Oklahoma’s major golf history runs deep
Three weeks from Thursday, major championship golf returns to Oklahoma .
For the first time in 15 years, the best golfers in the world will gather in Tulsa at Southern Hills Country Club for the 2022 PGA Championship, which begins May 19.
In a state with plenty of golf history, the PGA Championship will mark the 10th men’s major contested in Oklahoma, eight of those coming at historic Southern Hills.
Here’s a look at the history of major championship golf (PGA and LPGA) in Oklahoma:
1935: Twin Hills Golf & Country Club, Oklahoma City
The first men’s major was held at Twin Hills in northeastern Oklahoma City. Opened in 1923, Twin Hills hosted the PGA Championship from Oct. 17-23. Weather caused the tournament to finish on a Wednesday after starting on the previous Thursday.
The match-play format, which was used for the PGA Championship until 1958, called for 12 rounds, or 216 holes, in six days. The first two rounds were stroke play, then the match play field was set.
The first two rounds of match play were 18 holes each, and from the third round on 36 holes to determine who advanced.
American Johnny Revolta won his only major championship, topping Tommy Armour 5 and 4 in the final. Revolta, who won $1,000, knocked off 11time major winner Walter Hagan in the first round of match play.
1958: Southern Hills, Tulsa
The U.S. Open made its first appearance in Oklahoma from June 12-14. The first two rounds were played on Thursday and Friday while the final two were contested Saturday.
Tommy Bolt, born in Haworth in far southeastern Oklahoma, won his only major championship by four shots over a then 22-year-old Gary Player, who was participating in his first U.S. Open. Bolt was the only player in the field to not shoot a round of 75 or over. He finished at 3-over par and won $8,000.
An 18-year-old Jack Nicklaus made his first U.S. Open cut in his second start, finishing in 41st place.
High winds and temperatures made scoring conditions difficult throughout the week. The course was set at 6,907 yards.
1970: Muskogee Country Club, Muskogee
The first women’s golf major comes to the Sooner State, as the 25th U.S. Women’s Open is held in Muskogee from July 2-5.
Donna Caponi won her second consecutive U.S. Open title, shooting a 3over par 287. Caponi shot a 6-over par 77 during the final round, and her double bogey putt on the 18th hole hung on the lip before falling in to avoid a Monday playoff. Sandra Haynie and Sandra Spuzich finished a stroke behind in a tie for second.
Caponi led by four entering the final round. She earned $5,000 for her win.
1970: Southern Hills, Tulsa
The PGA Championship returned to Oklahoma, this time at Southern Hills for its second major from Aug. 13-16.
California native Dave Stockton won the first of his two PGA Championships, shooting a 1-under par 279, the only player in the field to break par. He won $40,000.
Arnold Palmer recorded his third runner-up finish at the PGA Championship, the only major he never won, finishing two strokes behind Stockton.
The third round was remarkably hot, as temperatures reached 101 degrees. Defending champion Raymond Floyd carded a 5-under par 65 on Saturday to move into second place, but he finished in a tie for eighth.
The course didn’t change much in the 12 years since its first major. Its length was 6,962 yards, and the biggest change was lengthening the par-5 fifth hole by 38 yards to 630.
1977: Southern Hills, Tulsa
The U.S. Open returned to Tulsa for the second time, and the course played shorter than it had for its first two majors at 6,873 yards. It was held June 1619.
Hubert Green won his first of two majors, shooting a 2-under par 278 to beat Lou Graham, the 1975 U.S. Open winner, by one stroke. They were the only two players who finished under par.
Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player finished tied for 10th.
Perhaps the most astounding part of the 1977 U.S. Open was with four holes to play, Green was approached by tournament officials and Tulsa police, who said they received a phone call threatening to assassinate Green while he played the 15th hole.
He continued to play, and his drive went into a tree, which saved it from going out of bounds, and he was able to get on the green and two putt for par. He birdied the 16th and had a two-shot lead on 18, so his bogey putt salvaged his
victory, winning $45,000.
