1972 PGA Championship Winner and Scores
The 1972 PGA Championship was the 54th time the tournament was played. After bogeying the 14th and 15th holes in the final round, Gary Player recovered to birdie the 16th and went on to win by two strokes. It was his sixth win in a major championship, his second at the PGA Championship.
Winner: Gary Player, 281
Where it was played: Oakland Hills Country Club (South Course) in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Tournament dates: August 3-6, 1972
Leader after first round: Buddy Allin and Stan Thirsk, 68
Leader after second round: Jerry Heard, 139
Leader after third round: Gary Player, 209
What Happened at the 1972 PGA Championship
Gary Player was in the late stages of the final round of the 1972 PGA Championship, and he appeared to be in trouble. He bogeyed the 14th and 15th holes, and on the 16th tee pushed his drive well right into wet, thick rough.Between Player and green were a large willow tree and a pond, and he could not see the flagstick. But Player struck his 9-iron beautifully, carried the ball over the tree and across the pond and to within four feet of the cup.
Then he made the birdie putt. Player went on to the two-stroke victory over runners-up Tommy Aaron and Jim Jamieson. Jamieson was a journeyman pro who won his only PGA Tour event earlier in the year at the Western Open. Aaron went on to win the 1973 Masters.
For Player, it was his second win in this major (he also won the 1962 PGA Championship), and it was his sixth career win in a major. Player won nine majors total for his career.
Sam Snead finished tied for fourth place at age 60. This tournament started a three-year streak in which Snead, at ages 60, 61 and 62, finished in the Top 10 at the PGA Championship.
Lanny Wadkins and Hubert Green, both future PGA champions, played the PGA for the first time in 1972. And they tied each other in 16th place.
Meanwhile, Gene Sarazen — winner of the 1922, 1923 and 1933 PGA Championships — entered the tournament for the final time. But at age 70, he withdrew without completing the first round. Denny Shute, the 1936 and 1937 champion, did the same thing.
1972 PGA Championship Final Scores
| Gary Player | 71-71-67-72—281 |
| Tommy Aaron | 71-71-70-71—283 |
| Jim Jamieson | 69-72-72-70—283 |
| Raymond Floyd | 69-71-74-70—284 |
| Sam Snead | 70-74-71-69—284 |
| Billy Casper | 73-70-67-74—284 |
| Doug Sanders | 72-72-68-73—285 |
| Jerry Heard | 69-70-72-74—285 |
| Gay Brewer | 71-70-70-74—285 |
| Phil Rodgers | 71-72-68-74—285 |
| Lee Trevino | 73-71-71-71—286 |
| Hale Irwin | 71-69-75-71—286 |
| Dan Sikes Jr. | 70-72-72-73—287 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 72-75-68-72—287 |
| Charles Coody | 71-73-70-74—288 |
| Miller Barber | 73-74-72-70—289 |
| Arnold Palmer | 69-75-72-73—289 |
| Lanny Wadkins | 74-68-72-75—289 |
| Hubert Green | 75-71-73-70—289 |
| Bob Shaw | 72-72-74-72—290 |
| J.C. Snead | 72-72-71-75—290 |
| Johnny Miller | 70-76-70-74—290 |
| Larry Wise | 74-71-67-78—290 |
| Chi Chi Rodriguez | 71-74-73-73—291 |
| Art Wall Jr. | 72-71-75-73—291 |
| Bob E. Smith | 72-69-76-74—291 |
| Lee Elder | 73-71-71-76—291 |
| Bruce Crampton | 73-74-68-76—291 |
| Jerry McGee | 73-74-72-73—292 |
| Bert Yancey | 72-74-71-75—292 |
| Mike Souchak | 73-73-71-75—292 |
| Jim Wiechers | 70-73-69-80—292 |
| Dewitt Weaver | 74-74-72-73—293 |
| Lou Graham | 75-75-70-73—293 |
| Larry Hinson | 75-74-73-71—293 |
| Mason Rudolph | 74-75-71-74—294 |
| Deane Beman | 75-72-72-75—294 |
| Sam Carmichael | 76-73-71-74—294 |
| George Archer | 73-73-79-69—294 |
| Dave Stockton | 74-73-74-74—295 |
| Denny Lyons | 73-73-74-75—295 |
| Ken Still | 72-75-72-76—295 |
| Mike Hill | 73-72-74-76—295 |
| John Schlee | 75-75-69-76—295 |
| Dale Douglass | 74-71-73-77—295 |
| Paul Harney | 74-71-77-73—295 |
| Bob Murphy | 75-70-70-80—295 |
| Jimmy Wright | 74-72-75-75—296 |
| Babe Hiskey | 73-75-72-76—296 |
| Richard Crawford | 70-78-73-75—296 |
| Fred Haas Jr. | 74-74-73-76—297 |
| Rod Funseth | 70-74-75-78—297 |
| Grier Jones | 72-76-74-76—298 |
| Bud Allin | 68-77-75-78—298 |
| Jimmy Powell | 72-74-74-78—298 |
| Bob Rosburg | 71-79-72-76—298 |
| Frank Beard | 80-70-72-76—298 |
| Pat Schwab | 73-73-77-76—299 |
| Dow Finsterwald | 75-75-72-77—299 |
| Bob Charles | 76-74-77-72—299 |
| Ron Letellier | 75-75-70-79—299 |
| Wayne Yates | 75-74-76-75—300 |
| Jerry Steelsmith | 73-77-75-75—300 |
| Bob Goalby | 72-78-79-71—300 |
| Tom Weiskopf | 73-72-75-80—300 |
| Bobby Nichols | 76-74-70-80—300 |
| Jack Burke Jr. | 74-72-76-79—301 |
| Jim O'Hern | 74-76-76-76—302 |
| Rex Baxter | 77-73-76-76—302 |
| Kermit Zarley | 75-75-73-79—302 |
| Chuck Scally | 74-76-73-80—303 |
| Gene Torres | 79-70-77-80—306 |
| Stan Thirsk | 68-82-76-80—306 |
| Steve Friebert | 74-76-78-79—307 |
| Lionel Hebert | 72-76-80-79—307 |
| Larry Gilbert | 69-81-80-77—307 |
| Ralph Johnston | 75-74-75-89—313 |
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