1971 PGA Championship 1971 PGA Championship The 1971 PGA Championship was the 53rd PGA Championship, played February 25–28 at the original PGA National Golf Club, presently known as BallenIsles Country Club (East Course) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Jack Nicklaus won the second of his five PGA Championships, two strokes ahead of Billy Casper, the reigning Masters champion. Nicklaus led wire-to-wire, and held a four-stroke lead over Gary Player after 54 holes, with Casper seven shots back. The two were pre-tournament favorites, along with Arnold Palmer, who shot an opening round 75 and finished at 289 (+1), eight strokes back. Nicklaus became the
1929 PGA Championship () in match play at the PGA Championship in the 1920s, losing only to Sarazen in 38 holes in the 1923 finals, and Diegel 2 & 1 in the 1928 quarterfinals. Hagen's victory over Tony Manero in the 1929 quarterfinals was his last match win at the PGA Championship until 1940; he was winless in the 1930s with five first round losses. This was the first major championship played in the western United States; it was originally scheduled to be played in Santa Barbara. The PGA Championship returned to the west a dozen years later in 1941 in Colorado. In