1973 PGA Championship Winner and Scores
The 1973 PGA Championship was the 55th time the tournament was played. It produced a milestone victory for Jack Nicklaus.
Winner: Jack Nicklaus, 277
Where it was played: Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio
Tournament dates: August 9-12, 1973
Leader after first round: Al Geiberger and Don Iverson, 67
Leader after second round: Don Iverson and Mason Rudolph, 139
Leader after third round: Jack Nicklaus, 208
What Happened at the 1973 PGA Championship
What was the major milestone that Jack Nicklaus reached at the 1973 PGA Championship? He passed Bobby Jones for the most wins in majors by any golfer. Including the majors of amateur golf (as most everyone at the time did when counting golfers' major wins), his victory here was Nicklaus' 14th overall (two U.S. Amateur titles plus 12 wins in pro majors). Jones had 13 such wins. But even if you don't include Nicklaus' amateur majors, he still set a record for the most wins in professional majors here: His 12th such victory broke the tie he was in with Walter Hagen's 11 wins in pro majors.Another milestone: It was Nicklaus' 50th overall win on the PGA Tour. It was his third win in the PGA Championship.
Nicklaus opened the tournament with a 72, then moved up the leaderboard after a second-round 68 that put him one stroke off the halfway lead. After another 68 in the third round, Nicklaus held a one-stroke lead. In the final round, he pulled away to win by four strokes, finishing at 7-under 277 with a 69.
The runner-up was Bruce Crampton. Crampton never won a major, but did finish second four times in majors — all four times to Nicklaus.
Sixty-one-year-old Sam Snead finished tied for ninth, and Snead's nephew J.C. Snead finished tied for third. It was the only time both Sneads finished in the Top 10 at the same major. Jack Burke Jr., winner of the 1956 PGA Championship, made the cut in his final appearance in the tournament.
Tom Watson played in his very first PGA Championship and tied for 12th. The PGA Championship was the only professional major that Watson failed to win over his career. John Mahaffey, winner of the 1978 PGA Championship, also made his tournament debut here and tied for 30th.
1973 PGA Championship Final Scores
| Jack Nicklaus | 72-68-68-69—277 |
| Bruce Crampton | 71-73-67-70—281 |
| Mason Rudolph | 69-70-70-73—282 |
| Lanny Wadkins | 73-69-71-69—282 |
| J.C. Snead | 71-74-68-69—282 |
| Tom Weiskopf | 70-71-71-71—283 |
| Dan Sikes Jr. | 72-68-72-71—283 |
| Don Iverson | 67-72-70-74—283 |
| Sam Snead | 71-71-71-71—284 |
| Kermit Zarley | 76-71-68-69—284 |
| Hale Irwin | 76-72-68-68—284 |
| Bob Brue | 70-72-73-70—285 |
| Larry Hinson | 73-70-71-71—285 |
| Jim Colbert | 72-70-69-74—285 |
| Dave Stockton | 72-69-75-69—285 |
| Denny Lyons | 73-70-67-75—285 |
| Tom Watson | 75-70-71-69—285 |
| Gibby Gilbert | 70-70-73-73—286 |
| Jim Jamieson | 71-73-71-71—286 |
| Johnny Miller | 72-71-74-69—286 |
| Bob Goalby | 75-70-71-70—286 |
| Al Geiberger | 67-76-74-69—286 |
| Lee Trevino | 76-70-73-67—286 |
| Miller Barber | 73-73-70-71—287 |
| Chi Chi Rodriguez | 72-71-74-70—287 |
| Bruce Devlin | 73-70-74-70—287 |
| Bert Yancey | 74-72-69-72—287 |
| Mike Hill | 69-73-75-70—287 |
| Lee Elder | 71-76-70-70—287 |
| Orville Moody | 73-74-70-71—288 |
| Lou Graham | 74-71-73-70—288 |
| Don Bies | 70-72-71-75—288 |
| John Mahaffey | 75-71-72-70—288 |
| Bud Allin | 71-78-67-73—289 |
| Dick Hendrickson | 73-72-72-73—290 |
| Raymond Floyd | 70-73-73-74—290 |
| Ed Sneed | 73-70-73-74—290 |
| Billy Casper | 74-72-72-72—290 |
| Bob Murphy | 74-73-71-72—290 |
| Leonard Thompson | 72-75-70-73—290 |
| Rod Funseth | 73-73-75-69—290 |
| Jerry Pittman | 73-70-76-71—290 |
| Charles Coody | 75-68-77-70—290 |
| Tommy Aaron | 73-73-70-75—291 |
| Jim Wiechers | 75-70-71-75—291 |
| Chuck Courtney | 73-71-74-74—292 |
| Babe Hiskey | 74-73-71-74—292 |
| Frank Beard | 73-74-70-75—292 |
| Tony Jacklin | 70-71-76-75—292 |
| Dave Marr | 76-72-73-71—292 |
| Grier Jones | 75-72-72-75—294 |
| Bobby Nichols | 73-76-72-73—294 |
| George Archer | 72-71-74-77—294 |
| Deane Beman | 72-77-73-72—294 |
| Gary Player | 73-72-71-78—294 |
| Jack Burke Jr. | 73-73-76-73—295 |
| Doug Ford | 73-76-73-73—295 |
| George Knudson | 71-77-76-71—295 |
| Ken Still | 77-72-73-73—295 |
| Gene Bone | 71-74-76-75—296 |
| Dwight Nevil | 76-70-76-74—296 |
| John Schlee | 74-71-77-74—296 |
| Jerry Breaux | 77-72-73-74—296 |
| Allen Miller | 74-73-77-73—297 |
| Gay Brewer | 77-70-73-77—297 |
| Bob Bruno | 76-71-77-74—298 |
| Jerry Steelsmith | 77-72-76-73—298 |
| Bob Rosburg | 71-76-73-78—298 |
| Jerry Heard | 72-75-78-73—298 |
| Jerry McGee | 74-73-72-79—298 |
| Bob Dickson | 69-78-75-78—300 |
| Phil Rodgers | 79-69-76-76—300 |
| Mike Joyce | 76-73-79-75—303 |
| Babe Lichardus | 73-72-76-82—303 |
| Mal Galletta | 72-77-84-73—306 |
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