LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Rory McIlroy won his second straight major championship and fourth of his young career, rallying on the back nine in the PGA Championship.
The tournament finished in near-darkness Sunday at Valhalla Golf Club, with the final two groups essentially morphing into a foursome as they raced to beat nightfall. A nearly two-hour rain delay set up the possibility of a Monday finish, especially if there had been a three-hole playoff.
McIlroy took care of that by shooting 3-under 68, beating Phil Mickelson by one stroke. McIlroy rallied from a three-shot deficit at the turn, setting up an eagle at the 10th with a brilliant second shot. He built a two-stroke lead with a 10-foot birdie putt at the 17th.
McIlroy finished at 16-under 268.
Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson tied for third, two shots behind.
Final-Round Leaderboard
Rory McIlroy 66-67-67-68—268 (-16); Phil Mickelson 69-67-67-66—269 (-15); Henrik Stenson 66-71-67-66—270 (-14); Rickie Fowler 69-66-67-68—270 (-14)
How Rory McIlroy won the 2014 PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy posted four rounds in the 60s (66-67-67-68) this week at Valhalla GC, taking two putts from 34’4” to par the 72nd hole and win the 96th PGA Championship by one stroke over Phil Mickelson. His fourth Major Championship caps off a streak of three consecutive victories (The Open Championship, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, PGA Championship), making him the first player to perform the feat since Tiger Woods won five consecutive starts at the conclusion of the 2007 season and beginning of the 2008 season (2007 BMW Championship, 2007 Tour Championship, 2008 Buick Invitational, 2008 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, 2008 Arnold Palmer Invitational).
What McIlroy receives for his PGA Championship victory
-
600 FedExCup points; ; $1.8 million; replica of Wannamaker Trophy
-
A lifetime exemption into the PGA Championship (already exempt)
-
Five-year exemption on the
PGA TOUR (already exempt)
-
Five-year exemption into Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, PLAYERS Championship (already exempt)
-
Berth in the 2014 PGA Grand Slam of Golf (already exempt)
Rory McIlroy
Making his 25th Major Championship start, McIlroy wins his fourth Major (2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship, 2014 PGA Championship). He has now won four out of the last 15 Majors contested.
McIlroy collects 600 points and moves from No. 3 to No. 1 in the FedExCup, supplanting Jimmy Walker (who held the top spot for 36 of 37 weeks, including a record 30 straight weeks starting with his victory at the Sony Open in
Hawaii.
At the age of 25 years, 3 months and 6 days old, McIlroy becomes the fourth youngest to win a fourth Major Championship. The list of youngest players to win their fourth major is as follows:
Tom Morris, Jr. 1872 Open Championship 21 years, 4 months, 24 days
Tiger Woods 2000 Open Championship 24 years, 6 months, 23 days
Jack Nicklaus 1965 Masters Tournament 25 years, 2 months, 21 days
Rory McIlroy 2014 PGA Championship 25 years, 3 months, 6 days
Bobby Jones 1927 Open Championship 25 years, 3 months, 28 days
Willie Anderson 1905 U.S. Open 25 years, 11 months, 1 day
Seve Ballesteros 1984 Open Championship 27 years, 3 months, 13 days
Becomes the second youngest to win his second PGA Championship:
Tiger Woods 2000 PGA Championship 24 years, 7 months, 21 days
Rory McIlroy 2014 PGA Championship 25 years, 3 months, 6 days
Becomes the first player to win back-to-back Major Championships since Padraig Harrington at the 2008 Open Championship and PGA Championship. Prior to Harrington, Tiger Woods (2006 Open Championship and PGA Championship) and Phil Mickelson (2005 PGA Championship and 2006 Masters Tournament) were the last ones to accomplish the feat. Woods has won back-to-back majors on five different occasions including four straight majors starting with the 2000 U.S. Open and 2001 Masters Tournament.
Joins Padraig Harrington (2008), Tiger Woods (2000, 2006), Nick Price (1994) and Walter Hagen (1924) as the only players to win the Open Championship and PGA Championship in the same season.
McIlroy has now won five times in seven attempts (four of four in Majors) with the 54-hole lead during his PGA Tour career (all outright leads):
Tournament R4 Result
2011 Masters 80 T15
2011 U.S. Open 69 Won
2012 Honda Classic 69 Won
2012 PGA Championship 66 Won
2014 Honda Classic 74 T2
2014 Open Championship 71 Won
2014 PGA Championship 68 Won
McIlroy won his four majors by a combined 19 shots (8/2011 U.S. Open, 8/2012 PGA Championship, 2/2014 Open Championship, 1/2014 PGA Championship). By comparison, Tiger Woods won his first four majors by a combined 36 shots (12/1997 Masters, 1/1999 PGA Championship, 15/2000 U.S. Open, 8/2000 Open Championship).
