It is rare that a golfer becomes a repeat winner in the PGA Championship. Only six players have won a PGA Championship in back-to-back years, with only two of those having come in stroke play.

There won’t be a repeat champion this year, as 2021 winner Phil Mickelson withdrew his name from the PGA Championship field before the tournament.

But there are still several golfers who could make history by adding to their win totals. Tiger Woods could tie Jack Nicklaus for the record of most PGA Championship wins if he collects his fifth victory in the event. Brooks Koepka or Rory McIlroy could become only the sixth golfer to win at least three times in the event.

Whichever golfer comes out on top in 2022 will be adding his name to a list of the greatest golfers in the sport’s history, with past winners like Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player and more.

Here’s a look at the golfers who have won the PGA Championship:

PGA Championship winners by year

No one has won the PGA Championship in the stroke play era more than Nicklaus. The Golden Bear holds the record with five wins in the tournament over his career, having collected victories in 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1980.

Woods is right behind him with four wins, which came in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007.

Here’s a look at the winners in the stroke play era:

Year Winner Score
1958 Dow Finsterwald -4
1959 Bob Rosburg -3
1960 Jay Herbert +1
1961 Jerry Barber -3
1962 Gary Player -2
1963 Jack Nicklaus -5
1964 Bobby Nichols -9
1965 Dave Marr -4
1966 Al Geiberger E
1967 Don January -7
1968 Julius Boros +1
1969 Raymond Floyd -8
1970 Dave Stockton -1
1971 Jack Nicklaus -7
1972 Gary Player +1
1973 Jack Nicklaus -7
1974 Lee Trevino -4
1975 Jack Nicklaus -4
1976 Dave Stockton +1
1977 Lanny Wadkins -6
1978 John Mahaffey -8
1979 David Graham -8
1980 Jack Nicklaus -6
1981 Larry Nelson -7
1982 Raymond Floyd -8
1983 Hal Sutton -10
1984 Lee Trevino -15
1985 Hubert Green -10
1986 Bob Tway -8
1987 Larry Nelson -1
1988 Jeff Sluman -12
1989 Payne Stewart -12
1990 Wayne Grady -6
1991 John Daly -12
1992 Nick Price -6
1993 Paul Azinger -12
1994 Nick Price -11
1995 Steve Elkington -17
1996 Mark Brooks -11
1997 Davis Love III -11
1998 Vijay Singh -9
1999 Tiger Woods -11
2000 Tiger Woods -18
2001 David Toms -15
2002 Rich Beem -10
2003 Shaun Micheel -4
2004 Vijay Singh -8
2005 Phil Mickelson -4
2006 Tiger Woods -18
2007 Tiger Woods -8
2008 Padraig Harrington -3
2009 Y.E. Yang -8
2010 Martin Kaymer -11
2011 Keegan Bradley -8
2012 Rory McIlroy -13
2013 Jason Dufner -10
2014 Rory McIlroy -16
2015 Jason Day -20
2016 Jimmy Walker -14
2017 Justin Thomas -8
2018 Brooks Koepka -16
2019 Brooks Koepka -8
2020 Collin Morikawa -13
2021 Phil Mickelson -6

Before there was stroke play, golfers competed in match play, working their way through a bracket.

During that period, Hagen won the tournament five times, holding the record for the most wins all time in the PGA Championship until Nicklaus tied him much later.

Hagen won in 1921 to pick up his first victory and proceeded to win it four straight years in 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927 in the only event winning streak longer than three consecutive years.

Here’s a look at the golfers who won in the match play era:

Year Golfer
1916 James M. Barnes
1919 James M. Barnes
1920 Jock Hutchison
1921 Walter Hagen
1922 Gene Sarazen
1923 Gene Sarazen
1924 Walter Hagen
1925 Walter Hagen
1926 Walter Hagen
1927 Walter Hagen
1928 Leo Diegel
1929 Leo Diegel
1930 Tommy Armour
1931 Tom Creavy
1932 Olin Dutra
1933 Gene Sarazen
1934 Paul Runyan
1935 Johnny Revolta
1936 Denny Shute
1937 Denny Shute
1938 Paul Runyan
1939 Henry Picard
1940 Byron Nelson
1941 Vic Ghezzi
1942 Sam Snead
1944 Bob Hamilton
1945 Byron Nelson
1946 Ben Hogan
1947 Jim Ferrier
1948 Ben Hogan
1949 Sam Snead
1950 Chandler Harper
1951 Sam Snead
1952 Jim Turnesa
1953 Walter Burkemo
1954 Chick Harbert
1955 Doug Ford
1956 Jack Burke Jr.
1957 Lionel Hebert

*There was no PGA Championship in 1917, 1918 or 1943 due to war.

How much does the PGA Championship winner make?

Golfers in the PGA Championship always leave with a hefty payday. Since 2014, winners have earned at least $1.8 million by winning the tournament.

That is a drastic increase from the $500 earned by James Barnes in 1916, when he won the first PGA Championship — even with inflation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has that payday as worth only $13,509.77 in 2022.

Here’s a look at the payout for each PGA Championship winner, according to GolfLink.

Year Payout
1916 $500
1919 $500
1920 $500
1921 $500
1922 $500
1923 $1,000
1924 $1,000
1925 $1,000
1926 $1,000
1927 $1,000
1928 $1,000
1929 $1,000
1930 $1,000
1931 $1,000
1932 $1,000
1933 $1,000
1934 $1,000
1935 $1,000
1936 $1,000
1937 $1,000
1938 $1,100
1939 $1,100
1940 $1,100
1941 $1,100
1942 $1,000
1944 $3,500
1945 $3,750
1946 $3,500
1947 $3,500
1948 $3,500
1949 $3,500
1950 $3,500
1951 $3,500
1952 $3,500
1953 $5,000
1954 $5,000
1955 $5,000
1956 $5,000
1957 $8,000
1958 $5,500
1959 $8,250
1960 $11,000
1961 $11,000
1962 $13,000
1963 $13,000
1964 $18,000
1965 $25,000
1966 $25,000
1967 $25,000
1968 $25,000
1969 $35,000
1970 $40,000
1971 $40,000
1972 $45,000
1973 $45,000
1974 $45,000
1975 $45,000
1976 $45,000
1977 $45,000
1978 $50,000
1979 $60,000
1980 $60,000
1981 $60,000
1982 $65,000
1983 $100,000
1984 $125,000
1985 $125,000
1986 $145,000
1987 $150,000
1988 $160,000
1989 $200,000
1990 $225,000
1991 $230,000
1992 $280,000
1993 $300,000
1994 $310,000
1995 $360,000
1996 $430,000
1997 $470,000
1998 $540,000
1999 $630,000
2000 $900,000
2001 $936,000
2002 $990,000
2003 $1,080,000
2004 $1,125,000
2005 $1,170,000
2006 $1,224,000
2007 $1,260,000
2008 $1,350,000
2009 $1,350,000
2010 $1,350,000
2011 $1,445,000
2012 $1,445,000
2013 $1,445,000
2014 $1,800,000
2015 $1,800,000
2016 $1,800,000
2017 $1,890,000
2018 $1,980,000
2019 $1,980,000
2020 $1,980,000
2021 $2,160,000
2022 $2,160,000*

*Expected winner’s payout for 2022

Source: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/golf/news/pga-championship-winners-past-champions-payouts-history/ixaxioueyerdfijjglnoswqy