Golf Majors - The PGA Championship

One of golfings majors, the PGA Championship represents golf at its finest. The golfers of the world have competed for over 80 years for the the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy. Even changes in golf equipment over the years has not made the selected courses any easier. Other golf majors include the British Open, the US Open and The Masters.

The PGA Championship - History

At the exploratory meeting of The Professionals Golfers' Association of America on January 17, 1916, the idea for a national championship was conceived. Department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker, who hosted the meeting, would provide a trophy for the competition, as well as an initial purse of $2,580 for the match-play event.

The first PGA Championship was played in 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N.Y. England's Jim Barnes won the inaugural Championship, but the event was interrupted for two years by World War I. Barnes came back in 1919 to capture his second consecutive Championship and began his own era of domination. Hagen would go on to post his record-tying five PGA Championships in the 1920s. Gene Sarazen would claim victories in 1922, '23 and '33. Denny Shute captured the PGA Championship title in 1936 and 1937, becoming the first back-to-back winner before Tiger Woods in 2000. In 1958, the format of the PGA Championship was changed from match play to stroke play. In 1963, Jack Nicklaus won his first of a record-tying five PGA Championships. Over the past eight decades, the PGA Championship has developed into one of the premier sporting events in the world.

The PGA Championship - Winners