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 |