The second Major of the year takes place this week, as the world’s best golfers head to South Carolina in a bid to lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
Kiawah Island is the venue for the 2021 US PGA Championship and we’ve been checking out the five greatest shots in the history of this tournament – which began in 1916.
YE Yang – 2009 (Hazeltine)
One of the biggest stories in PGA Championship history was told in 2009, when YE Yang became the first Asian man to win a golf Major.
The man from South Korea not only made history with his success, but he did it in fine style after holding off the challenge of Tiger Woods at Hazeltine.
Woods had never lost a Major having led going into the final round, but Yang – having started the day two shots behind the world number one – eventually won by three strokes after a final-round 70.
The highlight of that incredible Sunday was his second shot at 18, when he struck a fairway wood to within 10 feet of the flag to seal the victory.
Rich Beem – 2002 (Hazeltine)
Another fairy-tale story in which former mobile-phone salesman Rich Beem recorded his one and only Major success.
The son of a former golf professional, Beem started the final round three shots behind leader Justin Leonard and with Tiger Woods looming large on the leaderboard.
The man from Phoenix played some fantastic golf on the final day and the best of his shots came on the 11th, as he fired a hybrid from 265 yards away to within six feet and made the first eagle of the week.
Beem went on to hold off Woods and eventually win by a shot – we now see him on out televisions as a pundit for Sky Sports.
Phil Mickelson – 2005 (Baltusrol)
Five-time Major winner Phil Mickelson won his one and only PGA Championship to date in 2005, with a thrilling victory at Baltusrol.
After heavy rain in New Jersey on the Sunday, the 2005 tournament rolled into the Monday and it went right down to the wire.
With Thomas Bjorn and 1995 winner Steve Elkington chasing hard, ‘Lefty’ produced one of his famous flop shots to seal his second Major title.
Coming out of the deep grass at the back of the 18th green, Mickelson worked the ball to two feet and then rolled in the birdie putt to claim a one-shot victory.
Tiger Woods – 2000 (Valhalla)
One of he most memorable PGA Championships came in 2000, when Tiger Woods and Bob May went toe-to-toe.
After an opening 72, May shot three successive rounds of 66 but still couldn’t shake off Woods and they both finished on -18 after 72 holes.
The tournament would be decided by a three-hole play-off and the all-important birdie came in the first extra hole. Woods arrowed a 20-foot putt into the cup, with the now famous walk and pose as the ball dropped.
That was the second of Woods’ four PGA Championships, to date, with the last coming in 2007.
David Toms – 2001 (Atlanta Athletic Club)
This is the only one of the five picks that didn’t come on the final day, but it did play a big part in David Toms securing the title in 2001.
The American has a plaque on the par-three 15th after securing a hole-in-one in the third round, with two bounces before finding it’s way into the cup.
The par-3 is all of 227 yards and to find an ace with a fairway wood was some effort from Toms, who went on to win his only Major title, by one stroke over Phil Mickelson.
