On this date the PGA Championship was won by Justin Thomas in 2017 at Quail Hollow, by Steve Elkington in 1995 at Riviera, Payne Stewart won in 1989 at Kemper Lakes, and Gene Sarazen won in 1933 at Blue Mound. Stewart outlasted Mike Reid to win his first major championship in the PGA. Stewart finished one ahead of Reid, Andy Bean and Curtis Strange. The championship started with Arnold Palmer, nearly 60 years old, shooting 68 and Tom Watson 67; both needed a PGA to complete a career Grand Slam, but neither could keep close to the lead by the end.
On this date in 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA Championship at Canterbury Golf Club, a favorite course of Arnold Palmer’s while stationed at the Coast Guard in Cleveland. It was Jack’s third of five PGA victories, and he won by four shots over Bruce Crampton of Australia. In counting his two U.S. Amateur wins, the victory put Nicklaus one ahead of Bobby Jones for most major championship victories with 14. August 12 has many special occurrences in other PGAs. It was the first day of the event in 1922 (won by Gene Sarazen), 1965 (Dave Marr), 1976 (Dave Stockton), 1993 (Paul Azinger), 1999 (Tiger Woods), 2004 (Vijay Singh), and 2010 (Martin Kaymer). August 12 was the final day not only in 1973 but in 1990 (Wayne Grady), 2007 (Woods), 2012 (Rory McIlroy) and 2018 (Brooks Koepka). For the foreseeable future that will be the last time the PGA ends on an August 12 now that the championship was moved to May in 2019.
The 2013, 1996, 1991, 1986, 1985 and 1974 PGA Championships all ended on August 11 of their year, won by, in order, Jason Dufner, Mark Brooks, John Daly, Bob Tway, Hubert Green and Lee Trevino. Of the five, Daly was the most obscure and unexpected, barely, only getting into the field at the last moment and completely shocking the golf world with his prodigious drives and composure. Trevino had both a good and bad result. In 1985 at Cherry Hills Country Club, Green beat Trevino by two shots, but in 1974 at Tanglewood Park in North Carolina, Trevino won by one stroke over Jack Nicklaus.
In a date coincidence, the final two PGA championships Jack Nicklaus won were on this date, August 10. In 1975, he won his fourth PGA overall on the South Course of Firestone Country Club by two shots from Bruce Crampton. And in 1980 on the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club, Nicklaus won his fifth and final PGA by seven shots over Andy Bean.
The 100th playing of the PGA Championship began on this date in 2018 in St. Louis at Bellerive Country Club. The first time the PGA began on an August 9 was in 1973 at another Midwest spot, Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland. It ended in a milestone result: Jack Nicklaus won by four shots, and it was his 14th major, moving him ahead of Bobby Jones' total, which had been the record for 43 years. Also, Larry Nelson has an easy time remembering what August 9 means to him in the world of golf. On this date he won both of his PGA victories. In 1981 he won by four strokes over Fuzzy Zoeller at the Atlanta Athletic Club. He won his second major at the 1983 U.S. Open, then in 1987 on this date won the PGA Championship at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, beating Lanny Wadkins in a sudden-death playoff.
In the more than 100 playings of the PGA Championship, the PGA of America's showcase event began on this date, August 8, six times: 1933, 1974, 1985, 1991, 1996 and 2013. But it ended on this date just once: in 1982 when Raymond Floyd won by three at Southern Hills in the 64th PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma, over Lanny Wadkins. It was Floyd’s second PGA victory.
On this date in 1983, Jack Nicklaus had one of his record 19 second-place finishes in a major at the PGA Championship at Riviera Country Club. Hal Sutton shot a par final round to hold off Nicklaus who was six behind with a round to go and shot 66 to fall one shot short. And on this date in 1972, Amy Alcott was the qualifying medalist at the U.S. Girls' Junior at Jefferson City Country Club in Missouri. She had a leading 151 total for two rounds. But she didn't make it past the second round of match play, and the eventual winner was Nancy Lopez, who had shot a qualifying score eight shots higher.
Gary Player memorably hit a 9-iron out of wet rough on the 408-yard par-4 16th hole in winning the PGA Championship on this date in 1972. The 150-yard blind shot over a weeping willow came to rest four feet from the hole. Player made the birdie putt to increase his lead to two, and he won with a one-over-par total of 281 over Jim Jamieson and Tommy Aaron. In 1978 on this date, Tom Watson had his closest chance of winning the PGA Championship at historic Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. He led by five shots with one round to go, but a double-bogey 6 on the 10th, the result of his drive going in a divot hole, began the erosion of his lead and he would go on to shoot 73 and lose a sudden-death playoff on the second hole to John Mahaffey. Jerry Pate was also in the playoff.
