under-par 286 to win the 2024 PGA Professional Championship by three strokes at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco. He was the lone player to finish under par and became the first player from the Rocky Mountain PGA Section to win the PPC. 

That victory propelled Polland to 2024 PGA Professional Player of the Year honors and earned him six PGA TOUR starts this season. The PGA Director of Golf at Shooting Star of Jackson Hole has made the most of those opportunities, making three consecutive cuts at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, Puerto Rico Open and last week’s Corales Puntacana Championship.

“I’ve had a lot of confidence in general after winning it last year,” said Polland. “It’s a big deal. It’s our National Championship. I know how many great golfers there are and how difficult it is to win. Last year on that last day coming down the stretch on the back nine and holding onto the lead gave me a lot of confidence. That has helped me in these TOUR events this year, making these cuts. All of these experiences are feeding me for the next one.”

Polland looks to take full advantage of that confidence and valuable experience as he defends his title. 

“There are obviously a lot of great players that qualified for this,” said Polland. “The experience of playing in a four-day tournament isn’t necessarily there for everyone. Making the cut is the first goal and that is a really hard one to do, 312 players cut down to 90. You have to really play conservative, smart golf to do that and not make any silly mistakes. The last two days is managing everything to make sure you have a chance to win or finish in that top 20. That’s everyone’s goal.” 

Polland owns a strong track record at PGA Golf Club, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in the 2021 PGA Professional Championship and a victory at the 2016 Assistant PGA Professional Championship. 

“I was excited to see that venue,” said Polland. “I’ve played there before, won before, but so have 100 other players. We play that course a lot in the winter series events and a bunch of other tournaments. Everyone is really familiar with it. There’s not really an advantage there to who knows the course better than others because everyone knows it. 

“I think it's great, especially the Wanamaker, a great Championship course because of how demanding it is with the wind and water on so many holes. You have to plot your way around and play smart, which I think is a strength of mine.”

Polland is one of 16 past PGA Professional Champions in the field: Alex Beach (2019), Rich Berberian Jr. (2016), Michael Block (2014), Matt Dobyns (2012 & 2015), Scott Hebert (2008), David Hutsell (2011), Darrell Kestner (1996), Jesse Mueller (2022), Rod Perry (2013), Ron Philo Jr. (2006), Jeff Roth (1993), Steve Schneiter (1995), Braden Shattuck (2023), Bob Sowards (2004) and Ryan Vermeer (2018). 

The South Florida PGA Section will be represented by 21 players in the field, the most of any PGA Section. Evan Bowser (LaPlaya Golf Club), Matt Cahill (Seminole Golf Club), Dakun Chang  (Seminole Golf Club), Tyler Collet (John’s Island Club), Tom Cooper (Pine Tree Golf Club), Eric Costa (West Bay Club), Drew Dietter (The Club at Olde Cypress), Andrew Filbert (West Bay Club), Domenico Geminiani (Old Corkscrew Golf Club), Ashley Grier (The Legacy Golf and Tennis Club), Justin Hicks  (Stonebridge Golf & Country Club), Jared Isaacs (Adios Golf Club), Michael Kartrude (The Bear’s Club), David Ladd (Champions Club at Summerfield), Nick Latimer (Medalist Golf Club), Justin McCarraher (Heritage Bay Golf & Country Club), Mike Midgette (Delaire Country Club), (Alan Morin - The Club At Ibis), Ron Philo Jr. (Palm Beach State College), Justin Smith (Bonita Bay Club) and Jeremy Wells (Cypress Lake Golf Club). 

Preston Cole, the Lead Assistant PGA Golf Professional at Quail Hollow Club, will attempt to become the first PGA of America Golf Professional from that year’s PGA Championship host site to earn a spot in the field through the PGA Professional Championship. 

Darrell Kestner, PGA Director of Golf at Deepdale Golf Club, is slated to compete in his 31st PGA Professional Championship and surpass Jim White’s record for most PGA Professional Championship appearances. 

Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth, PGA Teaching Professional at San Jose Country Club and 2023-24 Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year, returns for her fourth PPC following a T-26 finish in 2024. Connelly Eiswerth is one of 10 women in the field. 

The Championship will offer a $750,000 purse and $66,700 to the Champion. A 36-hole cut will take place Monday to the low 90 scorers and ties, and a 54-hole cut Tuesday to the low 70 scorers and ties. 

All four rounds will be broadcast by NBC/Golf Channel. All times listed are Eastern. 

Sunday, April 27: 4-6 p.m. (NBC Sports App & Web) and 7-9 p.m. (GOLF Channel tape delay)

Monday, April 28 - Wednesday, April 30: 3 - 6 p.m. (GOLF Channel)