This week marked the second time McIlroy has posted four rounds in the 60s in a Major Championship, winning both the 2011 U.S. Open (65-66-68-69) and 2014 PGA Championship (66-67-67-68).
Making his 83rd PGA Tour start, McIlroy records his ninth victory: 2010 Wells Fargo Championship, 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 The Honda Classic, 2012 PGA Championship, 2012 Deutsche Bank Championship, 2012 BMW Championship, 2014 The Open Championship, 2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, 2014 PGA Championship.
Players currently under the age of 30 have at least three wins: Rory McIlroy (9), Webb Simpson (4), Keegan Bradley (3), Martin Kaymer (3), Anthony Kim (3), Patrick Reed (3) and Scott Stallings (3).
McIlroy won his third consecutive Tour start this week. Since 1980, he becomes the fifth different player to win three or more consecutive starts: Tiger Woods (5 times), Tom Watson (1980), David Duval (1997), Vijay Singh (2004). Woods’ resume included winning streaks of seven (2006-07), six (1999-00), five (2007-08), three (2000) and three (2001).
McIlroy owns five top-10 finishes in six starts at the PGA Championship, winning in 2011 and 2014, finishing T3 in 2009 and 2010, and T8 a year ago.
Wins back-to-back Tour events for the second time in his career, winning the Deutsche Bank Championship and BMW Championship in 2012 and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship this year.
Is the 23rd (out of 57) second-round leader/co-leader who has gone on to win the PGA Championship.
Is the 32nd (out of 57) third-round leader/co-leader who has carried that lead on to victory at the PGA Championship.
McIlroy solidifies his No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking, which he regained with his win last week at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
With his win last month at the Open Championship, McIlroy (at the age of 25 years, 2 months, 16 days) joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as players to complete three legs of the grand slam at the age of 25 or younger. Nicklaus won the 1963 PGA Championship at the age of 23 years, 6 months, while Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open at the age of 24 years, 5 months, 19 days.
Nine of McIlroy’s last 12 rounds in the PGA Championship have been in the 60s. He becomes the sixth PGA Championship winner to post all four rounds in the 60s.
Eleven of McIlroy’s 24 rounds at the PGA Championship have been in the 60s.
McIlroy began his week with a first-round 5-under 66, equaling his best score in 24 PGA Championship rounds (R4/2012).
Below are major championship winners with at least two wins in one year (18 players, 31 times):
Player (# of times won two) Year Majors
Rory McIlroy 2014 Open Championship, PGA Championship
Padraig Harrington 2008 Open Championship, PGA Championship
Tiger Woods (4) 2006 Open Championship, PGA Championship
Tiger Woods (3) 2005 Masters, Open Championship
Tiger Woods (2) 2002 Masters, U.S. Open
Tiger Woods 2000 U.S. Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship
Mark O’Meara 1998 Masters, Open Championship
Nick Price 1994 Open Championship, PGA Championship
Nick Faldo 1990 Masters, Open Championship
Tom Watson (2) 1982 U.S. Open, Open Championship
Jack Nicklaus (5) 1980 U.S. Open, PGA Championship
Tom Watson 1977 Masters, Open Championship
Jack Nicklaus (4) 1975 Masters, PGA Championship
Gary Player 1974 Masters, Open Championship
Jack Nicklaus (3) 1972 Masters, U.S. Open
Lee Trevino 1971 U.S. Open, Open Championship
Jack Nicklaus (2) 1966 Masters, Open Championship
Jack Nicklaus 1963 Masters, PGA Championship
Arnold Palmer (2) 1962 Masters, Open Championship
Arnold Palmer 1960 Masters, U.S. Open
Jack Burke, Jr. 1956 Masters, PGA Championship
Ben Hogan (3) 1953 Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship
Ben Hogan (2) 1951 Masters, U.S. Open
Sam Snead 1949 Masters, PGA Championship
Ben Hogan 1948 PGA Championship, U.S. Open
Craig Wood 1941 Masters, U.S. Open
Gene Sarazen (2) 1932 Open Championship, U.S. Open
Bobby Jones (2) 1930 Open Championship, U.S. Open
Bobby Jones 1926 Open Championship, U.S. Open
Walter Hagen 1924 PGA Championship, Open Championship
Gene Sarazen 1922 U.S. Open, PGA Championship
Becomes the 11th player since 1934 to win on the PGA Tour the week before winning a major:
2014 Rory McIlroy won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational followed by PGA Championship
2007 Tiger Woods won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational followed by PGA Championship
2006 Phil Mickelson won BellSouth Classic followed by Masters
1988 Sandy Lyle won Greater Greensboro Open followed by the Masters
1971 Lee Trevino won the Canadian Open followed by the British Open
1959 Art Wall won the Azalea Open followed by the Masters
1949 Sam Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open followed by the Masters
1946 *Ben Hogan won the Winnipeg Open followed by the PGA
1945 *Byron Nelson won the Chicago Victory Open followed by the PGA
1939 Ralph Guldahl won the Greater Greensboro Open followed by the Masters
1939 *Henry Picard won the Scranton Open followed by the PGA
* No event scheduled the week after first win. Major was the next event contested
Since the FedExCup Playoffs began in 2007, McIlroy has advanced to the Tour Championship one time (2012) where he finished No. 2 in the FedExCup.
