Watch: PGA Championship pays tribute to past champions in latest 'Wanamaker trophy quest' promo video
PGA Championship shared a promotional video for the upcoming event, paying tribute to the past champions who have lifted the Wanamaker trophy over the years.
The two-minute-long promo video primarily features the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Shaun Micheel, Jason Dufner, and Justin Thomas lifting the coveted Wanamaker trophy. The likes of Phil Mickelson, Collin Morikawa, Jason Day, and Rory McIlroy also appear in the video for a brief moment.
Watch the clip here:
The moment is now to etch your name in history.
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Nicklaus won the PGA Championship for the fives times in his career (1963,1971, 1973, 1975, and 1980), holding the record of joint most wins at the event alongside Walter Hagen.
Two decades ago, Shaun Micheel created history after claiming the 85th PGA Championship, his only PGA Tour victory, which came on his 164th career start.
Micheel was the 169th-ranked player in the world at that time, creating a record for the lowest-ranked player to emerge victorious at the event. He posted a 70 on the final day at Oak Hill to beat Chad Campbell by two strokes.
Jason Dufner won the PGA Championship in 2013, the last time it was held at Oak Hill prior to the 2023 event. Dufner carded a final-round 2-under 68 to aggregate to 10-under for the tournament, beating Jim Furyk by a two-stroke margin at Oak Hill.
Justin Thomas will enter Oak Hill as the defending champion of the tournament. Last year Thomas was trailing by seven strokes ahead of the fourth round. He closed the final day with 67, tying up with Will Zalatoris for the playoff.
In the playoff, both birdied the 13th hole. While Thomas birdied the par 4 17th hole, Zalatoris ended up making par. Thomas parred the 18th to win the playoff and claim the PGA Championship for the second time in his career.
The 2023 PGA Championship is just a couple of days away and will take place, starting on Thursday, May 18 at the Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York.
Mickelson won the PGA Championship twice in his career, first in 2005 and second time in 2021. At the age of 50 years and 11 months, he became the oldest winner of the tournament in 2021 when he beat Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen by two strokes.
History of the Wanamaker Trophy
Named after Rodman Wanamaker, the Wanamaker trophy is given to the winner of the PGA Championship since 1916.
Wanamaker was an American entrepreneur and heir to the Wanamaker's department store fortune. He and his few friends Francis Ouimet and Walter Hagen who were also prominent golfers discussed forming a national organization for professional golfers.
This resulted in the formation of The PGA of America where only professionals are allowed to compete.
Wanamaker donated $2,500 to put up a prize fund and also decided to have a silver trophy. This led to the formation of the Wanamaker Trophy. The trophy is 28 inches in height, 10.5 inches in diameter, and 27 inches wide from handle to handle and weighs 27 pounds.
The first two Championships were won by Jim Barnes, becoming the first name to be etched on the Wanamaker Trophy. Hagen, who won it five times also has a record of winning it for the four straight times from 1924-27.