The US PGA By Numbers
By: Derek Clements | Edited: Mon 03 Aug 2020
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The US PGA Championship holds a rich place in the history of golf, with the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Walter Hagen, Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Nick Price, Vijay Singh and Rory McIlroy all multiple winners. We take a brief look back at the history of this major here.
However, for some more trivia, Golfshake's Derek Clements shares the numbers that define the PGA.
0: The number of amateurs in the field.
1916: The year the first US PGA Championship was contested at Siwanoy Country Club, New York.
20: Gene Sarazen’s age when he won in 1922, the youngest ever winner.
-20: Jason Day’s record lowest-to-par winning total in 2015.
48: Julius Boros was the oldest champion when he won in 1968.
37: The record number of appearances by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.
8: Rory McIlroy’s record winning margin in 2012.
5: The record number of titles won by Nicklaus and Walter Hagen.
65: Steve Elkington’s final round when he won in 1995 - the lowest final round ever by a champion.
76: Vijay Singh’s final round when he triumphed in 2004, the highest Sunday score by a winner.
1958: The year the tournament switched from matchplay to strokeplay.
7: The number of players to successfully defend the title, Jim Barnes 1916-19 (not played in 1917-18); Gene Sarazen 1922-23; Walter Hagen 1924-27; Leo Diegel 1928-29; Denny Shute 1936-37; Tiger Woods 1999-2000 and 2006-07; Brooks Koepka 2018-2019.
63: The lowest score recorded at the US PGA Championship. This score has been achieved 17 times, with Koepka doing so twice.
156: The size of the field.
About the author
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
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