GENEVA, Switzerland – The attention of the golf world will turn to Rochester, New York, from May 18-21 for the 105th edition of the PGA Championship, the second of the four annual men’s Majors and only one contested by an all-professional field.
First held in 1916, the tournament this year will be staged for a fourth time at Oak Hill Country Club, which previously hosted it in 1980 – when Rolex Testimonee and 18-time Major winner Jack Nicklaus claimed his record fifth PGA Championship title – 2003 and 2013.
For more than 50 years, Rolex has been at the heart of golf, forging close ties with elite and developing players, the main professional tours and governing bodies, as well as the finest events on the calendar. This deep-rooted support encompasses all the men’s Majors that constitute the pinnacle of achievement, including the PGA Championship, at which the brand has been Official Timekeeper and Official Partner since 2021 and where Rolex Testimonees have enjoyed regular success.
Justin Thomas returns as defending champion aiming for a third crown, which would also be his third Major title. With his maiden victory in 2017, the American became only the fourth golfer at that time to win a Major before his 25th birthday. He then claimed an unforgettable victory in 2022, triumphing in a three-hole aggregate playoff. In doing so, Thomas became just the sixth golfer in history to come back after trailing by seven strokes or more in a final round to capture a Major title.
Reflecting on his two victories, Thomas said: “I felt like I learned a lot about myself in both PGA Championships because they were very different and I had to go about them very differently with very different approaches but they both ended with the same result, which I was hugely pleased with.”
This year marks 60 years since Jack Nicklaus won the first of his five PGA Championship titles (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980), his maiden victory coming at the Blue Course of Dallas Athletic Club. Other winning Testimonees to have their names inscribed on the Wanamaker Trophy include Collin Morikawa (2020), Gary Player (1962, 1972) and Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007).
Morikawa said: “Growing up watching and idolizing great players such as Tiger Woods breaking records in winning Major championships and hearing about Jack Nicklaus’ records fueled my motivation to achieve success like them. When I played my first PGA Championship and I was able to come out on top to claim my victory, it meant a huge amount.
“The PGA Championship will always be special to me because it was my first Major title and you will never be able to take that away. Lifting the Wanamaker Trophy, and then proceeding to drop the lid is a memorable moment in itself. It is remarkable that your name will always be etched in history and it will never leave that spot in 2020. You create your own memories in the victories and that is something that can be cherished forever.”
