After The Masters, the next Major in golf's busy calendar comes just a month or so later in the shape of the USPGA Championship.
The second Major of the year is played at a different course each year, selected from many of the top USPGA Courses around the United States. It offers players a stern test, but with it a chance to write their name in the history of golf by landing a win.
In this post, we are going to learn 10 Key Facts about the USPGA Championship, exploring the tournament's history, past winners, key moments and much more besides.
And to finish with, we will bring you the latest news about the forthcoming USPGA Championship tournament. Including all the latest betting odds for the outright winner markets.
To learn more about betting on golf, it is a good idea to become a member of bet365 Sport. It not only offers customers a wide choice of markets on each event, but also extra features such as the popular Each Way Extra feature, which allows you to customise your each-way bet on golf!
Check out the latest information on the current welcome bonus at bet365 Sport below! And remember to use the code BET247 when you sign up!
Bet365 Review » Min Deposit: £5 » Expiry: 30 days » Min Odds: 1/5 (1.20)
With our betting options now all sorted, let's crack on with ten things you never knew about the USPGA Championship!
Outlined below are ten little-known facts about the USPGA Championship.
Although the first USPGA Championship was played in 1916, the tournament had a two-year hiatus and was not played again until 1919. Englishman Jim Barnes won both the first two events and he remains the only English winner of the tournament.
From 1916 through to 1957, the USPGA Championship was played as a match play event, with players working their way through their sections, defeating opponents in order to reach the final. The first tournament to be played under stroke-play rules came in 1958 with Dow Finsterwald lifting the USPGA Championship that year.
Five wins in the tournament has been achieved by two players, the first was Walter Hagen who won his five tournaments in the match play era in 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927.
That feat was matched in the stroke play era by the legendary Jack Nicklaus who achieved his five victories in 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1980. Nicklaus has also finished runner-up on several other occasions.
Outside of Nicklaus and Hagen, Tiger Woods is next on the list with four USPGA Championship victories (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007). He is followed by Gene Sarazen (1922, 1923, 1933), Sam Snead (1942, 1949, 1951) and Brooks Koepka (2018, 2019, 2023) with three wins each.
Several players have won the USPGA Championship twice including Byron Nelson (1940, 1944), Ben Hogan (1946, 1948), Gary Player (1962, 1972), Ray Floyd (1969, 1982), Dave Stockton (1970, 1976), Lee Trevino (1974, 1984), Larry Nelson (1981, 1987), Nick Price (1992, 1994), Vijay Singh (1998, 2004), Phil Mickelson (2005, 2021), Rory McIlroy (2012, 2014) and Justin Thomas (2017, 2022).
The first USPGA Championship saw 32 players compete for a share of a prize of $2,580, of which the winner, Jim Barnes, took home $500.
The most recent tournament saw 156 players compete for a prize fund of $18,500,000 of which the winner took home $3,330,000.
Xander Schauffele won his first USPGA Championship in 2024 at Valhalla, shooting a record score of -21 in the process. He led from day one after shooting a nine-under-par 62 in the opening round. He followed that with two 68's and a 65 in the final round to set a new record for the tournament.
The trophy is named after Rodney Wanamaker, a golfer and businessman and is one of the largest golf trophies at 75cm in height and weighing 12 kilograms.
The trophy went missing in the 1920s after Walter Hagen won the tournament, however it was found in 1930, in a cellar at the warehouse of the company that made Hagen's clubs.
Winners of the event receive a small replica trophy to keep but must return the original prior to next year's tournament.
The USPGA Championship is played on different courses each year, but the schedule of the event is planned many years in advance. The hosts for the 2025 to 2031 events have already been announced, as has the 2034 tournament.
Although not listed in the schedule above, Southern Hills Country Club holds the record for most USPGA Championships held with five (1970, 1982, 1994, 2007 and 2022).
American players have won the USPGA Championship every year from 2016 to 2024. In addition, American players have won the tournament every year from 1920 to 1947, 1948 to 1962, 1963 to 1972, 1973-1978, 1980-1989, 1991, 1992, 1996-1997, 1999 – 2003, 2005 – 2007, 2011 and 2013.
Several non-American players have won the tournament twice including Gary Player (South Africa), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Vijay Singh (Fiji) and Nick Price (Zimbabwe).
And at the other end of the scale, Phil Mickelson's sensational win in 2021 saw him become the oldest player to lift the PGA Championship trophy and any Major golf title, when he won the tournament aged 50.
Rory McIlroy goes into the tournament having already won The Masters and the Players Championship (dubbed the ‘fifth Major') this season. He is the 5.50 favourite to win the USPGA Championship in 2025.
Scottie Scheffler is the closest opposition to him at 6.00, both prices with bet365.
18+ Always remember to gamble responsibly. Check out bet365’s Safer Gambling page for more details or go to GambleAware.org for advice, tools and support.
All contents are ©
Bet365 Bonus Code, Sports, Casino and Poker Sign up offers and News
18+ Worried about your gambling? Gamcare - When the fun stops – STOP!