The 2012 Senior PGA Championship at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores celebrates a successful week

By all accounts, it was a successful weekend at the Senior PGA Championship at The Golf Club of Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor.

The event had a surprise, albiet deserving, winner in Roger Chapman, and the crowds were fantastic and enthusiastic. The course looked stunning on HDTV and certainly had to influence a few national viewers to consider visiting the area to tee it up. The message of the Harbor Shores development - millions are being spent to help and redevelop the community - certainly helped the cause.

The tournament, which will return in 2014, gave Michigan golf fans a sneak peak of what to expect in six weeks. The U.S. Senior Open - the biggest of the five senior majors -- will be held at the Old course at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion northwest of Detroit in July.

Here are a few final notes from the 2012 Senior PGA Championship:

A WINNING BRIT: Roger Chapman became the first native of England to win the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid and hoist the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy. He is also the third player from the United Kingdom to earn the Championship title -- Jock Hutchison of Scotland (1937 and 1947) and Fred McLeod (1938) were the first two. Chapman also is the first European to win the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid since Hutchison won his second title, in '47. Chapman is the seventh international player to win the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. The most recent was Denis Watson of Zimbabwe, in 2007.

KIAWAH ISLAND BOUND: With his victory, Chapman earns an exemption into the 94th PGA Championship, the Season's Final Major, to be held Aug. 9-12 at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, S.C. Chapman also earns a lifetime exemption into the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid.

MORE ON ROGER: With his victory, Chapman also ... * Ties Jack Nicklaus (1991 Champion) for the third-best 72-hole aggregate score (271) in the history of the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. The all-time record of 268 is held by Sam Snead, in 1973. * Earns $378,000 from a total purse of $2.1 million. * Becomes the eighth player to make the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid his first title on the Champions Tour. The others who won their first Champions Tour event at this Championship since 1980: Arnold Palmer (1980), Tom Wargo (1993), Doug Tewell (2000), Fuzzy Zoeller (2002), Mike Reid (2005), Denis Watson (2007) and Michael Allen (2009). * Becomes the first Englishman to win on the Champions Tour since Mark James captured the 2007 Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla. * Becomes the first European to win a major on the Champions Tour since Bernhard Langer claimed the U.S. Senior Open in 2010 at Sahalee Country Club in Redmond, Wash.

THIRD BRIT TO WIN IN GREAT LAKES STATE: Chapman is the third native of England to win a Champions Tour event. All three earned their lone victories in Michigan -- Tony Jacklin at the 1994 First of America Classic, in Grand Rapids; and Mark James at the 2004 Ford Players Championship in Dearborn.

WIRE TO WIRE?: Chapman led or shared the lead after each round at Harbor Shores. He is the first player to lead outright or share the lead and win the Senior PGA Championship since Hale Irwin in 2004 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. The last player to hold the lead alone after each round and win the Championship was Jack Nicklaus in 1991 at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

TOUGH LUCK: John Cook (69-66-69-69) is the only player to shoot all four rounds in the 60s and not win the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid.

A RECORD DAY FOR PERRY: Kenny Perry's eagle, eight birdies and one bogey added up to a 9-under-par 62 in the final round, the lowest 18-hole score in the history of the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Perry bettered by one stroke the previous single-round Championship record set by Buck White in 1961 and matched by Arnold Palmer in 1984.

GOING REALLY LOW: There were 38 rounds in the 60s during the final round at Harbor Shores, far and away the highest total of the week. The scores in the 60s before today: First Round: 2. Second Round: 21. Third Round: 23. The scoring average for the field today was 69.65, easily the lowest of the four rounds.

ON TO BELLERIVE: The 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will be played May 23-26 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. This will be the first time that the Championship has been contested in Missouri. The 1992 PGA Champiopnship was held at Bellerive, where Nick Price won by three strokes over John Cook, Nick Faldo, Jim Gallagher Jr. and Gene Sauers.