1977 was a big year for golf on television, as it was the first time all 18 holes of the final round of the U.S. Open were shown live.
1982: Southern Hills, Tulsa
For the third time in 13 years, Southern Hills was hosting a major, this time its second PGA Championship.
The course layout was shortened by 11 yards from the U.S. Open five years prior. The 64th PGA Championship was contested Aug. 5-8.
Raymond Floyd shot an opening round 7-under par 63 and led wire-towire to capture his third of four major titles and second PGA Championship. He finished at 8-under 272, which was one stroke outside of the record for lowest cumulative score at a PGA Championship. He would’ve had that title himself if not for a double bogey on the 72nd hole.
Floyd took home $65,000 for winning, which was the final time the PGA winner’s share was below six figures.
1983: Cedar Ridge Country Club, Broken Arrow
Only the second women’s major to be hosted in Oklahoma, the U.S. Women’s Open returned after 14 years to Broken Arrow at Cedar Ridge.
It was held from July 28-31, and temperatures were excessively hot. Australian Jan Stephenson won her third and final major title, shooting a 6-over par 290 to take the crown. She won $32,780.
JoAnne Carter, a two-time U.S. Open winner, shot an 81 in the first round but rallied with rounds of 70, 72 and 68 to finish in a tie for second, one stroke behind.
1988: Oak Tree National, Edmond
The PGA Championship returned to Oklahoma, this time at Oak Tree National in Edmond from Aug. 11-14. The par-71 layout was 7,015 yards.
Jeff Sluman shot a 6-under par 65 in the final round to capture his only major title, beating Paul Azinger by three strokes. Azinger led after the second and third rounds, but two even-par 71s on the weekend didn’t advance him past 9-under par.
Sluman birdied the second hole and holed out for eagle on the fifth. He proceeded to birdie the 7th, 10th, 12th and 15th en route to victory, winning
$160,000.
1994: Southern Hills, Tulsa
The PGA Championship heads back to Southern Hills for the third time and its fifth major overall from Aug. 11-14.
The course layout was similar to the previous PGA Championship, at 6,834 yards. Nick Price finished at 11-under par 269 to capture his second straight major championship, which moved him to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings. It was the first time in 70 years since a golfer won the Open Championship and PGA Championship in the same year, with Walter Hagan the last to accomplish the feat.
His 269 cumulative total was a record for the PGA Championship, and it only lasted a year. He won by six shots ahead of Corey Pavin. Phil Mickelson finished in third, seven strokes behind.
Price took home $310,000.
2001: Southern Hills, Tulsa
The U.S. Open returned to Southern Hills for the third time in the 101st playing of the event from June 14-18. The course underwent extensive renovations before hosting.
The course was lengthened more than 100 yards to 6,973. Retief Goosen topped Mark Brooks in an 18-hole playoff on Monday to capture his first U.S. Open title. Goosen’s victory also ended Tiger Woods’ streak of four consecutive major championship wins. He finished T-12.
At the end of the final round, Mark Brooks three-putted on 18 to lose the lead. Then Goosen and Stewart Cink, co-leaders in the final pairing, also three-putted the 18th hole. Goosen bogeyed the hole to tie Brooks at 4-under par 276 while Cink made a double to miss the playoff.
In the playoff on Monday, Goosen shot an even-par 70 to take the crown, topping Brooks by two strokes. Goosen won $900,000.
2007: Southern Hills, Tulsa
The 89th PGA Championship was at Southern Hills from Aug. 9-12.
For the first time, the course was lengthened past 7,000 yards to a length of 7,131. Similar to the 2001 U.S. Open, Southern Hills had extensive renovations completed, including new greens and renovated bunkers.
Tiger Woods won his 13th major championship and second consecutive PGA Championship, shooting an 8-under par 272. Only five golfers finished under par.
The tournament still owns the record for hottest major championship, as temperatures hit 101, 99, 99 and 102 over the four days.
Woods shot a 7-under par 63 in the second round to take the lead, which he held solo after the second and third rounds. He shot consecutive 1-under par 69s on the weekend to claim victory.
He won $1.26 million.