1991 PGA Championship Winner and Scores
The 1991 PGA Championship was the 73rd time the tournament was played. A golfer who was the last player into the field became the unlikely winner: Long-bombing, mullet-sporting John Daly.
Winner: John Daly, 276
Where it was played: Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana
Tournament dates: August 8-11, 1991
Leader after first round: Kenny Knox and Ian Woosnam, 67
Leader after second round: John Daly, 136
Leader after third round: John Daly, 205
What Happened in the 1991 PGA Championship
John Daly burst onto the scene at the 1991 PGA Championship bombing drives and going for broke. He wound up the unlikely champion, but his week began with the grip-it-and-rip-it, young, (then-)unknown player unsure if he'd even make the field.Daly wasn't in the original field list, but he was the ninth alternate. And players kept withdrawing. Finally, Nick Price, whose wife was having a baby, withdrew. And after three other alternates couldn't make it to the tournament site in time, Daly got the call to take Price's place.
Daly didn't even have time to get in a practice round, but he opened with a 69. After a second-round 67, Daly took the lead. He also gained his first notoriety along with the lead, all the attention focusing on the little-known, long-hitting Arkansan.
Daly's have-to-see-it-to-believe-it backswing drew everyone's attention, even that of Jack Nicklaus. Seeing Daly here for the first time, Nicklaus remarked: "Good gracious, what a coil, what an unleashing of power. I don't know who he reminds me of. I haven't seen anybody who hit the ball that far."
Most observers thought Daly would soon crumble, but he carded a 69 in the third round and finished the day with a four-stroke lead over veteran Bruce Lietzke.
Daly and Lietzke played in the final pairing together in Round 4, with Lietzke outdriven by 50 yards every time. Before the round, Lietzke surmised that hitting first into every green might allow him to put some pressure on the unproven Daly. It didn't work. Lietzke shot 70 in the final round, but Daly had a 71 and a 3-stroke victory.
It was the first of Daly's five career wins on the PGA Tour. He went on to win a second major at the 1995 British Open.
Two-time PGA Championship winner Dave Stockton played the tournament for the final time this year, missing the cut.
The tournament was marred by tragedy, too, unfortunately. During a weather delay in the first round, a spectator perished after being struck by lightning.
1991 PGA Championship Final Scores
| John Daly | 69-67-69-71—276 |
| Bruce Lietzke | 68-69-72-70—279 |
| Jim Gallagher Jr. | 70-72-72-67—281 |
| Kenny Knox | 67-71-70-74—282 |
| Bob Gilder | 73-70-67-73—283 |
| Steven Richardson | 70-72-72-69—283 |
| David Feherty | 71-74-71-68—284 |
| Raymond Floyd | 69-74-72-69—284 |
| John Huston | 70-72-70-72—284 |
| Steve Pate | 70-75-70-69—284 |
| Craig Stadler | 68-71-69-76—284 |
| Hal Sutton | 74-67-72-71—284 |
| Jay Don Blake | 75-70-72-68—285 |
| Andrew Magee | 69-73-68-75—285 |
| Payne Stewart | 74-70-71-70—285 |
| Nick Faldo | 70-69-71-76—286 |
| Ken Green | 68-73-71-74—286 |
| Wayne Levi | 73-71-72-70—286 |
| Sandy Lyle | 68-75-71-72—286 |
| Rocco Mediate | 71-71-73-71—286 |
| Gil Morgan | 70-71-74-71—286 |
| Howard Twitty | 70-71-75-70—286 |
| Seve Ballesteros | 71-72-71-73—287 |
| Chip Beck | 73-73-70-71—287 |
| Mike Hulbert | 72-72-73-70—287 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 71-72-73-71—287 |
| Fred Couples | 74-67-76-71—288 |
| Rick Fehr | 70-73-71-74—288 |
| Jim Hallet | 69-74-73-72—288 |
| Mark McNulty | 75-71-69-73—288 |
| Loren Roberts | 72-74-72-70—288 |
| Billy Andrade | 73-74-68-74—289 |
| Mark Calcavecchia | 70-74-73-72—289 |
| David Edwards | 71-75-71-72—289 |
| Steve Elkington | 74-68-74-73—289 |
| Dan Forsman | 73-74-68-74—289 |
| Davis Love III | 72-72-72-73—289 |
| Jodie Mudd | 74-71-74-70—289 |
| Greg Norman | 70-74-72-73—289 |
| Corey Pavin | 72-73-71-73—289 |
| Tom Purtzer | 69-76-71-73—289 |
| Doug Tewell | 75-72-74-68—289 |
| Ed Dougherty | 75-70-69-76—290 |
| Wayne Grady | 72-70-71-77—290 |
| Scott Hoch | 71-75-72-72—290 |
| Craig Parry | 73-70-76-71—290 |
| Lanny Wadkins | 71-74-72-73—290 |
| Keith Clearwater | 72-72-76-71—291 |
| Brad Faxon | 72-71-76-72—291 |
| David Frost | 74-70-75-72—291 |
| Ian Woosnam | 67-72-76-76—291 |
| David Graham | 72-73-73-74—292 |
| Tom Kite | 73-72-75-72—292 |
| Mark McCumber | 74-72-71-75—292 |
| Eduardo Romero | 72-75-73-72—292 |
| Tom Sieckmann | 68-76-74-74—292 |
| Fred Funk | 71-69-72-81—293 |
| Nolan Henke | 74-70-75-74—293 |
| Blaine McCallister | 71-76-77-69—293 |
| Lindy Miller | 72-72-77-72—293 |
| Dave Barr | 75-72-76-71—294 |
| Jeff Sluman | 73-73-74-74—294 |
| Gene Sauers | 75-71-70-79—295 |
| Joey Sindelar | 74-73-71-77—295 |
| Bob Wolcott | 73-71-79-72—295 |
| Dillard Pruitt | 72-75-73-76—296 |
| Bob Tway | 73-71-78-74—296 |
| Mark Wiebe | 72-73-73-78—296 |
| Scott Williams | 70-77-76-73—296 |
| Denny Hepler | 71-75-75-76—297 |
| Lonnie Nielsen | 74-71-74-78—297 |
| David Peoples | 74-73-75-75—297 |
| Phil Blackmar | 73-72-82-71—298 |
| Billy Ray Brown | 69-75-79-75—298 |
| Hale Irwin | 70-76-74-78—298 |
| Don Pooley | 72-74-72-80—298 |
| Kenny Perry | 72-73-79-76—300 |
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