I Looked Back At Previous PGA Championships And It's Regularly Box Office Viewing - Here Are 6 Of The Best Since 2000

It's easy to overlook the PGA Championship at times, but even just a quick look back of recent tournaments shows some incredible entertainment that can rival any of the other three.

The Masters has the Green Jacket and all those iconic trappings, and the US Open and Open Championship are national tournaments with tons of history, so the PGA Championship is more often than not ranked fourth.

There are more than a few reasons why the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow could be an absolute classic, and it would be no surprise when you think of what's happened in previous renewals.

From Tiger Woods being tamed to some sand trouble for Dustin Johnson, through to a rampant Rory McIlroy, resurgent Phil Mickelson and Scottie Scheffler ending up in jail.

Recent PGA Championships have had just about everything, so here's my pick of the recent tournaments...

2025 - Record scores, a tense finish and Scottie in jail

Why not just start with last year, a tournament at Valhalla that had just about everything - including World No.1 Scottie Scheffler being arrested and jailed after a run-in with Kentucky police.

Of course, Scheffler returned to the course later on Friday and shot 66 but he suffered a delayed reaction with a bad third round ultimately costing him.

We had not one but two Major championship record scores of 62 from Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry, while Bryson DeChambeau emerged in his new role as a fan favorite with some thrilling play.

We then had a tense finish as DeChambeau made a tremendous birdie on 18 to force Schauffele to do the same to win, which he just about managed to clinch a thrilling finale.

2023 - Block party at Oak Hill

Brooks Koepka eventually won his fifth Major, but the week was dominated by PGA professional Michael Block living his best life as he challenged for the lead before eventually finishing T15.

That was only half the story though, as the California club pro got to play with Rory McIlroy on Sunday, and only went and hit a hole-in-one in front of the Northern Irishman.

Not just Block's golf, but the sheer joy on his face and the entertainment he gave to the crowd made the week a brilliant golfing spectacle - and in circumstances only possible at the PGA Championship.

2009 - YE Yang tames Tiger

Not many players have ever managed to stare down Tiger Woods and come out with the win - in fact Woods had won every previous Major when leading after 54 holes, until, that is, YE Yang had his say.

Woods held a two stroke advantage heading into Sunday, and when he strode onto the course at Hazeltine in his customary red everybody thought the Wanamaker Trophy was his once more.

However, he struggled particularly with his putter all day long as he limped home with a 75, and Yang took full advantage with a 70 sealed with a beautiful approach around a tree to the last.

He became the first Asian-born men's Major champion but perhaps even more significantly proved Tiger was in fact human - and Woods would then have to wait a decade before finally winning his 15th at the 2019 Masters.

2021 - Mickelson makes history at 50

Just when you thought his star was on the wane, Phil Mickelson proved he had one more Major in him with a resurgent performance at Kiawah Island to hold off Brooks Koepka.

A sixth Major came just a month shy of his 51st birthday, making Mickelson the oldest Major champion in history as he eclipsed the previous record set by 48-year-old Julius Boros.

The scenes heading down 18 were epic as crowds flooded the course to watch one of the most popular men in the sport enjoying an unexpected final moment in the Major spotlight.

2012 - Majestic McIlroy laps the field

Sometimes it's not all about thrilling finishes but about watching historic, sublime performances, golfing greatness being played out in front of us - as Rory McIlroy showcased at Kiawah Island.

There aren't many players in history who could live with a freewheeling McIlroy in his pomp, and we just had to sit back and admire his immense talent as he romped away to an eight-shot victory for his second Major title.

It was a PGA Championship record margin of victory and came a year after he did the same at the US Open at Congressional, as it was clear we were witnessing greatness from a man aged just 23.

2010 - DJ's bunker issues at Whistling Straits

What's the difference between a sandy waste area and a bunker? Dustin Johnson found out to his cost down the stretch of a pulsating Sunday at Whistling Straits as seven players held the lead at various points.

After birdies at 16 and 17 DJ held a one-shot lead at the last, but made bogey to drop into a dramatic three-way playoff - or so he thought.

As he was later given a two-shot penalty for grounding his club in a bunker on the last hole. Well, I say bunker, in truth it was a sandy area with spectator footprints in the sand all around him, so you can forgive him and his caddie for not recognising it as a bunker in the heat of battle.

Even after that drama died down we had a playoff to watch, as Martin Kaymer prevailed with a bogey on a nervy final hole to pip Bubba Watson in yet another PGA classic.