Fansided

10 best moments in PGA Championship history

By Luke Norris

CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 10: The Wanamaker Trophy is seen during the first round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 10, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 10: The Wanamaker Trophy is seen during the first round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 10, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images) /
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(Original Caption) Byron Nelson (right), winner in the National PGA Tourney at Dayton, Ohio, receives the huge cup from Ed Dudley (center) PGA Tourney president, as Sam Byrd, runner-up, looks on. Nelson defeated Byrd in the finals in what was the fifth time in the last six PGA tourneys that he has played the championship match. Tourney was held at Moraine Country Club.
(Original Caption) Byron Nelson (right), winner in the National PGA Tourney at Dayton, Ohio, receives the huge cup from Ed Dudley (center) PGA Tourney president, as Sam Byrd, runner-up, looks on. Nelson defeated Byrd in the finals in what was the fifth time in the last six PGA tourneys that he has played the championship match. Tourney was held at Moraine Country Club. /

8. Byron Nelson continues his hot streak in 1945

The PGA Championship was the only major championship played in 1945 due to World War II and the best golfer in the world at that time, Byron Nelson, made the most of it. Not participating in the war due to a blood disorder, Nelson had arguably the best season anyone has ever had in the game of golf. In 30 tournaments played that year, Nelson won 18 of them and finished second another seven times.

Heading into the PGA Championship at Moraine Country Club, which was still match play at the time, Nelson had reeled off eight straight victories but getting number nine would require not only skill but stamina as the format was absolutely grueling. The schedule at that time was 18 holes of stroke play on Monday and Tuesday to qualify and then 36 holes from Wednesday to Sunday, making it possible to play 216 holes in seven days. Of course, some of those matches wouldn’t require a full 18 holes but that’s still pretty exhausting.

Nelson obviously got through qualifying and defeated three-time PGA Championship winner Gene Sarazen in the first round of match play, Mike Turnesa in the second round and then beat two-time champ Denny Shute in the quarterfinals before upending Claude Harmon in the semis. Nelson would meet Sam Byrd in the finals and a win seemed like a lock but Byrd was 2-up after the morning session and an upset was in the works. But Nelson wasn’t going down quietly and tied the match at the eighth hole of the afternoon round. He would birdie the 29th hole of the match and then the following three to win 4&3 to capture his second PGA Championship title — he also won in 1940 with a 1-up victory over Sam Snead — and what would turn out to be his final major championship.

Nelson would play a total of 204 holes that week and shot a combined 37-under-par.

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