The best golfers in PGA Championship history

Daly might be a larger-than-life figure today, but that certainly wasn't the case back in 1991, when he stunned the golf world by winning the PGA Championship  in just his third major start -- and first in 1989. Daly was the ninth and final alternate to make the PGA field at Crooked Stick in suburban Indianapolis. Without having played a practice round, Daly carded three straight rounds under 70, highlighted by his second-round 67. He finished 12 under, 3 strokes ahead of Bruce Lietzke, and earned rock-star status almost immediately. 

Yang's pro career might not have taken off following his win at the 2009 PGA Championship , but the achievement remains one of the most memorable moments in all of major golf. Tied for second and trailing leader Tiger Woods by 2 strokes after 54 holes at Hazeltine, Yang carded a stellar final-round 67 and beat Tiger, who shot a Sunday 73, to claim a 3-shot victory for his first and only major win. In the process, Yang became the first Asian-born golfer to win a men's major golf tournament.

When Boros won the 1968 PGA Championship, for his third and final major title, he was 48-yeard-old. At the time, Boros was the oldest golfer to ever win a major tournament . Playing at Pecan Valley Golf Club in San Antonio, Boros braved some intense heat to rally from 2 shots down after 54 holes to card a final-round 69, and the tournament by a single stroke over Bob Charles and Arnold Palmer. For his effort, Boros brought home a cool $25,000.

It's been seven years since Day's special weekend at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. And, it's always special to bring up that it's still one of the most dominant performances in the history of this tournament. Day shot a 20-under-par 280 to beat Jordan Spieth by 3 strokes. At the time, Day's score was the lowest in relation to par from any major event. While that's no longer the case in overall major history, it's still the best when it comes to the PGA Championship. 

The severely underrated Stockton won two majors during his PGA career -- both came at the PGA Championship. The first came in 1970 at the same Southern Hills Country Club which will be put to good use in 2022. Stockton overcame a final-round 73, which included an eagle and a double bogey, to top Arnold Palmer by 2 strokes. Then six years later at Congressional, Stockton made a 15-foot putt on the final hole -- on Monday after weather delayed the original Sunday schedule -- to make par and top Ray Floyd and Don January.

We're going back to the 1930s to highlight two of Runyan's great golf accomplishments. A 29-time winner on the PGA Tour, Runyan recorded PGA Championship victories at New York's Park Country Club in 1934. Then four years later at Shawnee Country Club in the Pennsylvania Poconos, when he beat Sam Snead by a record 8 and 7 finish. Both victories were back when the PGA Championship winner was decided through match play. A format that was used from the tournament's debut in 1916, all the way to 1957.

Two of the great Vijay Singh's major titles came at the PGA Championship. And, he certainly had to work for at least one of them. In 1998, playing in the suburbs of Seattle at Sahalee Country Club, Singh led from the second round on and finished 2 shots better than Steve Stricker for his first major victory. But six years later, the 41-year-old Singh needed a playoff to a 3-hole playoff with Justin Leonard   and Chris DiMarco for what would be the last of his major championships.

One of the great major-tournament golfers of all time, with four titles and 28 top-10 finishes, Floyd enjoyed a great deal of that success at the PGA Championship. Half of his major wins came at the PGA. In 1969, when he either shared or held the outright lead each round. Then at Southern Hills in 1982, when he was the wire-to-wire champ, topping Lanny Wadkins by 3 strokes. When all was said and done, Floyd posted 17 top-25 finishes, eight in the top 10, and four within the top at the PGA Championship for his career.

Nelson's two career victories at the PGA Championship were nothing alike. The first came in 1981 when matching 66s in the second and third rounds helped Nelson beat Fuzzy Zoeller by 4 shots at the Atlanta Athletic Club. In 1987, however, Nelson had to beat Lanny Wadkins on the first playoff hole to prove victorious at the PGA National Golf Club. Interestingly, Nelson's victories mark the only times he placed inside the top 10 in 27 PGA Championship starts.

Of Hogan's nine major victories, his first two came at the PGA Championship. And, both did not feature much drama. The first for Hogan was in 1946 when he topped Ed Oliver 6 and 4 at Portland Golf Club in Oregon. Then two years later in 1948, Hogan took care of Mike Turnesa 7 and 6. Shortly after, Hogan won his first U.S. Open title, and he would be one of four golfers to win both events in the same calendar year.

It's been a half-decade since the legendary South African won his second PGA Championship. Back in 1972 at Oakland Hills, Player held the 54-hole lead and kept it to claim the sixth of his nine major titles within his Grand Slam run. It came 10 years after the first time he won the event, in suburban Philadelphia, at Aronimink Golf Club, by 1 shot ahead of Bob Goalby. Player also made the cut in 21 of the 23 starts he made at the PGA Championship.

Like the aforementioned Gary Player, his legendary peer Lee Trevino also went 10 years between his two PGA Championship victories. When Trevino won this tournament title in 1974, he edged fellow superstar Jack Nicklaus by a single stroke at Tanglewood Park in North Carolina. Then in '84, and at age 44, Trevino delivered a more convincing PGA Championship victory at Shoal Creek, beating runners-up Gary Player and Lanny Wadkins by 4 shots. 

