Of the several PGA Championships that ended on this date, the one in 1965 was supposed to have been Arnold Palmer’s crowning moment. Held at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, in Arnie’s Latrobe backyard, the winner instead was the very worthy Dave Marr, who won by two shots over Billy Casper and Jack Nicklaus. Marr went on to be arguably the best TV golf analyst, mainly working for ABC. Palmer, who exerted a lot of energy serving as a championship host, only finished tied for 33rd, 14 shots behind.
On this date in 2016, 112 years after the last time golf was competed in the Olympics, Justin Rose of Great Britain shot a score of 16 under par to win the gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, two ahead of Henrik Stenson. Getting the bronze medal was American Matt Kuchar.
On this date in 1989, Payne Stewart outlasted Mike Reid at Kemper Lakes to win his first major championship in the PGA. Stewart finished one ahead of Reid, Andy Bean and Curtis Strange. The championship started with Arnold Palmer, nearly 60 years old, shooting 68 and Tom Watson 67; both needed a PGA to complete a career Grand Slam, but neither could keep close to the lead by the end.
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.
The PGA Championship had several memorable winners on this date. John Daly burst onto the scene in 1991 and Bob Tway holed out from a bunker on the final hole in 1986 to beat Greg Norman at Inverness. But Lee Trevino also had a pair of results, one good and one bad. In 1985 at Cherry Hills Country Club, Hubert Green beat Trevino by two shots, but in 1974 at Tanglewood Park in North Carolina, Trevino won by one stroke over Jack Nicklaus.
In a date coincidence, the final two PGA Championships Jack Nicklaus won were on this date, August 10. In 1975, he won his fourth PGA overall on the South Course of Firestone Country Club by two shots from Bruce Crampton. And in 1980 on the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club Nicklaus won his fifth and final PGA by seven shots over Andy Bean.
Larry Nelson has an easy time remembering what August 9 means to him in the world of golf. On this date he won both of his PGA victories. In 1981 he won by four strokes over Fuzzy Zoeller at the Atlanta Athletic Club. He won his second major at the 1983 U.S. Open, then in 1987 on this date won the PGA Championship at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, beating Lanny Wadkins in a sudden-death playoff. Playing the par-4 10th hole first, both players missed the green. Nelson chipped to six feet, Wadkins four. After Nelson made his putt for par, Wadkins failed on his to extend the match and Nelson had won.
On this date in 1982, Raymond Floyd won the 64th PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by three shots over Lanny Wadkins. It was Floyd’s second PGA victory.
On this date in 1983, Jack Nicklaus had one of his record 19 second-place finishes in a major at the PGA Championship at Riviera Country Club. Hal Sutton shot a par final round to hold off Nicklaus who was six behind with a round to go and shot 66 to fall one shot short.
Tom Watson had his closest chance of winning the PGA Championship on this date in 1978 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 hole, 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.
On this date in 1979, the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club was won by Australian David Graham in a three-hole, sudden-death playoff with Ben Crenshaw.
On this date in 1945, the great American golfer Byron Nelson won the Canadian Open at Uplands & Thornhill CC. It was his 11th straight win in a season where he set a record for winning 18.
On this date in 1979, Sam Snead set the record for the oldest player to make a cut in a major championship when he did so at age 67 years, 2 months and 7 days at the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club.
On this date in 1959, Bob Rosburg won the PGA Championship at Minneapolis GC, taking the title by one shot over Doug Sanders and Jerry Barber.
On this date in 2004, Peter Jacobson won the U.S. Senior Open at Bellerive Golf Club, west of St. Louis, by one shot over Hale Irwin, a Missouri native.
On this date in 1961, the PGA Championship ended at Olympia Fields C.C. with Jerry Barber winning his only major in an 18-hole playoff with Don January by a score of 67 to 68.
On this date in 1995 the Senior Open Championship was won by Scottish free spirit Brian Barnes in a playoff over Bob Murphy of the U.S., at Royal Portrush G.C.
On this date in 2007, Tom Watson made a double bogey on the final hole but still won the Senior Open for the third time in five years, by one shot over Stewart Ginn and Mark O’Meara at Muirfield.
On this date in 1991, Jack Nicklaus shot a 65 to win an 18-hole playoff with Chi Chi Rodriguez in the U.S. Senior Open at Oakland Hills Country Club, winning by four shots.
Jordan Spieth, the slumping wunderkind of golf, was born on this date in 1993 in Dallas, Texas. He won the U.S. Open and Masters in 2015, was second in the PGA that year, and won the 2017 Open Championship but hasn’t won since then. He has 14 pro victories in all.