Completed Edition
1972 PGA Championship
At Oakland Hills in 1972, Gary Player won his second PGA Championship. His 281 was one over par, two strokes ahead of Tommy Aaron and Jim Jamieson. The decisive recovery came at the sixteenth hole.23
A Nine-Iron Over the Water
Player’s opening 71s were followed by a 67, putting him at 209 after three rounds. He had the lowest total, but the last round still required 72 strokes. Aaron finished with 71 and Jamieson with 70; both reached 283.3
After bogeys at fourteen and fifteen, Player drove far right at sixteen. The PGA’s account describes a blocked view of the flag, with a willow tree and a pond between him and the green. He sent a nine-iron over them and left a birdie putt of about four feet. Oakland Hills’ own history preserves the same shot and its role in the two-stroke victory.12
Sam Snead also gave the week a place in the Club’s history. At sixty, he finished at 284, tied with Billy Casper and Raymond Floyd. Snead’s last round was 69, three strokes better than the champion’s.23
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