Every player who has won the PGA Championship since its inception in 1916!
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The PGA Championship has been played 105 times since the first tournament back in 1916 with 81 different winners. Read on to find out who they all are, where they won, and who the most successful golfers have been!
The first PGA Championship was held in October 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in New York where Jim Barnes took victory and received $500 and a diamond-studded gold medal donated by Rodman Wanamaker – the man who also donated the modern trophy that this year’s winner at Valhalla will receive.
Originally a matchplay event with a strokeplay qualifier, it wasn’t unheard of for the finalists to have played more than 200 holes in a week! But, pressured by TV networks who wanted to show a large group of well-known players on the final day, the PGA of America decided to turn the event to strokeplay from 1958.
During its history, the event has been played at various times of the year but it settled in August for many years and was the year’s final men’s Major, referred to as “Glory’s Last Shot”. But in 2017 it moved to May, becoming the second men’s Major of the year, slotting in between The Masters and the US Open.
Unsurprisingly, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the most successful players in the tournament’s strokeplay era, although Brooks Koepka, who has won the trophy three times since 2018, will fancy his chances of closing them down as he targets ten Majors in his career.
Most winningest players in PGA Championship history
5: Walter Hagen, Jack Nicklaus
4: Tiger Woods
3: Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Brooks Koepka
2: Jim Barnes, Leo Diegel, Denny Shute, Paul Runyan, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Dave Stockton, Raymond Floyd, Lee Trevino, Larry Nelson, Nick Price, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas
Every PGA Championship winner
Parentheses after name indicate the number of victories they’ve achieved in the tournament
| Year | Winner | Course | Score | Total |
| 2023 | Brooks Koepka (3/3) | Oak Hill CC | 72-66-66-67-271 | 9 under |
| 2022 | Justin Thomas (2/2) | Southern Hills CC | 67-67-74-67-275 | 5 under |
| 2021 | Phil Mickelson (2/2) | The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island | 70-69-70-73-282 | 6 under |
| 2020 | Collin Morikawa | TPC Harding Park | 69-69-65-64-267 | 13 under |
| 2019 | Brooks Koepka (2/3) | Bethpage Black | 63-65-70-74-272 | 8 under |
| 2018 | Brooks Koepka (1/3) | Bellerive Country Club | 69-63-66-66-264 | 16 under |
| 2017 | Justin Thomas (1/2) | Quail Hollow Club | 73-66-69-68-276 | 8 under |
| 2016 | Jimmy Walker | Baltusrol Golf Club | 65-66-68-67-266 | 14 under |
| 2015 | Jason Day | Whistling Straits | 68-67-66-67-268 | 20 under |
| 2014 | Rory McIlroy (2/2) | Valhalla GC | 66-67-67-68-268 | 16 under |
| 2013 | Jason Dufner | Oak Hill CC | 68-63-71-68-270 | 10 under |
| 2012 | Rory McIlroy (1/2) | The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island | 67-75-67-66-275 | 13 under |
| 2011 | Keegan Bradley | Atlanta Athletic Club | 71-64-69-68-272 | 8 under |
| 2010 | Martin Kaymer | Whistling Straits | 72-68-67-70-277 | 11 under |
| 2009 | Y.E. Yang | Hazeltine National GC | 73-70-67-70-280 | 8 under |
| 2008 | Padraig Harrington | Oakland Hills CC | 71-74-66-66-277 | 3 under |
| 2007 | Tiger Woods (4/4) | Southern Hills CC | 71-63-69-69-272 | 8 under |
| 2006 | Tiger Woods (3/4) | Medinah CC | 69-68-65-68-270 | 18 under |