BRITTON IS LOW PGA CLUB PROFESSIONAL: For the second time in four years, Bill Britton earned Low PGA Club Professional honors in the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Britton, PGA director of instruction at Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, N.J., finished the Championship at even-par 284. Britton tied for 35th at Harbor Shores. The finishing scores of the other PGA club professionals who made the cut: Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga., 77-70-69-70 -- 286 (2-over par); Jeff Coston, Blaine, Wash., 76-71-77-67 -- 291; and Tom Atchison, Silver Lake, Ohio, 76-71-72-78 -- 297

17 FOR 17: Hale Irwin tied for third and extended his consecutive cuts streak in the Championship to 17. In addition to winning the Championship four times (second only to Sam Snead all-time), Irwin also has five other top-five finishes in this Championship. Irwin turns 67 on June 3.

The 2012 Senior PGA Championship to tee off at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor this week

The bad news is that one of senior golf's marquee names - Tom Watson - won't be playing this week at Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Watson withdrew with an injured wrist.

But it's still sure to be an exciting week of golf at The Golf Club of Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor. For those of you looking to attend, the pairings for the first two rounds (Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25) are set. Among the featured groups are:

* Jeff Sluman, Fred Couples, Kenny Perry
Thursday at 8:10 a.m., 1st Tee
Friday at 1:20 p.m., 10th Tee

* Brad Faxon, Peter Jacobsen, John Cook
Thursday at 8:30 a.m., 1st Tee
Friday at 1:40 p.m., 10th Tee

* Hale Irwin, Andy North, Bob Tway
Thursday at 8:40 a.m., 1st Tee
Friday at 1:50 p.m., 10th Tee

* Tom Wargo, Mike Reid, Scott Simpson
Thursday at 8:30 a.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 1:40 p.m., 1st Tee

* Denis Watson, Craig Stadler, Mark Brooks
Thursday at 8:50 a.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 2 p.m, 1st Tee

* Tom Lehman, Olin Browne
Thursday at 1:20 p.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 8:10 a.m., 1st Tee

* Hal Sutton, Mark Calcavecchia, Larry Mize
Thursday at 1:30 p.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 8:20 a.m., 1st Tee

* Fred Funk, Michael Allen, Bernhard Langer
Thursday at 1:40 p.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 8:30 a.m., 1st Tee

Here are some other news and notes about the tournament.

* This year marks the inaugural playing of the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid in the state of Michigan and the first time that a major golf championship has been conducted in Southwest Michigan. Michigan also will be the venue of another major championship this year on the Champions Tour, when the U.S. Senior Open is played July 12-15, at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion.

* A total of 23 players have won the Senior PGA Championship in their first attempts. That group includes Arnold Palmer (1980), Gary Player (1986), Hale Irwin (1996), Fuzzy Zoeller (2002), and Michael Allen (2009). Allen and Palmer share the distinction of claiming their titles in their debut on the Champions Tour. There are two notable first-timers in the field: Andrew Magee and Tim Thelen. Thelen is a two-time PGA Professional National Champion from College Station, Texas. The member of the European Senior Tour is one of five PGA Professional National Champions in the field -- Barry Evans (2002 National Champion), Jeff Freeman (1999), Darrell Kestner (1996) and J.R. Roth (1993) are the others. Magee, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, makes his Champions Tour debut next week in the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Magee turns 50 on Tuesday, May 22. Roth also has Michigan ties.

* The 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is the strongest field in senior golf this year and includes these figures:
32 States represented in the field
17 Major Champions in the field (totaling 30 major championships won)
18 Countries represented in the field
8 Senior PGA Champions in the field
6 Ryder Cup Captains in the field
5 World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field

* Kirk Hanefeld of Acton, Mass., leads a current contingent of 40 PGA club professionals into the field next week. Hanefeld won the 2011 Southworth Senior PGA Professional National Championship to automatically earn a spot into the field. Local fans will want to watch Lee Houtteman, a Traverse City teaching pro from Glen Arbor.

Lee Houtteman of Glen Arbor to tee off at the Senior PGA Championship

The field at the Senior PGA Championship, set for the Golf Club of Harbor Shores May 24-27 in Benton Harbor, will feature 156 players from around the world.

