On this date in 2010, Fred Funk won The Tradition on the Champions Tour, taking the title by one shot over Michael Allen and Lu Chien-soon of Taiwan.
The PGA Championship ended on this date in 1920 with Scotsman Jock Hutchison defeating Douglas Edgar, 1 up, in a 36-hole battle at Flossmoor Country Club in Chicago.
On this date in 1944, the PGA Championship was won in an upset. Bob Hamilton won the 36-hole finale, 1 up, at Manito Golf & Country Club over the 1940 winner Byron Nelson. The match was tied after the first 18. Nelson would win the following year.
On this date in 1984, Lee Trevino won his second PGA Championship after shooting four rounds in the 60s and winning in sensational fashion by four shots at Shoal Creek over Gary Player and Lanny Wadkins.
On this date in 2002, Rich Beem bucked the odds and won the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, winning his first major title by one shot over Tiger Woods with a 10-under 278.
A few PGA Championships ended on this date, including in 1969 when Raymond Floyd won at NCR Country Club’s South Course in Dayton, Ohio. Floyd shot eight-under 276 to win by one shot over Gary Player of South Africa, who infamously had to deal with apartheid protestors.
One of Arnold Palmer’s runner-up finishes in the PGA Championship ended on this date in 1970. Dave Stockton won with 279 at Southern Hills, with Palmer and Bob Murphy two strokes back. It was the first of two Stockton victories, the second coming in 1976.
A PGA Championship that was believed tailor made for Arnold Palmer to win instead went to Dave Marr on this date in 1965. Held at a course Palmer played out of his home in nearby Latrobe, the PGA at Laurel Valley was supposed to ensure an Arnie victory. But he was a nonfactor, tied for 33rd, and the affable Marr won by two over Bill Casper and Jack Nicklaus.
On this day in 1988, Jeff Sluman finished off a dream week at the PGA Championship at Oak Tree Golf Club in Oklahoma, shooting 12-under 272 to win by three over Paul Azinger.
On this date in 1933, Gene Sarazen put down claims his game was slipping by winning the PGA Championship at age 32 at Blue Mound Country Club in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He beat Willie Goggin, 5 and 4, in the final, culminating a week where his closest of five matches was a 4-and-3 victory over Harry Cooper in the second round.
On this date in 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA Championship at Canterbury GC near Cleveland and passed Bobby Jones with 14 majors to take the all-time lead. Nicklaus won his third of five PGAs by four strokes over Bruce Crampton of Australia.
In 1974 on this date, Lee Trevino won the PGA Championship at Tanglewood Park in North Carolina. Trevino won the first of two PGAs, winning a battle with defending champion Jack Nicklaus. Trevino won by a shot with a four-under-par total of 276.
On this date in 1975, Jack Nicklaus won a fourth PGA Championship, this time at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Nicklaus had a four-under-par total of 276 and won by two shots over Bruce Crampton. Nicklaus led by four with a round to go and held on with a 71 to Crampton’s 69.
On this date in 1981, Larry Nelson won the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. Nelson won by four strokes over Fuzzy Zoeller with a seven-under 273 total. It was his first of three major victories.
On this date in 1982, Raymond Floyd won his second PGA Championship, surviving at sultry Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a 272 total to beat Lanny Wadkins by three. Floyd was 39 and took charge with a seven-under 63 in Round 1.
Arnold Palmer won his 20th PGA Tour title on this date in 1960, his watershed year when he emerged as the main superstar in golf. At the Insurance City Open, he finished four rounds of 70-68-66-66—270 to tie for first with Bill Collins and Jack Fleck and then he won in a three-hole, sudden-death playoff. First place was worth $3,500.
The 1972 PGA Championship concluded on this date with Gary Player winning at Oakland Hills near Detroit by two shots over Jim Jamieson and Tommy Aaron. The miracle clincher took place on the 16th hole in the final round when Player drove into the right rough behind a large weeping willow. But the South African lofted a 9-iron over the tree and made a four-foot birdie putt to maintain a cushion.
The AIG Women’s Open Ch. will be next weekend at Walton Heath, but on this date in 2007, Lorena Ochoa won the event at the Old Course at St. Andrews, leading start to finish and finishing four strokes ahead of Maria Hjorth and Jee Young Lee with a 72-hole five-under score of 287.
On this day in 1945, the great gentleman champion golfer Byron Nelson won the Canadian Open at Thornhill Golf Club. It was his 11th of a record 18 straight victories that year on the PGA circuit.
On this day in 1979 at Oakland Hills in Birmingham, Michigan, Sam Snead made the cut at the PGA Championship. He had rounds of 73-71 to make the cut by two strokes, and become the oldest player to make the cut at a major at age 67 years 2 months 7 days. He shot 71-73 on the weekend to tie for 42nd.