McIlroy’s 2013-14 starts-made cuts-top-10s-wins: 13-13-9-3
McIlroy’s career starts-made cuts-top-10s-wins: 83-72-36-9
McIlroy’s final-round 3-under 68 was his PGA Tour-leading 12th consecutive sub-par round.
R4 at a glance: 11 of 14 fairways, 14 of 18 greens, 0 of 2 sand saves, 30 putts
R3 at a glance: 10 of 14 fairways, 12 of 18 greens, 2 of 2 sand saves, 25 putts
R2 at a glance: 8 of 14 fairways, 11 of 18 greens, 2 of 4 sand saves, 27 putts
R1 at a glance: 12 of 14 fairways, 13 of 18 greens, 1 of 1 sand saves, 27 putts
Rory McIlroy’s – PGA Championship Statistics
Driving Accuracy 41 of 56 (73.2%) T10
Greens in Regulation 50 of 72 (69.4%) T14
Total Putts 109 T13
Driving Distance 315.6 yards 1
Strokes Gained – Putting +1.090/round 12
About Rory McIlroy
Birthdate: May 4, 1989
Birthplace/Resides: Holywood, Northern Ireland
Family: Single
Height, Weight: 5-10, 160
Turned Pro: 2007
Joined Tour: 2010
Miscellaneous 54-hole and 72-hole records at the PGA Championship
Winning scores at the PGA Championships hosted at Valhalla:
1996 – 277, with Mark Brooks winning a playoff over Kenny Perry with a birdie on the first extra hole.
2000 – 270, with Tiger Woods winning a three-hole aggregate playoff over Bob May.
2014 – 268, with Rory McIlroy winning by one stroke over Phil Mickelson
Since the PGA Championship moved to a stroke-play event in 1958, the third-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win the PGA Championship 32 times in 57 events, most recently Rory McIlroy in 2012 and 2014.
On the Tour this season, the third-round leader/co-leader has now gone on to win 20 of 39 times.
The best 72-hole score at the PGA Championship is 15-under 265, set by David Toms in 2001. Phil Mickelson owns the second-best mark (14-under 266), finishing one behind Toms in 2001.