Chick Evans won the Chicago City Amateur on this date in 1944 decades after he had won in 1907, 1908 and 1911. Also, on this date in 1979, the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club was won by Australian David Graham in a three-hole, sudden-death playoff with Ben Crenshaw.
The incomparable "Lord" Byron Nelson won the Canadian Open on this date in 1945 for his record 11th consecutive PGA Tour victory, at Uplands & Thornhill C.C., on the way to winning a record 18 tournaments for the season.
On this date in 1979, Sam Snead set the record for the oldest player to make a cut in a major championship when he did so at age 67 years, 2 months and 7 days at the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club.
The second PGA Championship to be played at stroke play ended on this date in 1959. Bob Rosburg scorched Minneapolis Golf Club with a final-round 66, allowing him a one-shot victory over Doug Sanders and Jerry Barber, who would win the title two years later.
Lloyd Mangrum was born in Trenton, Texas, on this date in 1914. A decorated World War II Army veteran, Mangrum won 36 tour events and won the 1946 U.S. Open. He finished second twice at the Masters. His distinguished appearance, which made him look like the image of a riverboat gambler, made Mangrum quite notable. He was made a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1998. On this date in 2004, Peter Jacobson won the U.S. Senior Open at Bellerive Golf Club, west of St. Louis, by one shot over Hale Irwin, a Missouri native.
The 1961 PGA Championship was due to conclude on July 30 at Olympia Fields in Illinois, but Don January and Jerry Barber tied at 277, just three under par. January was four shots ahead with three to play in regulation but Barber was a putting fiend, making 120 feet of putts on those holes, for a par and two birdies, to force the playoff. Twice Barber trailed by two shots in the playoff, but he came on to shoot 67 and win by one stroke on this date.
A couple days after K.J. Choi won the Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie, today's date marks the 2006 Senior Open victory by American Loren Roberts in a playoff over Eduardo Romero of Argentina and also on this date in 1995 the Senior Open was won by Scottish free spirit Brian Barnes in a playoff over Bob Murphy at Royal Portrush Golf Club.
Diminutive Paul Runyan won his first of two PGA Championships on this date in 1934 when he defeated Craig Wood in 38 holes in the final at the Park Club of Buffalo, Williamsville, N.Y. At just 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds, Runyan gave up great length off the tee, but his prowess with fairway woods and his short game combined to be a great equalizer. And on this date in 2007, Tom Watson made a double bogey on the final hole but still won the Senior Open for the third time in five years, by one shot over Stewart Ginn and Mark O’Meara at Muirfield.
Jack Nicklaus tied with Chi Chi Rodriguez at two-over-par 282 at the 12th U.S. Senior Open Championship on this date in 1991 at Oakland Hills' South Course. Nicklaus won the 18-hole playoff the next day 65-69.
The 1954 PGA Championship, the 36th playing, ended on this date when Chick Harbert beat Walter Burkemo, 4 and 3, at Keller Golf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. And one-time wunderkind of golf, Jordan Spieth, was born on this date in 1993 in Dallas, Texas. He won the U.S. Open and Masters in 2015, was second in the PGA that year, and won the 2017 Open Championship but hasn’t won a major since. He has 17 pro victories in all.
On this date in 1955, Doug Ford won the PGA Championship at Meadowbrook Country Club when he defeated Cary Middlecoff, 4 & 3, in the final. Ford won the other major of his career at the 1957 Masters. And the 1981 U.S. Women's Open was held at LaGrange Country Club, in a suburb of Chicago. It is notable for the great final-day battle between Pat Bradley and Beth Daniel, and for the ultimately failed effort by legendary Kathy Whitworth to win the major she never was able to win. Bradley birdied the final hole on this date after Daniel nearly eagled it, and that secured a nine-under-par total of 279 to win by one shot. Whitworth was third with 284 after taking a three-shot lead after 54 holes. But she shot 74 in the final round to Bradley's 66.
The 1982 U.S. Women's Open was completed on this date at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, California. Janet Alex (Anderson) shot a final-round 68 for 283 (−5) to finish six shots ahead of four stellar runners-up, Beth Daniel, Donna White, JoAnne Carner and Sandra Haynie. Carner led after 36 holes but shot 75-75 afterward to lose her advantage.