This Day in Golf History: August 6

Gary Player memorably hit a 9-iron out of wet rough on the 408-yard par-4 16th hole in winning the PGA Championship on this date in 1972. The 150-yard blind shot over a weeping willow came to rest four feet from the hole. Player made the birdie putt to increase his lead to two, and he won with a one-over-par total of 281 over Jim Jamieson and Tommy Aaron. In 1978 on this date, Tom Watson had his closest chance of winning the PGA Championship at historic Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. He led by five shots with one round to go, but a double-bogey 6 on the 10th, the result of his drive going in a divot hole, began the erosion of his lead and he would go on to shoot 73 and lose a sudden-death playoff on the second hole to John Mahaffey. Jerry Pate was also in the playoff.