Bob Sowards continues to make PGA of America history thanks to his exemplary play. Sowards, PGA, Director of Instruction at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club in Powell, Ohio, earned Low PGA of America Golf Professional honors in the 2025 Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club on May 22-25 to add another bright light to his marquee of excellence.
Sowards’ final-round 72 delivered his third piece of crystal for Low Club Professional honors in six attempts in golf’s longest-running senior major championship with a 72-hole aggregate of 297. He opened the 85th Senior PGA Championship with back-to-back rounds of 73, then had a 79 amid windy conditions in the third round before posting his closing 72. Sowards shared Low Golf Professional honors in 2019 with Mark R. Brown at Oak Hill Country Club and finished T5 in 2021 at Southern Hills Country Club after leading the Championship for portions of the second round.
“It was a challenging golf course (Congressional’s Blue Course), but it was a good week,” said Sowards, who has won the PGA of America Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year Award five times (2023, ’22, ’21, ’19, ’18), as well as four PGA of America Professional Player of the Year honors (2014, ’05, ’04, ’03). Sowards finished ahead of seven other PGA of America Golf Professionals who made the 36-hole cut at the 2025 Senior PGA Championship and represented the 36-player Corebridge Financial Team.
Sowards began the final round four strokes behind Jeffrey Schmid, PGA, Teaching Professional at Brown Deer Golf Club in Coralville, Iowa, who finished one-stroke behind Sowards after a closing-round of 77 for a 72-hole total of 298. During his career, Sowards has been a member of 17 Corebridge Financial Teams competing in both PGA Championships and Senior PGA Championships.
“I played solid (in the final round),” Sowards said. “Yesterday (in Round 3), I let the wind blow me away; I didn’t handle the wind very well. Today, I had a lot of birdie putts and just couldn’t make as many as I would have liked.”
For Sowards, the Senior PGA Championship was his second major in two weeks, coming off his 12th appearance in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, tying the record for appearances by a PGA of America Golf Professional.
Receiving a lot of texts from his students during the PGA Championship and Senior PGA Championship weeks, Sowards hopes to use his competitive career experience as motivation for them on the lesson tee.
“One of the things that I try to get across to them is how it feels to be inside the ropes, because being nervous and playing well is the ultimate in my opinion,” he explained. “It’s what you play for, to be nervous.” —Roger Graves
Editor’s note: Jason Caron, PGA, who tied for fourth at the 2024 Senior PGA Championship to earn full playing privileges on the PGA Tour Champions, played exceptionally well in the 2025 Senior PGA Championship but is not part of the Corebridge Financial Team since he is considered a full-time Champions Tour member. Caron, who continues to serve as the PGA Head Professional at Mill River Club in Oyster Bay, New York, finished T4 again.