Price left his mark in the annals of the PGA Championship twice over a three-year span in the first half of the 1990s. In 1992, at Bellerive, Price was 3 shots better than a group of four runner-ups. Then in 1994, with the event continuing its tradition at Southern Hills, Price was even better -- claiming the PGA Championship title with an 11-under-269, and 6 strokes ahead of Corey Pavin. In 20 starts at the PGA Championship, Price placed inside the top 10 seven times.

Sticking with the back-to-back theme of PGA Championships wins. Shute posted two of his three major victories at the PGA Championship, in 1936 and again in '37. Shute capped his run to the '36 title at Pinehurst, beating Jimmy Thomson 3 and 2. In his successful follow-up, Shute was victorious in Pittsburgh over 37 holes, topping Harold McSpaden and solidifying himself as one of the best golfers of the 1930s. 

One of the premier American golfers during the late 1920s and into the '30s. Diegel's only two recognized major titles happened at the PGA Championship and came in back-to-back fashion. The first of those titles were recorded in 1928 at Baltimore Country Club. In near dominant form, Diegel beat Al Espinosa 6 and 5. In 1929 at Los Angeles' Hillcrest Country Club, Diegel was near as thorough while earning a 6-and-4 victory over Johnny Farrell. 

Barnes has the honor of winning the very first PGA Championship in 1916. Back then, the event was not considered a "major," but still a prestigious triumph for the Englishman. Playing at New York's Siwanoy Country Club, Barnes edged Jock Hutchison by a hole. Barnes repeated as champ with a more decisive 6 and 5 results over Fred McLeod at Engineers Country Club in New York, but that came following a three-year hiatus due to World War I.

Still needing that elusive Masters victory to complete golf's grand slam, McIlroy is a two-winner of the PGA Championship. In fact, it's the only major he's won more than once. McIlroy won the 2012 installment at Kiawah Island with a score of 13-under par and by 8 strokes -- a tournament record for margin of victory in the stroke-play era. Two years later, and after winning The Open Championship, McIlroy pulled off a 1-shot victory at Valhalla.

The PGA Championship was certainly good for one of golf's true icons. Nelson won the PGA Championship in 1940 at Hershey Country Club, and again in 1945 at Moraine Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, near Dayton. Essentially, the first half of the 1940s belonged to Nelson when it came to achieving PGA Championship success. He displayed unwavering confidence that helped Nelson reach the match-play final five times from 1939 to 1945. 

With PGA Championship victories in 2018 and again in '19, Koepka became the first golfer since 2006-'07 to win the event in consecutive years. At St. Louis' Bellerive Country Club in 2018, Koepka's 72-hole score of 264 remains a PGA Championship record. A year later at Bethpage's daunting Black course, Koepka won the event by 4 strokes over Dustin Johnson. For the second straight year, Koepka carded a round of 63 -- tied for the lowest in tournament history.

Regardless of what's going on with Lefty off the course, he'll forever be celebrated for his six major titles. Two of them came at the PGA Championship, and perhaps none more memorable than his most recent. In 2021 at Kiawah Island. the 50-year-old Mickelson became the oldest to ever win a major (surpassing the aforementioned Julius Boros) when he finished 2-shots better than Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen. It came 16 years after he birdied the 72nd hole to top runners-up Steve Elkington  and Thomas Bjørn at Baltusrol for his first PGA Championship victory. Mickelson also has two seconds and a third at the PGA Championship to his name.

While Mickelson owns the distinction of being the oldest player to win this event, seven-time major winner Sarazen is the youngest. Winning his first of three PGA Championships in 1922, at Oakmont, at age 20, 174 days. He would go on to repeat in 1923, at New York's Pelham Country Club. Then 10 years later, Sarazen bested Willie Goggin for title No. 3, at Wisconsin's Blue Mound Golf & Country Club in 1933. In 27 PGA Championship starts, Sarazen finished inside the top 10 18 times and 12 in the top 5.

"Slammin'" Sammy Snead joins Sarazen as three-time winners of the PGA Championship. Snead's titles spanned two decades. His initial victory, in 1942 at New Jersey's Seaview Country Club, was also the first of Snead's seven major wins. Snead's second PGA Championship victory came in 1949 at Virginia's Belmont Golf Course. Then two years later, the 39-year-old Snead proved his game was still sharp by winning at Oakmont.

Before Brooks Koepka earned his back-to-back PGA Championship titles, Woods was the last to accomplish the feat -- in 2006 and '07. Those were the last of Tiger's four PGA Championship victories. His most recent came at Southern Hills, while the 1999 and '06 triumphs both came at Medinah Country Club, in west suburban Chicago. Woods plans on being in the field once again at Southern Hills this month, though it remains to be seen if he'll seriously contend.

Only two golfers have won the PGA Championship five times. The legendary Golden Bear is the first that we'll highlight. His first came in 1963, at the Dallas Athletic Club. At age 40, Nicklaus won his last PGA Championship in 1980 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. In between, Nicklaus posted a wire-to-wire victory in 1971 and twice won in his native Ohio  -- 1973 (Canterbury Golf Club near Cleveland) and '75 (at Akron's Firestone Country Club). Nicklaus also holds the tournament record with four second-place finishes.

Jack Nicklaus putting himself in the same company as Walter Hagen is truly something special when it comes to the history of major championship play. One of the early greats of the game, Hagen's five PGA Championship victories all came during the 1920s. The first of the lot in 1921, when he beat Jim Barnes at New York's Inwood Country Club. The next came in 1924, and kick-started a run of four consecutive PGA Championship victories. By far, a record for consecutive wins at the event.