1981 PGA Championship Winner and Scores

The 1981 PGA Championship was the 63rd time the tournament was played. It was a home-field victory for the champ: Larry Nelson, earning his first of three major wins, lived near the golf course.

Winner: Larry Nelson, 273

Where it was played: Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course) in Duluth, Georgia

Tournament dates: August 6-9, 1981

Leader after first round: Bob Murphy, 66

Leader after second round: Bob Murphy, 135

Leader after third round: Larry Nelson, 202

What Happened in the 1981 PGA Championship

Larry Nelson, a Georgia native who lived about an hour from Atlanta Athletic Club, seized control of the tournament with back-to-back scores of 66 in the second and third rounds, grabbing a four-stroke lead heading into the final round. And Nelson held onto that lead, winning by four over Fuzzy Zoeller.

It was Nelson's first win in a major championship (he later added two more, including the 1987 PGA Championship), and the fifth of his 10 career PGA Tour victories.

One year after winning his fifth PGA title, defending champion Jack Nicklaus finished tied for fourth, but the Bear never seriously challenged Nelson.

Another PGA champion, Lee Trevino, was disqualified after failing to sign his scorecard for the first round. Trevino had a 74 in that first round, and turned himself in when he realized he hadn't signed.

Two other past champs — Doug Ford and Sam Snead — entered the PGA Championship for the final time this year, and both withdrew without completing Round 1.

1981 PGA Championship Final Scores

Larry Nelson	70-66-66-71—273
Fuzzy Zoeller	70-68-68-71—277
Dan Pohl	69-67-73-69—278
Bruce Lietzke	70-70-71-68—279
Jack Nicklaus	71-68-71-69—279
Keith Fergus	71-71-69-68—279
Tom Kite	71-67-69-72—279
Greg Norman	73-67-68-71—279
Bob Gilder	74-69-70-66—279
Isao Aoki	75-68-66-70—279
Jerry Pate	71-68-70-71—280
Vance Heafner	68-70-70-72—280
Andy North	68-69-70-73—280
Tommy Valentine	73-70-71-66—280
J.C. Snead	70-71-70-70—281
David Edwards	71-69-70-72—282
Hale Irwin	71-74-68-69—282
Bob Murphy	66-69-73-75—283
Don January	70-72-70-72—284
Raymond Floyd	71-70-71-72—284
Tom Purtzer	70-70-73-71—284
John Cook	72-69-70-73—284
Joe Inman	73-71-67-73—284
Gil Morgan	70-69-74-71—284
Jay Haas	73-68-74-69—284
Don Pooley	74-70-69-71—284
Tom Weiskopf	71-72-72-70—285
Hubert Green	71-74-71-69—285
Curtis Strange	73-72-74-66—285
Peter Jacobsen	74-71-71-69—285
Bill Rogers	72-75-66-72—285
Bobby Clampett	75-71-70-69—285
Seve Ballesteros	71-73-72-70—286
Ed Fiori	73-73-67-73—286
Mark Hayes	70-74-68-74—286
Greg Powers	70-70-74-72—286
Lanny Wadkins	70-71-74-71—286
Bob Eastwood	67-69-72-78—286
Jim Thorpe	71-72-72-72—287
D.A. Weibring	71-74-74-68—287
Terry Diehl	72-74-71-70—287
Lon Hinkle	69-76-69-73—287
Calvin Peete	74-71-74-69—288
Howard Twitty	74-71-74-69—288
Dave Stockton	70-75-70-73—288
Bruce Fleisher	73-72-68-75—288
Rod Curl	75-72-69-72—288
David Graham	75-69-74-70—288
Jack Renner	74-70-73-72—289
Wayne Levi	70-71-73-75—289
Gary Player	75-72-71-71—289
Lee Elder	75-71-74-69—289
Ron Streck	69-77-75-68—289
Rex Caldwell	68-72-71-78—289
Doug Tewell	71-73-76-70—290
Tom Jenkins	73-73-73-72—291
Mark McCumber	70-74-73-74—291
Mike Sullivan	70-72-74-75—291
Jim Colbert	72-75-71-73—291
Mark Lye	67-76-74-74—291
Don Padgett	74-71-73-74—292
Leonard Thompson	75-72-71-74—292
Roger Maltbie	69-78-76-69—292
Mike Morley	72-71-71-78—292
Danny Edwards	73-71-70-78—292
John Fought	74-71-78-69—292
Bobby Wadkins	73-74-72-74—293
Al Geiberger	73-74-77-69—293
Barry Jaeckel	72-74-69-78—293
George Burns	74-71-74-75—294
Ed Sneed	71-75-72-76—294
Mark O'Meara	72-71-74-77—294
George Cadle	74-72-74-75—295
Charles Coody	69-74-78-75—296
John Jackson	75-70-76-76—297
Arnold Palmer	74-73-74-77—298
Bruce Summerhays	73-74-75-80—302
David Glenz	72-73-77-84—306

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