| 2005 | Phil Mickelson (1/2) | Baltusrol GC | 67-65-72-72-276 | 4 under |
| 2004 | Vijay Singh (2/2) | Whistling Straits | 67-68-69-76-280 | 8 under |
| 2003 | Shaun Micheel | Oak Hill CC | 69-68-69-70-276 | 4 under |
| 2002 | Rich Beem | Hazeltine National GC | 72-66-72-68-278 | 10 under |
| 2001 | David Toms | Atlanta Athletic Club | 66-65-65-69-265 | 15 under |
| 2000 | Tiger Woods (2/4) | Valhalla GC | 66-67-70-67-270 | 18 under |
| 1999 | Tiger Woods (1/4) | Medinah CC | 70-67-68-72-277 | 11 under |
| 1998 | Vijay Singh (1/2) | Sahalee GC | 70-66-67-68-271 | 9 under |
| 1997 | Davis Love III | Winged Foot | 66-71-66-66-269 | 11 under |
| 1996 | Mark Brooks | Valhalla GC | 68-70-69-70-277 | 11 under |
| 1995 | Steve Elkington | Riviera CC | 68-67-68-64-267 | 17 under |
| 1994 | Nick Price (2/2) | Southern Hills CC | 67-65-70-67-269 | 11 under |
| 1993 | Paul Azinger | Inverness Club | 69-66-69-68-272 | 12 under |
| 1992 | Nick Price (1/2) | Bellerive CC | 70-70-68-70-278 | 6 under |
| 1991 | John Daly | Crooked Stick GC | 69-67-69-71-276 | 12 under |
| 1990 | Wayne Grady | Shoal Creek CC | 72-67-72-71-282 | 6 under |
| 1989 | Payne Stewart | Kemper Lakes GC | 74-66-69-67-276 | 12 under |
| 1988 | Jeff Sluman | Oak Tree GC | 69-70-68-65-272 | 12 under |
| 1987 | Larry Nelson (2/2) | PGA National | 70-72-73-72-287 | 1 under |
| 1986 | Bob Tway | Inverness Club | 72-70-64-70-276 | 8 under |
| 1985 | Hubert Green | Cherry Hills CC | 67-69-70-72-278 | 10 under |
| 1984 | Lee Trevino (2/2) | Shoal Creek CC | 69-68-67-69-273 | 15 under |
| 1983 | Hal Sutton | Riviera CC | 65-66-72-71-274 | 10 under |
| 1982 | Raymond Floyd (2/2) | Southern Hills CC | 63-69-68-72-272 | 8 under |
| 1981 | Larry Nelson (1/2) | Atlanta Athletic Club | 70-66-66-71-273 | 7 under |
| 1980 | Jack Nicklaus (5/5) | Oak Hill CC | 70-69-66-69-274 | 6 under |
| 1979 | David Graham | Oakland Hills GC | 69-68-70-65-272 | 8 under |
| 1978 | John Mahaffey | Oakmont CC | 75-67-68-66-276 | 8 under |
| 1977 | Lanny Wadkins | Pebble Beach Golf Links | 69-71-72-70-282 | 3 under |
| 1976 | Dave Stockton (2/2) | Congressional CC | 70-72-69-70-281 | 1 over |
| 1975 | Jack Nicklaus (4/5) | Firestone CC | 70-68-67-71-276 | 4 under |
| 1974 | Lee Trevino (1/2) | Tanglewood GC | 73-66-68-69-276 | 4 under |
| 1973 | Jack Nicklaus (3/5) | Canterbury GC | 72-68-68-69-277 | 7 under |
| 1972 | Gary Player (2/2) | Oakland Hills CC | 71-71-67-72-281 | 1 over |
| 1971 | Jack Nicklaus (2/5) | PGA National GC | 69-69-70-73-281 | 7 under |
| 1970 | Dave Stockton (1/2) | Southern Hills CC | 70-70-66-73-279 | 1 under |
| 1969 | Raymond Floyd (1/2) | NCR CC | 69-66-67-74-276 | 8 under |
| 1968 | Julius Boros | Pecan Valley CC | 71-71-70-69-281 | 1 over |
| 1967 | Don January | Columbine CC | 71-72-70-68-281 | 7 under |
| 1966 | Al Geiberger | Firestone CC | 68-72-68-72-280 | Even |
| 1965 | Dave Marr | Laurel Valley CC | 70-69-70-71-280 | 4 under |
| 1964 | Bobby Nichols | Columbus CC | 64-71-69-67-271 | 9 under |
| 1963 | Jack Nicklaus (1/5) | Dallas Athletic Club | 69-73-69-68-279 | 5 under |
| 1962 | Gary Player (1/2) | Aronimink GC | 72-67-69-70-278 | 2 under |
| 1961 | Jerry Barber | Olympia Fields CC | 69-67-71-70-277 | 3 under |
| 1960 | Jay Hebert | Firestone CC | 72-67-72-70-281 | 1 over |
| 1959 | Bob Rosburg | Minneapolis GC | 71-72-68-66-277 | 3 under |
| 1958 | Dow Finsterwald | Llanerch CC | 67-72-70-67-276 | 14 under |
| 1957 | Lionel Hebert | Miami Valley CC | d. Dow Finsterwald | 2 and 1 |
| 1956 | Jack Burke Jr. | Blue Hill CC | d. Ted Kroll | 3 and 2 |
