This Championship is often called "The Season's Final Major: Glory's Last Shot!"
In line with the other majors, winning the PGA gives a golfer several privileges which make his career much more secure, if he is not already one of the elite of the sport. PGA champions are automatically invited to play in the other three majors (The Masters, US Open and British Open) for the next five years, and are exempt from qualifying for the PGA Championship for life. They also receive membership on the PGA TOUR for the following five seasons and invitations to THE PLAYERS Championship for five years.
The Championship has been held at a large number of venues, some of the early ones now quite obscure, but nowadays it is usually staged by one of a small group of celebrated courses, each of which has also hosted several other leading events.
History
The first PGA Championship was in 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York. The trophy was donated by Rodman Wanamaker, and is known as the Wanamaker Trophy. It was initially a match play event, and it moved to a stroke play format in 1958. It is sometimes said that this was a result of pressure from television, which prefers to see as many famous players as possible in contention on the final day. The first winner, Jim Barnes, received $500 (US) in 1916, while 2005 winner Phil Mickelson received $1.17 million (US).
Qualification
The PGA Championship was established for the purpose of providing a high profile tournament specifically for professional golfers at a time when they were generally not held in high esteem in a sport that was largely run by wealthy amateurs. This origin is still reflected in the entry system for the Championship. It is the only major which does not invite leading amateurs to compete, and the only one which reserves a large number of places, 25 out of 156, for club professionals. The PGA Tour is now independent of the PGA of America, and it is an elite organisation of tournament professionals, but the PGA Championship is still run by the PGA of America, which is mainly a body for club and teaching professionals. The PGA Championship is the only major that does not explicitly grant entry to the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, although it invariably invites all top-50 players who are not already qualified.
Winners of tournaments co-sponsored or approved by the PGA Tour since the previous PGA Championship (does not include pro-am and team competitions).
The PGA of America reserves the right to invite additional players not included in the categories listed above.
The total field is a maximum of 156 players. Vacancies are filled by the first available player from the list of alternates (those below 70th place in official money standings).
^ These players were British born, but they were based in the United States when they won the PGA Championship, and they became U.S. citizens:
Tommy Armour - Born in Scotland but moved to the U.S. in the early 1920s and became a U.S. citizen at that time.
Jock Hutchison - Born in Scotland. He was a U.S. citizen at the time of his 1921 Open Championship win, so he was probably already a U.S. citizen in 1920, but this is unconfirmed.
Jim Barnes - Born in England. Moved to the United States in 1906 and may have become a U.S. citizen as early as 1907, but this is unconfirmed.
Multiple winners
The following men have won the PGA Championship more than once through 2005.
5 wins:
Walter Hagen: 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927
Jack Nicklaus: 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980
4 wins:
None.
3 wins:
Gene Sarazen: 1922, 1923, 1933
Sam Snead: 1942, 1949, 1951
2 wins:
Jim Barnes: 1916, 1919
Leo Diegel: 1928, 1929
Raymond Floyd: 1969, 1982
Ben Hogan: 1946, 1948
Byron Nelson: 1940, 1945
Larry Nelson: 1981, 1987
Gary Player:1962, 1972
Nick Price: 1992, 1994
Paul Runyan: 1934, 1938
Denny Shute: 1936, 1937
Vijay Singh: 1998, 2004
Dave Stockton: 1970, 1976
Lee Trevino: 1974, 1984
Tiger Woods: 1999, 2000
Records
Oldest Winner: Julius Boros in 1968 (48 years, 4 months, 18 days), 1968
Youngest Winner: Gene Sarazen in 1922 (20 years, 5 months, 22 days)
Greatest winning margin in the matchplay era: Paul Runyan beat Sam Snead 8 & 7 in 1938.
Lowest absolute 72-hole score: 265, David Toms (66-65-65-69), 2001.
This is the lowest 72-hole score ever recorded in any major championship.
Lowest 72-hole score in relation to par: -18, Tiger Woods (66-67-70-67, 270) and Bob May (72-66-66-66, 270), 2000.
Toms' 2001 score was -15. The 2001 site, the Highlands Course at Atlanta Athletic Club, plays to par 70, while the 2000 site, Valhalla Golf Club, plays to par 72.
