1974 PGA Championship explained

1974 PGA Championship
Dates:August 8–11, 1974
Location:Clemmons, North Carolina
Course:Tanglewood Park,
Championship Course
Org:PGA of America
Tour:PGA Tour
Par:70
Yardage:7050yd[1]
Field:141 players, 78 after cut[2]
Cut:149 (+9)
Purse:$225,000
Winners Share:$45,000
Champion: Lee Trevino
Score:276 (−4)
Previous:1973
Next:1975
Map:USA#USA North Carolina
Map Relief:yes
Map Label:Tanglewood Park
Coordinates:35.993°N -80.405°W

The 1974 PGA Championship was the 56th PGA Championship, played August 8–11 at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, North Carolina, a suburb southwest of Winston-Salem. Lee Trevino won the first of his two PGA Championships, one stroke ahead of defending champion Jack Nicklaus.[1] It was the fifth of Trevino's six major titles and Nicklaus was the runner-up to Trevino in a major for the fourth and final time.[3] It was the first year since 1969 in which Nicklaus did not win a major championship,[4] but he regained the title the following year.

Three-time champion Sam Snead, age 62, finished tied for third for his third consecutive top ten finish in the event. It was the final major in which he was in contention, his next best finish was a tie for 42nd at the PGA Championship in 1979. Gary Player's bid to win three majors in 1974 came up short in the final round; the winner of the Masters and Open Championship finished four strokes back at even par, in seventh place.

Trevino used a putter he found in a friend's attic only days before and had only one three-putt, on the 71st hole.[4] Tanglewood is a county-owned facility in Forsyth County.[5]

This championship coincided with the resignation of President Nixon, who left office on Friday.[6]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, August 8, 1974

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
T1 68 −2
T4 69 −1
T10 70 E
Source:[7]

Second round

Friday, August 9, 1974

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 68-67=135 −5
2 68-68=136 −4
T3 69-68=137 −3
73-64=137
5 69-69=138 −2
6 73-66=139 −1
T7 73-67=140 E
73-67=140
68-72=140
70-70=140
69-71=140
69-71=140
Source:[8]

Third round

Saturday, August 10, 1974

Lee Trevino shot 68 to take the lead at 207 (−3), while 36-hole leader John Schlee carded 75 to fall three strokes back.[9] [10]

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1 73-66-68=207 −3
T2 69-68-71=208 −2
69-69-70=208
T4 73-67-69=209 −1
68-68-73=209
T6 74-69-67=210 E
73-64-73=210
68-67-75=210
69-71-70=210
10 69-71-71=211 +1
Source:[9] [10]

Final round

Sunday, August 11, 1974

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1 Lee Trevino 73-66-68-69=276 −4 45,000
2 69-69-70-69=277 −3 25,700
T3 69-68-71-71=279 −1 10,957
68-68-73-70=279
74-69-67-69=279
69-71-71-68=279
7 73-64-73-70=280 E 7,200
8 70-70-75-66=281 +1 6,635
T9 73-71-68-70=282 +2 5,850
72-72-71-67=282
Source:[1] [11]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: 'Super' Lee notches PGA . Spokesman-Review . Associated Press . August 12, 1974 . 12.
  2. Web site: Tournament Info for: 1974 PGA Championship . https://web.archive.org/web/20061023164205/http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=400&date=1974&tourn_name_id=2 . dead . October 23, 2006 . PGA of America . August 15, 2012.
  3. He left them laughing . Sports Illustrated . Jenkins . Dan . Dan Jenkins . August 19, 1974 . 14.
  4. News: Trevino holds off Nicklaus to win PGA . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Gundelfinger . Phil . August 12, 1974 . 18.
  5. Web site: Tanglewood Park: golf . Forsyth County . July 27, 2016.
  6. News: Nixon Resigns . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . August 9, 1974 . 1.
  7. News: Swinging Sam still firing birds . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Associated Press . August 9, 1974 . 1D.
  8. News: Player chases Schlee in PGA . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Associated Press . August 10, 1974 . 1B.
  9. News: Trevino grabs PGA lead . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho) . Associated Press . August 11, 1974 . 11.
  10. News: Player ignores comedian's antics . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon) . Associated Press . August 11, 1974 . 3C.
  11. Web site: 1974 PGA Championship . databasegolf.com . August 22, 2013.