1971 PGA Championship 1971" "Saturday, February 27, 1971" "Sunday, February 28, 1971" 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
1936 PGA Championship shot 157 (+13), one stroke out of the playoff. Defending champion Johnny Revolta lost in the second round to Harold "Jug" McSpaden in 19 holes. Shute repeated as champion less than seven months later in May 1937. He was the last to successfully defend his title at the PGA Championship until Tiger Woods won consecutive titles twice, in 1999–2000 and 2006–2007. This was the first major played at Pinehurst and Course No. 2, which had sand greens until 1935. While the PGA Championship has yet to return, the U.S. Open was held at the course in 1999, 2005, and 2014.