The PGA Tour Champions could use a jolt of charisma

Doing Happy Gilmore's bull dance and feeling the flow. Cursing out a ball for not going to its home.

Happy's bad-mannered approach to golf ruffled a few feathers, but for most, it was mesmerizing. His unapologetic antithesis to stoicism drew unprecedented crowds to courses.

Albeit an extreme depiction, the Dennis Dugan-directed comedy classic showed golf fans and outsiders alike in 1996 that charisma can, in fact, go hand-in-hand with the sport. 

It’s time the PGA Tour Champions took a page out of that script — minus the copious drinking and profanity. These golfers might be 50 or older, but that doesn’t mean they have to act their age. 

Allowing emotions to shine through at The Concession Golf Club from April 16-19 would also improve the Senior PGA Championship’s entertainment value. As a whole, the senior circuit is in need of some flair.

“This is the sports psychology generation that's rolling into town,” said Bradenton's Paul Azinger, the 1993 PGA Championship winner, and U.S. captain for the 2008 Ryder Cup. “These guys think differently. They think like champions. But it’s not like it was, where you have all this charisma flying off these players.”

The legends will compete in Lakewood Ranch April 16-19. Among them will be six World Golf Hall of Famers, 11 former Senior PGA Champions and 21 past PGA Tour Major champions.

Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and David Toms top the season-long points list, as of April 6, and they will be joined at The Concession by Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer.

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The names alone make this tournament worth watching for locals. These players’ talents — despite their age — are objectively impressive on this stage.

Azinger, who is the Golf Channel analyst for PGA Tour Champions, said Cink and Els are must-watches for him. He’s also eager to see Johnson’s short shots and Steve Stricker’s wedge game. His bucket list extends further.

“I want to see what Steven Alker looks like in-person. I haven’t really noticed him, but now he’s such a dominant player,” Azinger said. “Then you’ve got Langer … you start to get an understanding of the precision that's required to play great. It's not about size — you just have to be accurate. And that's what he represents.”

Greatness, though, can only be so strong of a magnet. Golf fans have always been attracted to players who are moved by triumph and failure, or those who allow emotions to flow freely.

People tune in or go in-person to see those reactions. But as it stands, the senior circuit needs more charismatic players.

Interest in the PGA Tour Champions has declined in recent years. Per the U.S. Television Database, the average audience for senior events on Golf Channel in 2023 peaked at 280,000 viewers. In 2025, peak viewership was much less — 203,000.

Since the database’s earliest available numbers in April 2022, the three highest peaks have been 310,000 on May 28 of that year, 280,000 on July 14, 2023 and 284,300 on Jan. 24, 2026. Those dates coincided with the Senior PGA Championship, Kaulig Companies Championship, and Mitsubishi Electric Championship, respectively.

The drop — at least, in part — is due to a lack of players who grab and keep people’s attention. This is no longer the era of entertainers like Chi Chi Rodriguez and Jack Nicklaus. John Daly will be in the field at The Concession, but he hasn't won on the PGA Tour Champions since 2017.

A subtle tip of the cap or gracious wave might be the lion’s share of emotion that spectators will witness at The Concession next week.

“I wish somebody could do a dance or something after they made a birdie,” Azinger said. “I’m not everyone, but I told my grandson, ‘Bud, you need to learn how to moonwalk and not scratch the greens after you make a putt.’”

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The root of the problem is that Tiger Woods has yet to appear on the senior circuit, despite being eligible. Phil Mickelson won four Champions Tour events in six appearances, but then went to LIV. Charisma oozes out of both of them.

Combined, those two have won 21 Majors on the PGA Tour, which is the same number of former major champions who will appear at this year’s Senior PGA Championship.

Woods has stepped away from competitive golf to focus on health following his March 27 arrest on suspicion of DUI in a rollover crash. Mickelson, meanwhile, has been with rival LIV Golf.

Their absences have stripped the PGA Tour Champions of more than just two bona fide golfing greats. They’re also some of the game’s most charismatic representatives.

Both Woods and Mickelson seem to share in Azinger's philosophy.

“I enjoyed making that putt as much as you did clapping for it,” Azinger said. “That's the way I feel. If you're going to clap, I'm going to let you know I also enjoyed it.”

While there won't be a Woods or Mickelson at The Concession, there is some charisma. It would be unfair to overlook Rocco Mediate or Daly, who at ages 63 and 59, respectively, still play styles of golf which can be entertaining. 

The PGA Tour Champions doesn’t need golfers trading punches with game show hosts or diving into hazards to wrestle alligators for lost balls, and we know real-life re-creations of Happy Gilmore aren't likely. 

But wouldn't it be fun to see figures of similarly unfiltered charisma?