List of PGA Championship champions

The PGA Championship is an annual golf competition that was established in 1916. It is held in mid-August, and is the last of the four major championships to be played each year. [cite web|url=http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2004/history_overview.html |title=PGA Championship History |publisher=PGA Championship |accessdate=2008-09-22 ] The championship was not held in 1917 and 1918 because of the First World War, and in 1943 because of the Second World War.

The reigning champion of the competition is automatically invited to play in the other three majors (Masters, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship (British Open) for the next five years, and is exempt from qualifying for the PGA Championship for life. He also receive membership on the PGA Tour for the following five seasons and invitations to The Players Championship for five years. The prize of the tournament is the Wanamaker Trophy, which the champion keeps until the following year's competition. The PGA Championship was originally a match play event; however, in 1958 it was changed to a stroke play event. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/uspga/1468590.stm |title=History of the USPGA |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2001-08-10 |accessdate=2008-09-22 ]

Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus hold the record for the most victories, with both men winning the competition five times. Julius Boros is the oldest winner of the PGA Championship; he was 48 years, 142 days old when he won in 1968. The youngest winner of the PGA Championship is Gene Sarazen, who was 20 years, 174 days old when he won in 1922. David Toms holds the record for the lowest score over 72 holes, which is 265. [cite web|url=http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2004/history_records.html |title=Championship Record Book |publisher=PGA Championship |accessdate=2008-09-22 ] Tiger Woods holds the distinction of being the most strokes under par for 72 holes, being 18 strokes under par (-18) when he won in 2000 and 2006.

Key

trokeplay

Notes

A. note label|WWI|A|anote label|WWI|A|b The PGA Championship was not held from 1917 to 1918 because of the First World War.

B. The 1943 PGA Championship was not held because of the Second World War.

C. Par is a predetermined number of strokes that a golfer should require to complete a hole, a round (the sum of the total pars of the played holes, also called the course rating), or a tournament (the sum of the total pars of each round). E stands for even, which means the tournament was completed in the predetermined number of strokes. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/rules_and_equipment/4230206.stm |title=Scoring |publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=2008-09-20 ]

D. Jerry Barber won in a playoff against Don January.

E. Don January won in a playoff against Don Massengale.

F. Larry Wadkins won in a playoff against Gene Littler.

G. John Mahaffey won in a playoff against Tom Watson and Jerry Pate.

H. David Graham won in a playoff against Ben Crenshaw.

I. Larry Nelson won in a playoff against Lanny Wadkins.

J. Paul Azinger won in a playoff against Greg Norman.

K. Steve Elkington won in a playoff against Colin Montgomerie.

L. Mark Brooks won in a playoff against Kenny Perry.

M. Tiger Woods won in a playoff against Bob May.

N. Vijay Singh won in a playoff against Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard.

References

External links

[http://www.pgamediaguide.com/index.cfm PGA Media Guide]