| 1955 | Doug Ford | Meadowbrook CC | d. Cary Middlecoff | 4 and 3 |
| 1954 | Chick Harbert | Keller GC | d. Walter Burkemo | 4 and 3 |
| 1953 | Walter Burkemo | Birmingham CC | d. Felice Torza | 2 and 1 |
| 1952 | Jim Turnesa | Big Spring CC | d. Chick Harbert | 1 up |
| 1951 | Sam Snead (3/3) | Oakmont CC | d. Walter Burkemo | 7 and 6 |
| 1950 | Chandler Harper | Scioto CC | d. Henry Williams Jr. | 4 and 3 |
| 1949 | Sam Snead (2/3) | Hermitage CC | d. Johnny Palmer | 3 and 2 |
| 1948 | Ben Hogan (2/2) | Norwood Hills CC | d. Mike Turnesa | 2 and 1 |
| 1947 | Jim Ferrier | Plum Hollow GC | d. Chick Harbert | 2 and 1 |
| 1946 | Ben Hogan (1/2) | Portland GC | d. Ed Oliver | 6 and 4 |
| 1945 | Byron Nelson (2/2) | Moraine CC | d. Sam Byrd | 4 and 3 |
| 1944 | Bob Hamilton | Manito G. & CC | d. Byron Nelson | 1 up |
| 1943 | No championship | Due to WWII | ||
| 1942 | Sam Snead (1/3) | Seaview CC | Jim Turnesa | 2 and 1 |
| 1941 | Vic Ghezzi | Cherry Hills CC | d. Byron Nelson | 38 holes |
| 1940 | Byron Nelson (1/2) | Hershey CC | d. Sam Snead | 1 up |
| 1939 | Henry Picard | Pomonok CC | d. Byron Nelson | 37 holes |
| 1938 | Paul Runyan (2/2) | Shawnee CC | d. Sam Snead | 8 and 7 |
| 1937 | Denny Shute (2/2) | Pittsburgh F.C. | d. Harold McSpaden | 37 holes |
| 1936 | Denny Shute (1/2) | Pinehurst CC | d. Jimmy Thomson | 3 and 2 |
| 1935 | Johnny Revolta | Twin Hills CC | d. Tommy Armour | 5 and 4 |
| 1934 | Paul Runyan (1/2) | Park CC | d. Craig Wood | 38 holes |
| 1933 | Gene Sarazen (3/3) | Blue Mound CC | d. Willie Goggin | 5 and 4 |
| 1932 | Olin Dutra | Keller GC | d. Frank Walsh | 4 and 3 |
| 1931 | Tom Creavy | Wannamoisett CC | d. Denny Shute | 2 and 1 |
| 1930 | Tommy Armour | Fresh Meadows CC | d. Gene Sarazen | 1 up |
| 1929 | Leo Diegel (2/2) | Hillcrest CC | d. Johnny Farrell | 6 and 4 |
| 1928 | Leo Diegel (1/2) | Five Farms CC | d. Al Espinosa | 6 and 5 |
| 1927 | Walter Hagen (5/5) | Cedar Crest CC | d. Joe Turnesa | 1 up |
| 1926 | Walter Hagen (4/5) | Salisbury G. L. | d. Leo Diegel | 5 and 3 |
| 1925 | Walter Hagen (3/5) | Olympia Fields CC | d. William Mehlhorn | 6 and 5 |
| 1924 | Walter Hagen (2/5) | French Lick | d. James Barnes | 2 up |
| 1923 | Gene Sarazen (2/3) | Pelham CC | d. Walter Hagen | 38 holes |
| 1922 | Gene Sarazen (1/3) | Oakmont CC | d. Emmet French | 4 and 3 |
| 1921 | Walter Hagen (1/5) | Inwood CC | d. James M. Barnes | 3 and 2 |
| 1920 | Jock Hutchison | Flossmoor CC | d. J. Douglas Edgar | 1 up |
| 1919 | James M. Barnes (2/2) | Engineers CC | d. Fred McLeod | 6 and 5 |
| 1918 | No championship | Due to WWI | ||
| 1917 | No championship | Due to WWI | ||
| 1916 | James M. Barnes (1/2) | Siwanoy CC | d. Jock Hutchison | 1 up |
About the Author
Rob specializes in the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the Ryder Cup, spending large chunks of his days reading about, writing about, and watching the tours each month.
He’s passionate about the equipment used by professional golfers and is also a font of knowledge regarding golf balls, golf trolleys, and golf bags, testing thousands down the years.
You can email Rob or get in touch with him on X.
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The Wanamaker Trophy is awarded to the winner of the PGA Championship – one of men's golf's four Majors.
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Jack Nicklaus with the Wanamaker Trophy in 1980. He has won the PGA Championship five times.
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Tiger Woods has won the PGA Championship on four occasions, most recently in 2007.
