PGA Championship history: Records of winners at Oak Hill ahead of 2023 major. Who has the most wins?

It's often the most overlooked major of the four, but the history of the PGA Championship is worthy of its place as one of the most treasured titles in golf.

The event was actually in a match play format until 1958, where it converted the usual four-round stroke-play format we see with most golf tournaments today. And until 1955, the winner had to be ready to play 216 holes in seven days to take home the Wanamaker Trophy. That included four 36 hole matches from the round of 16 until the final pairing. Now imagine walking that in mostly-wool clothing in August. Oof.

Of the first ten PGA Championships events, Walter Hagen won five of them. He picked up his first in 1921, then four straight from 1924-27 for a modern era major record that will likely never be broken.

Jack Nicklaus is the only other man to win the event five times, and he did so in three different decades from 1963-1980. Tiger Woods could match that feat this week, but seems unlikely to repeat his wins in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2007. But his last victory was at Southern Hills, also site of the 2022 PGA Championship.

Tiger is the only golfer since 1951 to win the event more than twice. Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, and Justin Thomas could change that this week with a victory, as they each have two replica Wanamaker's at home. Thomas picked up his second last year at Southern Hills in a playoff win over Will Zalatoris.

Two men have won the event three times in Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead, but a total of 17 have done it twice.

And this week in Rochester at Oak Hill Country Club, another name will be etched in history at the 105th PGA Championship. This is the fourth time the tournament has been contested on the course. The previous winners:

1980: Jack Nicklaus
2003: Shaun Micheel
2013: Jason Dufner

The course has also hosted the US Open three times, with the following winners:

1956: Cary Middlecoff
1968: Lee Trevino
1989: Curtis Strange

  
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