Germany's Bernhard Langer, recovered from 2011 thumb surgery and making his impact felt again in senior golf, heads a list of 36 international players, representing 18 countries, in the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. But there will also be a Michigander among them. Lee Houtteman of Glen Arbor (see photo above) qualified as one of the 35 club professionals. Houtteman, who is a teaching pro in Traverse City, will have his work cut out for him just to make the cut. His resume is a solid one - see below - but he hardly has the experience of some of the game's top over-50 players. Houtteman's career includes:

* Northern Michigan PGA Teacher of The Year 2005
• Northern Michigan PGA Player of The Year 2005, 2006, 2008
• Northern Michigan PGA Chapter Champion 2005
* Las Vegas Nevada PGA Chapter Champion 1999
• Qualified PGA National Club Professional Championship 1995, 1999 2004, 2006, 2008
• Member Fuller Cup Team 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• Multiple Top Ten finishes in Michigan Open, Michigan PGA, Michigan Section Match Play
* U.S. Open Local Qualifier Medalist, Birmingham Country Club 2006

There's plenty of star power teeing it up at the Jack Nicklaus course. Langer, 54, missed the Senior PGA Championship a year ago after a freak left-thumb injury suffered in an off-season biking accident. That mishap delayed his return to play until mid-June. Prior to the injury, Langer had finished among the top 25 in three consecutive Senior PGA Championships, including a runner-up finish in 2008. This year, he has posted six top-10 finishes, including two runner-up and one third-place performance.

Defending Champion Tom Watson, who grew up playing summer golf in Northern Michigan, headlines the list of seven past champions playing, including Michael Allen (2009); Jay Haas (2006, '08), Denis Watson; Mike Reid (2005); Hale Irwin (1996, '97, '98, 2004); Tom Lehman (2010); and Tom Wargo (1993).

The Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is the oldest event on the Champions Tour, originating in 1937 at Augusta National Golf Club at the invitation of the legendary amateur Bobby Jones. The Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will feature 12 hours of live television coverage on NBC and The Golf Channel, with viewership in more than 130 countries and territories worldwide. Tickets to the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid are available by visiting SPGA2012.com.

Play Golf America day comes to Benton Harbor May 12 to celebrate the 2012 Senior PGA Championship

It's hard to believe the first major golf event in Michigan is just around the corner, the 2012 Senior PGA Championship at the Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor.

The club will host a fun-filled day of free golf and fitness activities during the Play Golf America Day from 1-4 p.m. on May 12 (a Saturday). The first 250 people who register online at PlayGolfAmerica.com and attend the Play Golf America Day will receive a pair of Championship practice round tickets for Tuesday or Wednesday for the practic rounds (one pair of tickets per household).

This free event will feature golf instruction from Michigan Section PGA Professionals and a fitness clinic led by PGA Director of Fitness David Donatucci. The Mercedes-Benz Mobile Performance Center will also be on-site and will feature other fun and interactive experiences for men, women and children. This event will help kick-off the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid as well as Welcome to Golf Month, a national promotion that is designed to create a welcoming atmosphere to encourage new players to try golf throughout the month of May.

Harbor Shores is located at 201 Graham Avenue in Benton Harbor. The phone number is 269-927-4653. Single day and Week-Long tickets to the Championship may be purchased by visiting www.SPGA2012.com, or by calling (800) PGA-GOLF (742-4653).

Michigan off to a rousing start to the 2012 golf season

I look out my office window and can't believe what I see.

I see green and sunshine and blooming flowers and budding trees. Last year at this time, all I saw was white snow and black mud.

I haven't hit a tee shot in Michigan yet, but I know dozens of friends who have played a bunch. March was wonderful weather. April has started off a little wetter and colder, but I'm not complaining. Neither are courses south of Lansing. They've seen hundreds of bonus rounds, a real boost to the bottom line.

I have my first tee time set for tomorrow at Eagle Crest Golf Club, the place where I learned the game. I started working there in college and played every day I got the chance. It's where I got hooked on this beautiful game.

I hope the good weather continues. It should be a great season this year. We've got two Champions Tour majors in the state - the Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor in May and the U.S. Senior Open at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion in June. The Gaylord Golf Mecca celebrates its 25th anniversary.

