The old mantra is that the PGA Championship winning score is whatever the course demands that week, with the PGA of America going out of its way to keep setup from being the story in their major championship.
However, a PGA Championship winning score at even par or over is rare, at best. Since 1958, when the PGA Championship moved from match play to stroke play, the PGA Championship winning score has been over par just three times -- and not since 1976 at Congressional Country Club.
Actually, the most common PGA Championship winning score has been 8 under par, which has happened 11 times since 1958.
A winning score equal to or lower than 10 under par has only been recorded 22 times. The record 72-hole PGA Championship total is also the all-time major championship record against par, set by Jason Day in 2015 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin on 20-under 268.
There's also an expectation that the PGA Championship is played on a par-70 course, with 72-hole par at 280. And, that's reasonable. Since the PGA Championship went to stroke play, 30 of the PGA Championship host courses had par at 70. The next most-common par is 72, which has been the case 19 different times.
PGA Championship winning scores against par
Click header to sort
| YEAR | COURSE | TOTAL | TO PAR | PAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Whistling Straits, Straits Course | 268 | -20 | 72 |
| 2006 | Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3 | 270 | -18 | 72 |
| 2000 | Valhalla Golf Club | 270 | -18 | 72 |
| 1995 | Riviera Country Club | 267 | -17 | 71 |
| 2018 | Bellerive Country Club | 264 | -16 | 70 |
| 2014 | Valhalla Golf Club | 268 | -16 | 71 |
| 2001 | Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course | 265 | -15 | 70 |
| 1984 | Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club | 273 | -15 | 72 |
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| 2016 | Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course | 266 | -14 | 70 |
| 2020 | TPC Harding Park | 267 | -13 | 70 |
| 2012 | Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course | 275 | -13 | 72 |
| 1993 | Inverness Club | 272 | -12 | 71 |
| 1988 | Oak Tree Golf Club | 272 | -12 | 71 |
| 1991 | Crooked Stick Golf Club | 276 | -12 | 72 |
| 1989 | Kemper Lakes Golf Club | 276 | -12 | 72 |
| 1997 | Winged Foot Golf Club, West Course | 269 | -11 | 70 |
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| 1994 | Southern Hills Country Club | 269 | -11 | 70 |
| 2010 | Whistling Straits, Straits Course | 277 | -11 | 72 |
| 1999 | Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3 | 277 | -11 | 72 |
| 1996 | Valhalla Golf Club | 277 | -11 | 72 |
| 2013 | Oak Hill Country Club, East Course | 270 | -10 | 70 |
| 1983 | Riviera Country Club | 274 | -10 | 71 |
| 2002 | Hazeltine National Golf Club | 278 | -10 | 72 |
| 1998 | Sahalee Country Club | 271 | -9 | 70 |
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| 1964 | Columbus Country Club | 271 | -9 | 70 |
| 2019 | Bethpage Black Course | 272 | -8 | 70 |
| 2011 | Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course | 272 | -8 | 70 |
| 2007 | Southern Hills Country Club | 272 | -8 | 70 |
| 1982 | Southern Hills Country Club | 272 | -8 | 70 |
| 1979 | Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course | 272 | -8 | 70 |
| 2017 | Quail Hollow Club | 276 | -8 | 71 |
| 1986 | Inverness Club | 276 | -8 | 71 |
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| 1978 | Oakmont Country Club | 276 | -8 | 71 |
| 1969 | NCR Country Club, South Course | 276 | -8 | 71 |
| 2009 | Hazeltine National Golf Club | 280 | -8 | 72 |
| 2004 | Whistling Straits, Straits Course | 280 | -8 | 72 |
| 1981 | Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course | 273 | -7 | 70 |
| 1973 | Canterbury Golf Club | 277 | -7 | 71 |
| 1971 | PGA National Golf Club | 281 | -7 | 72 |
| 1967 | Columbine Country Club | 281 | -7 | 72 |
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| 2021 | Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course | 282 | -6 | 72 |
| 1980 | Oak Hill Country Club, East Course | 274 | -6 | 70 |
| 1992 | Bellerive Country Club | 278 | -6 | 71 |
| 1985 | Cherry Hills Country Club | 278 | -6 | 71 |
| 1990 | Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club | 282 | -6 | 72 |
| 1977 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | 282 | -6 | 72 |
| 2022 | Southern Hills Country Club | 275 | -5 | 70 |
| 1963 | Dallas Athletic Club, Blue Course | 279 | -5 | 71 |
| 2005 | Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course | 276 | -4 | 70 |
| 2003 | Oak Hill Country Club, East Course | 276 | -4 | 70 |
| 1975 | Firestone Country Club, South Course | 276 | -4 | 70 |
| 1974 | Tanglewood Park, Championship Course | 276 | -4 | 70 |
| 1958 | Llanerch Country Club | 276 | -4 | 70 |
| 1965 | Laurel Valley Golf Club | 280 | -4 | 71 |
| 2008 | Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course | 277 | -3 | 70 |
| 1961 | Olympia Fields Country Club | 277 | -3 | 70 |
| 1959 | Minneapolis Golf Club | 277 | -3 | 70 |
| 1962 | Aronimink Golf Club | 278 | -2 | 70 |
| 1970 | Southern Hills Country Club | 279 | -1 | 70 |
| 1987 | PGA National Resort & Spa | 287 | -1 | 72 |
| 1966 | Firestone Country Club, South Course | 280 | E | 70 |
| 1976 | Congressional Country Club, Blue Course | 281 | 1 | 70 |
| 1972 | Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course | 281 | 1 | 70 |
| 1968 | Pecan Valley Golf Club | 281 | 1 | 70 |
| 1960 | Firestone Country Club, South Course | 281 | 1 | 70 |