Since 1990, the PGA Championship 54-hole leader has gone on to win 15 of 25 times, but only twice in the last seven years, with Rory McIlroy accounting for both of those victories:
Year Tournament 54-hole leader Margin Result Rd 4 Score
2014 PGA Championship Rory McIlroy +1 Won 68
2013 PGA Championship Jim Furyk +1 2nd 71
2012 PGA Championship Rory McIlroy +3 Won 66
2011 PGA Championship Brendan Steele/Jason Dufner +1 2nd/T19 69/77
2010 PGA Championship Nick Watney +3 T18 81
2009 PGA Championship Tiger Woods +2 2nd 75
2008 PGA Championship Ben Curtis +1 T2 71
2007 PGA Championship Tiger Woods +3 Won 69
2006 PGA Championship Tiger Woods/Luke Donald +2 Won/T3 68/74
2005 PGA Championship Phil Mickelson/Davis Love III +1 Won/T4 72/74
2004 PGA Championship Vijay Singh +1 PWon 76
2003 PGA Championship Shaun Micheel/Chad Campbell +3 Won/2nd 70/72
2002 PGA Championship Justin Leonard +3 T4 77
2001 PGA Championship David Toms +2 Won 69
2000 PGA Championship Tiger Woods +1 PWon 67
1999 PGA Championship Tiger Woods/Mike Weir +2 Won/T10 72/80
1998 PGA Championship Vijay Singh/Steve Stricker +4 Won/2nd 68/70
1997 PGA Championship Davis Love III/Justin Leonard +7 Won/2nd 66/71
1996 PGA Championship Russ Cochran +2 T17 77
1995 PGA Championship Ernie Els +3 T3 72
1994 PGA Championship Nick Price +3 Won 67
1993 PGA Championship Greg Norman +1 2nd 69
1992 PGA Championship Gene Sauers +2 T2 75
1991 PGA Championship John Daly +3 Won 71
1990 PGA Championship Wayne Grady +2 Won 71
International Winners at the PGA Championship
International players have won five out of the last seven PGA Championships (Padraig Harrington/2008, Y.E. Yang/2009, Martin Kaymer/2010 and Rory McIlroy/2012 and 2014). Keegan Bradley (2011) and Jason Dufner (2013) are the exceptions.
McIlroy becomes the fifth international player to win multiple PGA Championships, joining Jim Barnes (1916, 1919), Gary Player (1962, 1972), Nick Price (1992, 1994), Vijay Singh (1998, 2004).
Champion Breakdown by Native Country at the PGA Championship:
77 – United States
4 – South Africa, Australia
2 –
Scotland, England, Fiji, Northern Ireland (Rory McIlroy/2012 and 2014)
1 – Ireland, South Korea, Germany, Northern Ireland (Rory McIlory/2012)
A player from Northern Ireland has won six of the last 19 major championships, with McIlroy accounting for four of those wins (2010 U.S. Open/Graeme McDowell, 2011 U.S. Open/Rory McIlroy, 2011 British Open/Darren Clarke, 2012 PGA Championship/McIlroy, 2014 Open Championship/McIlroy, 2014 PGA Championship/McIlroy).
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson’s second-place finish comes in his 22nd PGA Championship and 89th Major Championship start.
Mickelson posted top-10 finishes at all three PGA Championships hosted at Valhalla, including a T8 in 1996, T9 in 2000 and runner-up finish in 2014.
Mickelson owns nine top 10s at PGA Championship, including a win in 2005 and runner-up finishes in 2001 and 2014.
Mickelson, a five-time Major Championship winner (2004, 2006 & 2010 Masters, 2005 PGA Championship, 2013 Open Championship), now owns 30 career runner-up finishes – including nine in Major Championships.
Mickelson was seeking his fourth Major Championship since turning 39. He is currently tied with Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, with three majors won at the age of 39 or older.
Mickelson has posted all four rounds in the 60s twice in Major Championships, both leading to runner-up finishes at the 2001 and 2014 PGA Championship.
Most rounds in the 60s at the PGA Championship: Jack Nicklaus (41), Phil Mickelson (31, which included all four rounds this week).
Players with most sub-par rounds at the PGA Championship: Jack Nicklaus (53), Tom Watson (41), Jay Haas (37), Phil Mickelson (37), Nick Faldo (34).
Rickie Fowler
Rickie Fowler finished T3 in his 20th Major start, with T19 in 2013 the previous-best finish in four prior PGA Championship starts.
With a T5 at the Masters, a T2 at the U.S. Open, T2 at The Open Championship and T3 at the PGA Championship, Fowler is the only player to have finished in the top-5 in the season’s four majors. He is the first to claim top-10 finishes in all four majors in a season since Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh in 2005, with Woods finishing inside the top 5 in all four of those events.
Most Single Season Top-5 Finishes in the Majors since 1934
2014 Rickie Fowler (T5-Masters, T2-U.S. Open, T2-Open Championship, T3-PGA Championship)
2005 Tiger Woods (Won-Masters, 2nd-U.S. Open, Won-Open Championship, T4-PGA Championship)
2000 Tiger Woods (5th-Masters, Won-U.S. Open, Won-Open Championship, Won-PGA Championship)
1973 Jack Nicklaus (T3-Masters, T4-U.S. Open, 4th-Open Championship, Won-PGA Championship)
1971 Jack Nicklaus (T2-Masters, 2nd-U.S. Open, T5-Open Championship, Won-PGA Championship)
Fowler just missed out on his third-consecutive runner-up finish in a Major Championship. The last player to perform the feat was Ernie Els in 2000.
