1977 PGA Championship: New Playoff Format in Majors
Winner: Lanny Wadkins, 282
Where it was played: Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California
Tournament dates: August 11-14, 1977
Leader after first round: Gene Littler, 67
Leader after second round: Gene Littler, 136
Leader after third round: Gene Littler, 206
Notable Notes: Lanny Wadkins won his first (and only) major championship in a playoff over Gene Littler. Littler led the first three rounds, but shot 76 in Round 4, giving Wadkins — who started the final round six shots behind — the chance to tie Littler by shooting 70. The playoff used the sudden-death format, the first time any of the four majors used a sudden-death playoff. Wadkins won it on the third hole. Jack Nicklaus, who started the final round in second place, shot 73 but missed the playoff by one stroke.
Final Scores
Lanny Wadkins | 69-71-72-70—282 |
Gene Littler | 67-69-70-76—282 |
Jack Nicklaus | 69-71-70-73—283 |
Charles Coody | 70-71-70-73—284 |
Jerry Pate | 73-70-69-73—285 |
Al Geiberger | 71-70-73-72—286 |
Lou Graham | 71-73-71-71—286 |
Tom Watson | 68-73-71-74—286 |
Don January | 75-69-70-72—286 |
Jerry McGee | 68-70-77-71—286 |
Joe Inman | 72-69-73-73—287 |
Johnny Miller | 70-74-73-70—287 |
Lee Trevino | 71-73-71-73—288 |
Tom Kite | 73-73-70-72—288 |
Bruce Lietzke | 74-70-74-71—289 |
Leonard Thompson | 72-73-69-75—289 |
George Cadle | 69-73-70-77—289 |
Gil Morgan | 74-68-70-77—289 |
Arnold Palmer | 72-73-73-73—291 |
Mark Hayes | 68-75-74-74—291 |
George Archer | 70-73-76-72—291 |
George Burns | 71-76-70-74—291 |
John Schroeder | 73-76-68-74—291 |
J.C. Snead | 76-71-72-72—291 |
Grier Jones | 72-74-72-74—292 |
Jim Simons | 74-74-69-75—292 |
Billy Kratzert | 71-76-75-70—292 |
Bob Murphy | 72-72-72-76—292 |
Lyn Lott | 76-75-67-74—292 |
Miller Barber | 77-68-69-78—292 |
Lon Hinkle | 72-72-74-75—293 |
Dave Stockton | 75-75-69-74—293 |
Gary Player | 74-77-68-74—293 |
Roger Maltbie | 70-79-70-74—293 |
Billy Casper | 73-71-70-79—293 |
John Schlee | 73-73-73-75—294 |
Ed Sneed | 74-73-72-75—294 |
Danny Edwards | 76-74-67-77—294 |
Rik Massengale | 77-73-70-74—294 |
Raymond Floyd | 74-72-73-76—295 |
Mike McCullough | 77-69-72-77—295 |
Butch Baird | 75-74-73-74—296 |
Bud Allin | 77-72-75-72—296 |
Hale Irwin | 74-75-73-75—297 |
Steve Melnyk | 71-75-74-77—297 |
Mike Morley | 71-74-80-72—297 |
Bob E. Smith | 76-70-77-75—298 |
Mac McLendon | 75-73-76-75—299 |
Wally Armstrong | 73-74-77-75—299 |
Dave Hill | 73-77-74-75—299 |
Kermit Zarley | 76-75-75-74—300 |
Bobby Nichols | 72-75-78-75—300 |
Bruce Devlin | 75-73-74-78—300 |
Bob Duden | 74-76-79-72—301 |
Larry Nelson | 77-69-79-76—301 |
Fuzzy Zoeller | 70-72-79-80—301 |
Sam Snead | 80-71-71-79—301 |
Julius Boros | 73-75-77-77—302 |
Graham Marsh | 74-74-77-77—302 |
Tom Weiskopf | 77-72-74-79—302 |
Bob Gilder | 76-74-68-84—302 |
Hubert Green | 74-77-76-76—303 |
Bob Payne | 73-76-75-79—303 |
John Lister | 70-75-80-78—303 |
Rusty Guernsey | 78-72-77-80—307 |
Jim Ferriell | 78-71-79-80—308 |
Tom Jenkins | 78-73-77-80—308 |
Phil Ferranti | 75-73-79-81—308 |
Bob Benson | 74-75-75-85—309 |
Dow Finsterwald | 76-75-84-75—310 |
Larry Rinker | 77-74-79-85—315 |