I doubt I can top last season on the course. I sank my first hole in one and shot a career low 76, but I sure am going to try.

Cairns, Olsen gear up for PGA Championship in Atlanta

Around these parts, he's known as 3-1-3.

That's the way Dan Olsen won the 1992 Boyne Tournament of Champions ... with a birdie-ace-birdie finish.

Olsen, 44, a 1985 high school grad from East Lansing, is at it again. The assistant pro at Walnut Hills Country Club in East Lansing qualified to play in the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club next week after finishing in the top 20 of the PGA Club Pro National Championship at Hershey Country Club in Hershey, Pa. He fired a final round 75, but was two under par for 72 holes, which included a third round 67. This is Olsen's 35th career event with the big boys of the PGA Tour. He's won $137,831.80 in that span, all in 2004, his lone full season.

He's not the only local playing. I'm proud to report one of my Facebook friends will tee it up as well ... Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center in Plymouth. Cairns is an excellent instruction, but his game rounded into form this summer to quality for his first major championship, finishing 11th at the PNC.

Go guys go!

Golf Club at Harbor Shores to host 2 Senior PGAs, charity shootout

I knew the Golf Club at Harbor Shores would be special, but I didn’t know it would be THIS special.

The 6,981-yard, par-71 course, roaming through the forest and dunes of Benton Harbor, rocked the Michigan golf scene with a pair of stunning announcements last week. The course, set to open all 18 holes July 1, will host a charity shootout featuring designer Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller on Aug. 10, bringing much needed excitement to a tournament golf scene in Michigan sorely lacking any luster.

The move by KitchenAid, a division of Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool Corp., to sponsor the Senior PGA Championship from 2011-2014 no doubt sealed Harbor Shores’ bid to host the prestigious Champions Tour major in 2012 and 2014. That’s three must-watch tournaments added to the Michigan golf calendar in the near future to complement the 2012 U.S. Senior Open at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion.

Michigan might not have enough sponsorship dollars available to attract the PGA Tour, but these events help fill the void. Last summer, the Buick Open folded last year after a 51-year run in the state. And it seems even the great Oakland Hills Country Club might not be active at all as a tournament venue this decade.

The love from the old guys should help soften the snub by the world’s greatest players. The Champions Tour is becoming more popular all over again, thanks to the competitive fires still burning within former major champions Freddy Couples, Nick Price, Mark O’Meara, Tom Kite and others.

And the charity event featuring a skins format featuring rotating two-man teams should be the coolest “exhibition” to hit Michigan since the 2004 Arnold Palmer Turning Point Invitational that featured dozens of former U.S. Amateur winners at the Country Club of Detroit (although the Par-3 Shootout at Treetops was also fun to watch). It will serve as the course's official "grand opening."

The legendary foursome of Watson, Palmer, Nicklaus and Miller offer a combined 199 Tour wins and 35 majors. This could be the last time spirited rivals Nicklaus and Palmer tee it up together. And Miller, the controversial voice of NBC, never plays “competitively” anymore. A limited number of $50 tickets will be sold with access to the course and a clinic. In addition, an Evening for Champions “roundtable” discussion will be held at the Mendel Center Mainstage at Lake Michigan College from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Tickets are available for $25 at HarborShoresChampions.com.

“I consider Arnold, Tom and Johnny among my closest friends in golf, so I not only look forward to getting together with them again but also having them with me as we celebrate the opening of The Golf Club at Harbor Shores,” Jack Nicklaus said in a statement. “The Harbor Shores Champions for Change event is a great opportunity to highlight how golf is being used as a vehicle for social and economic revitalization, particularly in the Benton Harbor community.”

All of these events will be a boon for Michigan’s beleaguered economy, both financially and emotionally. Money from all over Michigan, not to mention Chicago and Indiana, should pour into Benton Harbor during these tournaments. It’s clear that golf and the real estate and resort development at Harbor Shores is the best thing to happen to Benton Harbor in decades.

For tee times, call 269-927-GOLF or visit harborshoresgolf.com.