Fowler’s last five starts on the PGA Tour:
T13 – FedEx St. Jude Classic
T2 – U.S. Open
T2 – Open Championship
T8 – World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational
T3 – PGA Championship
Most Under Par in 2014 Major Championships:
32-under – Rickie Fowler
27-under – Rory McIlroy
Henrik Stenson
Defending FedExCup champion Henrik Stenson finished T3 for his fourth top-10 finish in eight PGA Championship starts (3rd-2013, T3-2014, T4-2008, T6-2009).
Stenson had one top-25 finish in his first 10 Major Championship starts, but has followed with 16 top 25s in his last 25 starts. Likewise, he failed to record a top 10 in his first 11 Major starts, but has nine in his last 24 starts.
Stenson owns seven top-4 finishes in 35 Major Championship starts:
2nd – 2013 Open Championship
3rd – 2013 PGA Championship
T3 – 2014 PGA Championship
T3 – 2010 Open Championship
T3 – 2008 Open Championship
T4 – 2014 U.S. Open
T4 – 2008 PGA Championship
Sweden has never produced a major championship winner. The best finish ever in a major by a Swede is Jones Blixt (T2/2014 Masters), Henrik Stenson (2/2013 Open Championship), Jesper Parnevik (2/1994 Open Championship and T2/1997 Open Championship) and Niclas Fasth (2/2001 Open Championship).
Eight Swedish players have won on the PGA TOUR: Jesper Parnevik (5), Carl Pettersson (5), Henrik Stenson (4), Gabriel Hjertstedt (2), Daniel Chopra (2), Jonas Blixt (2), Freddie Jacobson (1) and Richard S. Johnson (1).
Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk finished T5 in his 77th Major Championship start. He made his 20th PGA Championship start, with a runner-up at Oak Hill in 2013 the best of six top 10s.
Here’s a look at Furyk’s last 12 Major Championship appearances, including seven top-15 finishes (five straight):
2014 PGA Championship T5
2014 Open Championship 4
2014 U.S. Open T12
2014 Masters T14
2013 PGA Championship 2
2013 Open Championship MC
2013 U.S. Open MC
2013 Masters T25
2012 PGA Championship T42
2012 Open Championship T34
2012 U.S. Open T4
2012 Masters 1
The 2010 FedExCup champion moves from No. 6 to No. 5 in the FedExCup thanks to three runner-up finishes in 2013-14 (Wells Fargo Championship, THE PLAYERS Championship, RBC Canadian Open). He is the highest-ranked player in the standings without a victory.
Steve Stricker
Despite playing with a torn labrum in his left hip, Steve Stricker cards rounds of 69-68-68-68 this week to finish T7. It marks the first time in 63 Major Championship starts that he has posted all four rounds in the 60s.
Stricker has three top-5 finishes in 63 Major Championship starts: 2nd at the 1998 PGA Championship, 5th at the 1999 U.S. Open and T5 at the 1998 U.S. Open.
Stricker was seeking to win at the age of 47 years, 5 months and 18 days old. The oldest winner in major championship history is Julius Boros, who won the 1968 PGA Championship at the age of 48 years, 4 months and 18 days.
Below are the oldest players to win their first Major since 1960:
Jerry Barber (45 years, 3 months, 6 days/1961 PGA Championship)
Roberto de Vicenzo (44 years, 3 months, 1 day/1967 British Open)
Darren Clarke (42 years, 11 months, 3 days/2010 Open Championship)
Jimmy Walker
With his T7 finish this week, Walker posted top-10 finishes in three Major Championships this season: Masters (T8), U.S. Open (T9) and PGA Championship (T7). In addition, he finished T6 at THE PLAYERS Championship and T26 at the Open Championship. This week marked his 10th Major Championship start.
Jimmy Walker has led the FedExCup standings for 36 of the 37 weeks, including a record 30 straight weeks starting with his victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii, but now trails Rory McIlroy by 89 points. He has three victories this season: Frys.com Open, Sony Open in Hawaii and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Walker’s previous-best finish in three PGA Championship starts was T21 (2012). He missed the cut in 2010 and 2013.
