This Day in Golf History: August 12

On this date in 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA Championship at Canterbury Golf Club, a favorite course of Arnold Palmer’s while stationed at the Coast Guard in Cleveland. It was Jack’s third of five PGA victories, and he won by four shots over Bruce Crampton of Australia. In counting his two U.S. Amateur wins, the victory put Nicklaus one ahead of Bobby Jones for most major championship victories with 14. August 12 has many special occurrences in other PGAs. It was the first day of the event in 1922 (won by Gene Sarazen), 1965 (Dave Marr), 1976 (Dave Stockton), 1993 (Paul Azinger), 1999 (Tiger Woods), 2004 (Vijay Singh), and 2010 (Martin Kaymer). August 12 was the final day not only in 1973 but in 1990 (Wayne Grady), 2007 (Woods), 2012 (Rory McIlroy) and 2018 (Brooks Koepka). For the foreseeable future that will be the last time the PGA ends on an August 12 now that the championship was moved to May in 2019.