PGA Championship records: A major broken into numbers
We have broken down the PGA Championship into numbers and picked out the best statistics of one of golf’s big four events…
It is a major championship week we have looked forward to since its inception in 1916.
From the match play era to the stroke play era of today, the PGA Championship is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the PGA Tour calendar.
We’ve decided to look back on the statistics and numbers. Who has the most Wanamaker trophies? Who shot the lowest score? Who’s the oldest-ever winner? And the youngest too!
PGA Championship records
Most wins
5 – Walter Hagen 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927
5 – Jack Nicklaus 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980
4 – Tiger Woods 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007
3 – Gene Sarazen 1922, 1923, 1933
3 – Sam Snead 1942, 1949, 1951
3 – Brooks Koepka 2018, 2019, 2023
Lowest winning total
264, Brooks Koepka – 2018 PGA Championship, Bellerive
Highest winning total
282, Phil Mickelson – 2021
281, Jay Herbert – 1960
281, Julius Boros – 1968
281, Gary Player – 1972
281, Dave Stockton – 1976
Oldest winner
50 years, 11 months, 8 days – Phil Mickelson, 2021
48 years, 4 months, 18 days – Julius Boros, 1968
45 years, 3 months, 6 days – Jerry Barber, 1961
44 years, 8 months, 18 days – Lee Trevino, 1984
41 years, 5 months, 21 days – Vijay Singh, 2004
40 years, 6 months, 20 days – Jack Nicklaus, 1980
Youngest Winners
20 Years, 5 months, 22 days – Gene Sarazen, 1922
20 years, 7 months, 17 days – Tom Creavy, 1931
21 years, 7 months, 2 days – Gene Sarazen, 1923
23 years, 3 months, 8 days – Rory McIlroy, 2012
23 years, 6 months – Jack Nicklaus,1963
23 years, 6 months – Collin Morikawa, 2020
Best 72-Hole Total Score
264 – Brooks Koepka (69-63-66-66) 2018
265 – David Toms (66-65-65-69) 2001
266 – Tiger Woods* (70-66-66-64) 2018
266 – Jimmy Walker (65-66-68-67) 2016
266 – Phil Mickelson (66-66-66-68) 2001
267 – Collin Morikawa (69-69-65-64) 2020
267 – Adam Scott* (70-65-65-67) 2018
267 – Steve Elkington (68-67-68-64) 1995
267 – Colin Montgomerie* (68-67-67-65) 1995
267 – Jason Day* (68-65-67-67) 2016
268 – Steve Lowery (67-67-66-68) 2001
268 – Rory Mcilroy (66-67-67-68) 2014
268 – Jason Day (68-67-66-67) 2015
*denotes no winner
Best 72-Hole Score in Relation to Par
20 under – Jason Day (68-67-66-67) 2015
18 under – Tiger Woods (66-67-70-67) 2000
18 under – Tiger Woods (69-68-65-68) 2006
18 under – Bob May* (72-66-66-66) 2000
17 under – Steve Elkington (68-67-68-64) 1995
17 under – Colin Montgomerie* (68-67-67-65) 1995
17 under – Jordan Spieth* (71-67-65-68) 2015
16 under – Brooks Koepka (69-63-66-66) 2018
16 under – Rory McIlroy (66-67-67-68) 2014
15 under – Lee Trevino (69-68-67-69) 1984
15 under – Ernie Els* (66-65-66-72) 1995
15 under – Jeff Maggert* (66-69-65-69) 1995
15 under – David Toms (66-65-65-69) 2001
15 under – Phil Mickelson* (69-67-67-66) 2014
15 under – Branden Grace* (71-69-64-69) 2015
*denotes non-winning score
Back-to-back wins
Tiger Woods – only golfer to have won the PGA Championship in back-to-back years
1999-2000 and 2006-2007.
Runners-up
Most Second-Place Finishes
4 – Jack Nicklaus 1964, 1965, 1974, 1983
3 – Byron Nelson 1939, 1941, 1944
3 – Arnold Palmer 1964, 1968, 1970
3 – Billy Casper 1958, 1965, 1971
3 – Lanny Watkins 1982, 1984, 1987
3 – Tiger Woods 2002, 2009, 2018
Lowest nine-hole score
28 – Brad Faxon 1995
29 – Fred Couples 1982
29 – Gibby Gilbert 1983
29 – John Adams 1995
29 – Hiroshi Iwata 2015
What is your favourite of these PGA Championship stats? Tell us on X!
Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spoken to the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson, to name just a few.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
