US PGA Championship History

The US PGA Championship is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major that's usually played in mid August. Due to it being the season's final major, the US PGA Championship is nicknamed "Glory's Last Shot". Since 1994, the PGA Championship has featured the most players in the Top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings, and perennially boasts the strongest field in golf. It's an official money event on the PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour, with a purse of $7.5 million in 2010 and has 156 of the best golfers in the world competing for the Wanamaker Trophy. Winning that Trophy is an experience that has only been enjoyed by 63 golfers.

The 2012 Championship is the 94th PGA Championships and as a result this tournament has been held at a large number of venues, but it's usually staged by one of a small group of outstanding golf facilities, each of which normally has a good track record for hosting several other leading events. Overall, 71 courses in 25 US States have served as a host site for at least one of the 93 US PGA Championships.

The US PGA Championship was the idea of department store owner Rodman Wanamaker, who saw the merchandising possibilities in a professional golfers' organization. Wanamaker invited some prominent golfers and other leading industry representatives to a luncheon at the Taplow Club in New York City. On Jan. 17, 1916, a group of 35 individuals, including the legendary Walter Hagen, convened for an introductory meeting, which ended in the formation of The PGA of America.

During that meeting, Wanamaker suggested that the newly formed organization needed an annual all-professional Championship, and offered to put up $2,500 and various trophies and medals as part of the prize fund. The PGA Championship of Great Britain was a 36 hole elimination matchplay tournament and both the British Open and the US Open were played at stroke play over 72 holes. Wanamaker wanted to follow the format of the 36 hole elimination matchplay tournament and seven months after his offer was accepted, the first US PGA Championship was played at Siwanoy Country Club.

The winner of the first tournament was Jim Barnes, who received $500 and a diamond-studded gold medal donated by Rodman Wanamaker. Last year, the 2011 winner Keegan Bradly, earned $1.35 million as well as a replica of the Wanamaker Trophy.

In recent years of the US PGA Championship, as in the other majors, the previous dominance of American golfers has ended. Ireland's Padraig Harrington overcame Sergio Garcia in 2008 at Oakland Hills, South Korea's Y.E.Yang shocked the golf world in 2009 at Hazeltine National Golf Club to become the first Asian male player to win a major championship. Martin Kaymer triumphed in 2010, but in 2011, Keegan Bradley hit back for the American golfers as he won at Atlanta Athletics Club.

• Oldest winner of the US PGA Championship is Julius Boros in 1968 (48 years, 142 days)
• Youngest winner of the US PGA Championship is Gene Sarazen in 1922 (20 years, 174 days)
• Lowest absolute 72-hole score in the US PGA Championship is 265, by David Toms in 2001 (66-65-65-69). This is the lowest 72-hole score ever recorded in any major championship.
• Lowest 72-hole score in relation to par in the US PGA Championship is -18, Tiger Woods (66-67-70-67, 270) and Bob May (72-66-66-66, 270) in 2000 and Tiger Woods (69-68-65-68, 270) in 2006.
• Greatest victory margin in the US PGA Championship is 7 strokes, by Jack Nicklaus in 1980.
• Lowest 18-hole score in the US PGA Championship is 63 ñ Bruce Crampton, 2nd round, 1975; Raymond Floyd, 1st, 1982; Gary Player, 2nd, 1984; Vijay Singh, 2nd, 1993; Michael Bradley, 1st, 1995; Brad Faxon, 4th, 1995; JosÈ MarÌa Olaz·bal, 3rd, 2000; Mark O'Meara, 2nd , 2001; Thomas Bj¯rn, 3rd, 2005; Tiger Woods, 2nd, 2007.
• The Highlands course at The Atlanta Athletic Club is known for David Tom's special hole-in-one on the 242-yard par 3, 15th hole during the third round of the 2001 US PGA Championship. Toms went on to win the 83rd US PGA Championship.
• The Highlands course is also known for the "Shot Heard Round the World" which was Jerry Pateís incredible 194-yard 5 iron shot to within three feet on the final hole to win the 1976 US Open.