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The PGA Championship is set to commence on Thursday, May 16, but ahead of that, defending champion Brooks Koepka was honored at the Champions dinner. The PGA Championship Champions Dinner took place on Tuesday, May 14, in honor of Koepka.
Nineteen former champions attended the dinner, including the likes of Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Jason Dufner, Y.E. Yang, Justin Thomas, and Hideki Matsuyama.
The PGA Champions Dinner was similar to the Masters Dinner but not as big an affair as the latter one. Many former winners, such as Rory McIlroy, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player, skipped the Tuesday event. The group picture of all the attendees was shared by the PGA Championship's official account on X (formerly Twitter).
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Fans online had a lot to say about this year's Champions Dinner. Many were looking for Rory McIlroy, who was absent from the dinner despite being present at Valhalla. Here's a look at some of the reactions:
"Is @McIlroyRory taking the picture," one fan wrote.
"JD looks the coolest," another fan wrote.
"Rich Beem and YE Yang, the 2 guys that prevented Tiger from getting to 17 majors. These 2 plus Michael Campbell at the US open. SMH," one fan wrote.
"Where’s Rory," one fan asked.
"Dufner doesn’t want to be there, I totally forgot Kaymer played golf," another user commented.
"@JasonDufner looks like he's about to break out in a 1990s punk rock music video with a surprise appearance by @TuckerCarlson," this user wrote.
When was the PGA Championship Champions dinner started? Ceremony's history explored
The PGA Championship's Champions Dinner was started in 1965 when the PGA of America requested defending champion Bobby Nichols to host a dinner for the past champions. For the uninitiated, the Masters Champions Dinner was started by Ben Hogan in 1952.
However, one thing that separates the PGA Champions Dinner from the Masters one is the tradition of giving gifts at the former. While no one knows the exact year of the beginning, many believe it was the early 1990s when the tradition started.
Over the years, the PGA Champions Dinner has witnessed the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Gary Player, Brooks Koepka, and many other legends being honored.
