Summary
- The PGA Tour runs major golf tournaments like The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup.
- The organization operates a Cessna Citation X business jet that is used mostly for senior executives.
- The Cessna Citation X has impressive specifications, can carry 12 passengers, and reaches speeds up to 681 mph.
The Professional Golf Association (PGA) is the flagship golf organization of the world. The PGA Tour is the organizer of all professional golf tournaments in North America. The organization was originally established by the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA of America), before it was spun off in the late 1960s. This allowed tour players to play separately from club professionals.
Currently, the Florida-based organization runs most of the weekly professional golf tournaments. This includes:
- The Players Championship
- The FedEx Cup
- The Presidents Cup
- The Tour Championship
The PGA Tour also encompasses the PGA Tour Champions, the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour Canada, the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, and the PGA Tour China. Many golf professionals participate in the PGA Tour, and it is considered to be at the top of the sport of golf, alongside the newly developed LIV Golf Tour. The PGA Tour has been played by some of the most famous golfers of all time, like Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson, among others.
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Currently, the PGA Tour is still an extremely active organization, and is arguably the premier golf tour in the world, even more so after a recent announcement of plans to merge with LIV Golf and the PGA European Tour into one entity.
Because of how active the PGA Tour is, it is no surprise that the organization operates a private jet, most likely for its senior executives. Operating a business jet provides its passengers with the ultimate flexibility. Those that fly privately have the option to depart and arrive at any time they choose, preventing them from being restricted to scheduled commercial flights.
Private jets are also typically smaller than commercial airliners, which means that the jet can land on much shorter runways. This means the business jet can land at a wider range of airports that may be closer to the traveler’s destination. Let’s take a closer look at the type of private jet that the PGA Tour operates.
The PGA Tour private jet
Currently, the PGA Tour operates a super-midsize business jet, the Cessna Citation X. The Cessna was first built in 2011, and it is registered as N795HG. According to FlightAware, the private jet is registered to Tour Air LLC, which is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the same city as the PGA Tour. Also, per FlightAware, N795HG was transferred to the PGA Tour in December 2021. Prior to this, it was officially registered with Wells Fargo Equipment Finance.
Photo: lorenzatx | Shutterstock
According to JetSpy, the aircraft has had a busy year so far. It has conducted 113 total flights, and it has accumulated 182 total hours of flight time. This is estimated to use approximately 68,000 gallons of aviation fuel, and this amounts to just over 650 metric tons of carbon emissions, per JetSpy. The aircraft’s most visited airports are as follows:
- Northeast Florida Regional Airport (UST) in St. Augustine, Florida
- Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN) in Hayden, Colorado
- Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU) in Morristown, New Jersey
About the Cessna Citation X
Cessna first introduced the Citation X at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference in 1990. Previous operators of Cessna business jets were interested in a faster jet, as until the Citation X was released, Cessna jets had a reputation for being easy to handle but slow. This feedback led Cessna to jump start the Citation X program. The first prototype flew its maiden flight just three years after it was announced, in December 1993.
Photo:Â InsectWorld | Shutterstock
The development and certification process was met with several delays. This was mostly due to airframe design issues and issues integrating the large engines into the avionics system. Additionally, the engines did not immediately meet bird strike criteria.
However, the aircraft was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in June 1996. The first Citation X was delivered to famous golfer Arnold Palmer the following month. The aircraft saw immediate success with many operators satisfied with the high top speed. Several operators set speed records after receiving their aircraft, including Arnold Palmer.
Performance specifications for the Cessna Citation X
The Citation X utilizes two powerful Rolls-Royce AE 3007C engines, which each provide just under 7,000 pounds of thrust. The aircraft also utilizes a highly swept supercritical wing, which is attached underneath the fuselage, instead of through it like other earlier Citation jets. The Citation X was also the first Cessna aircraft to use hydraulic-powered flight controls. These developments help the aircraft reach the following specifications:
|
Length |
72.53 feet |
|---|---|
|
Height |
19.2 feet |
|
Wingspan |
63.6 feet |
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
36,100 pounds |
|
Maximum speed |
Mach 0.92 (681 miles per hour) |
|
Cruise speed |
528 knots (608 miles per hour) |
|
Range |
3,460 nautical miles (3,982 miles) |
|
Service ceiling |
51,000 feet |
The large cabin of the aircraft can fit up to 12 passengers – inside the cockpit, the flight deck is powered by the Honeywell Primus 2000 EFIS avionics suite. This system uses five large CRT screens in front of the pilots.