Brooks Koepka will be chasing history when the PGA Championship gets underway at TPC Harding Park as he looks to join Walter Hagen as just the second player to win the major for a third consecutive year. But there are many other records that could also be broken at the first major championship of 2020. Here are a few notable numbers to keep an eye on during Championship week.
63
It’s the lowest single-round score recorded at the PGA Championship and a number that has been recorded on 17 occasions. Twice Brooks Koepka has recorded a round of 63 at the PGA Championship, the first time came at Bellerive Country Club in 2018. He carded a 9-under par, 63 during the second route en route to capturing his first PGA Championship. In 2019, Koepka fired a 7-under, 63 during the first round at the Bethpage Black Course which led to a successful title defense.
63 (7 under) by Bruce Crampton (31-32), second round, 1975
63 (7 under) by Raymond Floyd (33-30), first round, 1982
63 (9 under) by Gary Player (30-33), second round, 1984
63 (8 under) by Vijay Singh (32-31), second round, 1993
63 (8 under) by Michael Bradley (30-33), first round, 1993
63 (8 under) by Brad Faxon (28-35), final round, 1995
63 (9 under) by Jose Maria Olazabal (32-31), third round, 2000
63 (7 under) by Mark O’Meara (32-31), second round, 2001
63 (7 under) by Thomas Bjorn (32-31), third round, 2005
63 (7 under) by Tiger Woods (32-31), second round, 2007
63 (7 under) by Steve Stricker (33-30), first round, 2011
63 (7 under) by Jason Dufner (31-32), second round, 2013
63 (9 under) by Hiroshi Iwata (34-29), second round, 2015
63 (9 under) by Robert Streb (30-33), second round, 2016
63 (9 under) by Brooks Koepka (31-32), second round, 2018
63 (7 under) by Charl Schwartzel (32-31), second round, 2018
63 (7 under) by Brooks Koepka (31-32), first round, 2019
5
Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus share the record for the most victories at the PGA Championship at five each. When the Championship was still held in a Match Play format, Hagen won four consecutive titles between 1927 and 1924. He captured his fifth and final PGA Championship in 1921.
Jack Nicklaus won his first PGA Championship in 1963 at Dallas Athletic Club and then, beginning in 1971, he began an incredible 13-year run in which he captured four PGA Championships, twice finished runner-up and recorded nine top-4 finishes.
8
Rory McIlroy set the record for the largest margin of victory during the 2012 PGA Championship at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island. McIlroy’s rounds of 67-75-67-66 were good enough to win by eight strokes ahead of David Lynn, which was one better than the record previously set by Jack Nicklaus.
7
The largest come from behind victory belongs to John Mahaffey, who trailed Tom Watson by seven strokes entering the final round of the 1978 PGA Championship. Mahaffey carded a final round 66 to force a playoff with Watson and Jerry Pate. Mahaffey drained a 12-footer for birdie on the second playoff hole to capture his only major title.
Other Notable Numbers to Know from the PGA Championship:
55: Brooks Koepka is 55 shots under par in his last six appearances
48: Oldest winner (Julius Boros, 1968)
41: Most rounds in the 60s (Jack Nicklaus)
28: Lowest 9-hole score (Brad Faxon, final round, front nine, 1995)
20-Under Par: Best score in relation to par (Jason Day, 2015)
4: Back-to-back-to-back-to-back winner (Walter Hagen 1924-1927)
