It’s etched through a scan of the all-time winners. Nicklaus. Woods. Player. The 2019 PGA Championship may seem like the forgotten major when compared to the other three, but it still possesses its share of history. It doesn’t hurt that its move up the calendar from August to May will draw more attention toward it.
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Its prestigious payout history also backs up its status as a major. The winner earns seven figures, which is also occasionally the case for the runner-up.
Here is a full list of every PGA Championship winner since 1958, as well as a breakdown of the payouts and a look at the tournament’s history.
PGA Championship winners by year
From 1916 to 1957, the PGA Championship was a match play event, with stroke play permanently taking over as the format in 1958. Jack Nicklaus’ five stroke play tournament wins give him the most by any golfer, but Woods will have a chance to match him this year.
How much does the PGA Championship winner make?
The purse for this year’s PGA Championship is $11 million. The Masters purse, which was also $11 million in 2018, saw an increase of $500,000 this year.
All payouts below are based off the 2018 results and purse and are always subject to change depending on ties.
PGA Championship history
Having previously been played in August in most years since 1969, the tournament will now take up residency in May as part of a revamped PGA tour schedule. What started as a match play event all the way back in 1916 changed to the traditional stroke play format for good in 1958.
The first tournament was held at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York, and it has rotated courses around the country ever since. Jim Barnes, the 1916 champion, won $500 in prize money that year. For comparison, Brooks Koepka got $1,980,000 for his win last year.
Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma has hosted the PGA Championship four times, more often than any other course.
Although the exact history of when it was given major status is unclear, it’s believed to be around 1960, shortly after the format change. In addition to his record five wins, Nicklaus has also been the runner-up on four separate occasions. Woods is the only golfer to win the tournament in consecutive years, a feat he has accomplished twice.
