| 1979 PGA Championship | |
Australian David Graham won the 1979 PGA Championship the old-fashioned way: He earned it. And he earned it despite recording a double-bogey on the 72nd hole.
Graham began the final round four strokes off the lead of Rex Caldwell, with Ben Crenshaw in second, two behind Caldwell. Crenshaw was one of the most popular players in golf and the big fan favorite, but he was still looking for his first major. Three weeks earlier, Crenshaw had finished second in the 1979 British Open.
Graham, who had four PGA Tour wins entering the tournament, reached the 72nd hole with a two-stroke lead. And promptly blew it, recording a double-bogey. He had been having one of the all-time great closing rounds in major championship history up to that point. How good? Despite the double-bogey, Graham still shot 65.
But with the double-bogey, he fell into a tie with Crenshaw and the two headed into a playoff. Crenshaw ended his career with one of the worst playoff records in PGA Tour history - zero wins in eight playoffs. And he lost this one, too. But as noted above, he made Graham earn the win.
On the first extra hole, Crenshaw sank a 50-foot par putt. Graham then made his own 25-footer for par. On the second extra hole, Crenshaw sank a mid-range birdie putt. Graham than made his own 10-footer for birdie. Graham won the trophy with a birdie on the third extra hole.
It was the first of two major championship wins for Graham, who also won the 1981 U.S. Open. Crenshaw later won a pair of Masters titles.
The 1979 PGA Championship also was the site of Sam Snead's last cut made in a major. Snead, 67 years old at the time, finished 42nd.
1979 PGA Championship Scores
Results from the 1979 PGA Championship golf tournament played at the par-70 Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan (x-won playoff):
| x-David Graham | 69-68-70-65--272 | $60,000 |
| Ben Crenshaw | 69-67-69-67--272 | $40,000 |
| Rex Caldwell | 67-70-66-71--274 | $25,000 |
| Ron Streck | 68-71-69-68--276 | $20,000 |
| Jerry Pate | 69-69-69-71--278 | $14,500 |
| Gibby Gilbert | 69-72-68-69--278 | $14,500 |
| Don January | 69-70-71-69--279 | $9,200 |
| Jay Haas | 68-69-73-69--279 | $9,200 |
| Howard Twitty | 70-73-69-67--279 | $9,200 |
| Gary Koch | 71-71-71-67--280 | $6,750 |
| Lou Graham | 69-74-68-69--280 | $6,750 |
| Jerry McGee | 73-69-71-68--281 | $5,250 |
| Tom Watson | 66-72-69-74--281 | $5,250 |
| Jack Renner | 71-74-66-70--281 | $5,250 |
| Andy Bean | 76-69-68-68--281 | $5,250 |
| Graham Marsh | 69-70-71-72--282 | $3,780 |
| Hubert Green | 69-70-72-71--282 | $3,780 |
| Bruce Lietzke | 69-69-71-73--282 | $3,780 |
| Gene Littler | 71-71-67-73--282 | $3,780 |
| Bob Gilder | 73-71-68-70--282 | $3,780 |
| John Schroeder | 72-72-70-69--283 | $3,250 |
| Bob Byman | 73-72-69-69--283 | $3,250 |
| Frank Conner | 70-73-69-72--284 | $2,900 |
| Gary Player | 73-70-70-71--284 | $2,900 |
| Peter Jacobsen | 70-74-67-73--284 | $2,900 |
| Rod Funseth | 70-69-76-69--284 | $2,900 |
| Alan Tapie | 73-65-76-70--284 | $2,900 |
| Gil Morgan | 72-73-70-70--285 | $2,300 |
| Miller Barber | 73-72-69-71--285 | $2,300 |
| Artie McNickle | 69-70-72-74--285 | $2,300 |
| George Burns | 71-74-67-73--285 | $2,300 |
| Larry Nelson | 70-75-70-70--285 | $2,300 |
| Mark McCumber | 75-68-70-72--285 | $2,300 |
| Ed Sneed | 77-67-70-71--285 | $2,300 |
| Lee Elder | 70-71-73-73--287 | $1,600 |
| Bill Rogers | 70-72-73-72--287 | $1,600 |
| Lee Trevino | 70-73-72-72--287 | $1,600 |
| Lynn Janson | 73-71-72-71--287 | $1,600 |
| Jim Masserio | 69-73-71-74--287 | $1,600 |
| Tom Kite | 72-72-69-74--287 | $1,600 |
| Dave Stockton | 70-75-72-70--287 | $1,600 |
| Sam Snead | 73-71-71-73--288 | $1,050 |
| Jimmy Wright | 72-69-72-75--288 | $1,050 |
| Kermit Zarley | 73-69-71-75--288 | $1,050 |
| Calvin Peete | 75-71-70-72--288 | $1,050 |
| Jim Colbert | 73-73-72-71--289 | $704 |
| Chi Chi Rodriguez | 71-72-72-74--289 | $704 |
| Tommy Aaron | 73-73-69-74--289 | $704 |
| Don Padgett | 71-75-73-70--289 | $704 |
| Jim Simons | 76-68-73-72--289 | $704 |
| Rod Curl | 72-72-73-73--290 | $600 |
| John Mahaffey | 72-74-71-73--290 | $600 |
| Bob Mann | 71-73-71-75--290 | $600 |
| Dewitt Weaver | 73-73-71-74--291 | $567 |
| Wally Armstrong | 74-71-73-73--291 | $567 |
| Fuzzy Zoeller | 70-75-75-71--291 | $567 |
| Jim Dent | 70-72-76-73--291 | $567 |
| Dave Barber | 74-69-71-77--291 | $567 |
| Leonard Thompson | 72-67-78-74--291 | $567 |
| Barry Jaeckel | 71-73-75-73--292 | $547 |
| Keith Fergus | 73-70-73-76--292 | $547 |
| Rocky Thompson | 72-72-73-76--293 | $535 |
| Mark Hayes | 71-73-77-72--293 | $535 |
| Raymond Floyd | 74-70-77-72--293 | $535 |
| Scott Bess | 73-72-75-74--294 | $515 |
| Al Geiberger | 76-70-73-75--294 | $515 |
| Lon Hinkle | 73-72-71-78--294 | $515 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 73-72-78-71--294 | $515 |
| Austin Straub | 73-70-72-79--294 | $515 |
| Lanny Wadkins | 71-75-73-76--295 | $500 |
| Bobby Wadkins | 77-68-75-76--296 | $500 |
| Dean Refram | 75-69-79-75--298 | $500 |
| Ronald Smoak | 72-74-78-79--303 | $500 |
| Dennis Coscina | 76-70-74-83--303 | $500 |
1978 PGA Championship | 1980 PGA Championship
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• Masters Winners
• U.S. Open Winners
• British Open Winners
• PGA Championship Records
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