Lee Westwood
Dating to a T11 at the 2008 Masters, Lee Westwood (T15 this week) has finished inside the top 25 in 18 of his last 27 Majors, including 12 top 10s (including a seventh-place finish at this year’s Masters). He owns the most top-3 finishes in a Major Championship without a win since 1934:
Player 2nd place finishes 3rd place finishes Total top-3 finishes
Lee Westwood 2 6 8
Sergio Garcia 4 2 6
Colin Montgomerie 5 1 6
Doug Sanders 4 2 6
Since 1934, most Major Championship starts without a victory (counting 2014 PGA Championship):
Jay Haas 87
Colin Montgomerie 72
Scott Hoch 70
Brad Faxon 68
Lee Westwood 67
Miguel Angel Jimenez 66
Robert Allenby 65
Scott Verplank 65
Sergio Garcia 65
Steve Stricker 63
John Cook 62
David Frost 61
Jim Barnes (1916 and 1919) is the only golfer from England to win the PGA Championship. He won the first two PGA Championships. The event was not contested in 1917 or 1918.
Westwood made his 17th start at the PGA Championship this week, with a T3 in 2009 his best outing.
Additional Player Notes
Ryan Palmer finished T5 for his second top-10 finish in 19 Major Championships (10th-2011 Masters). He made his eighth start at the PGA Championship, with a T19 in 2011 his only other top-25 finish.
Ernie Els equaled his best round in a Major Championship with a 6-under 65, finishing T7. His other 65s came in the second round at the 2006 Open Championship (finished third) and 1995 PGA Championship (T3). Els’ best finishes in 22 starts at the PGA Championship: third in 2007 and T3 in 1995.
Victor Dubuisson carded a final-round 5-under 66 to finish T7, his second-consecutive top-10 finish in a Major Championship (T9 at Open Championship).
Trending the right direction is 2012 FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker (T13). He owned just 16 rounds in the 60s in his first 19 starts this season, but now has 10 such rounds in his last three starts, including a final-round 4-under 67 at the PGA Championship. Snedeker’s previous-best finish in seven starts at the PGA Championship was T18 in his inaugural appearance in 2007.
Charl Schwartzel closed with a 5-under 66 to finish T15. It marked the sixth time he has posted 66 in a Major Championship, including during the final round en route to winning the 2011 Masters and in the third round of the 2011 PGA Championship.
Playing in his 50th PGA Championship round Sunday, 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott finished T15 in his attempt to join four Australian winners of the PGA Championship: Jim Ferrier (1947), David Graham (1979), Wayne Grady (1990) and Steve Elkington (1995). He sits T13 and six behind Rory McIlroy.
Bernd Wiesberger, a 28-year-old native of Vienna, Austria, turned in a 3-over 74 while playing in the final group with champion Rory McIlroy. He finished T15, shy of the best finish by an Austrian in a Major Championship: Markus Brier (T12 at 2007 Open Championship).
Kentucky native Kenny Perry celebrated his 54th birthday Sunday with a 3-under 68 and T27 finish, marking the first time in 51 Major Championship starts he has posted three sub-70 rounds. He returned to Valhalla on the heels of winning the 3M Championship on the Champions Tour. Perry owns several memorable moments at Valhalla, earning 2 ½ points in helping the U.S. claim the Ryder Cup in 2008 and finishing second at the 1996 PGA Championship.
2014 Masters champ Bubba Watson finished T65 in his attempt is to become the fourth player to win the Masters and PGA Championship in the same season: Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1975), Jack Burke, Jr. (1956) and Sam Snead (1949).
PGA Championship Past Champions in the field
Player (Year won) 2014 PGA
Rory McIlroy (2012) 66-67-67-68—268 (1)
Phil Mickelson (2005) 69-67-67-66—269 (2)
Vijay Singh (1998, 2004) 71-68-73-69—281 (T36)
Padraig Harrington (2008) 73-71—144 (MC)
Martin Kaymer (2010) 70-74—144 (MC)
Davis Love III (1997) 72-73—145 (MC)
Keegan Bradley (2011) 74-72—146 (MC)
Y.E. Yang (2009) 75-71—146 (MC)
Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, ’06, ’07) 74-74—148 (MC)
John Daly (1991) 76-72—148 (MC)
Shaun Micheel (2003) 72-79—151 (MC)
Rich Beem (2002) 74-79—153 (MC)
Mark Brooks (1996) 78-79—157 (MC)
Jason Dufner (2013) WD
Miscellaneous Notes
All 20 PGA Professionals in the field missed the cut.
Consecutive Major Championship appearances (including PGA Championship):
Sergio Garcia 62
Adam Scott 54
Stewart Cink 47
Zach Johnson 43
Jim Furyk 43