The 1974 PGA Championship was the 56th PGA Championship, played August 8–11 at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, North Carolina, a suburb southwest of Winston-Salem. Lee Trevino won the first of his two PGA Championships, one stroke ahead of defending champion Jack Nicklaus.[1] It was the fifth of Trevino's six major titles and Nicklaus was the runner-up to Trevino in a major for the fourth and final time.[3] It was the first year since 1969 in which Nicklaus did not win a major championship,[4] but he regained the title the following year.
Three-time champion Sam Snead, age 62, finished tied for third for his third consecutive top ten finish in the event. It was the final major in which he was in contention, his next best finish was a tie for 42nd at the PGA Championship in 1979. Gary Player's bid to win three majors in 1974 came up short in the final round; the winner of the Masters and Open Championship finished four strokes back at even par, in seventh place.
Trevino used a putter he found in a friend's attic only days before and had only one three-putt, on the 71st hole.[4] Tanglewood is a county-owned facility in Forsyth County.[5]
