Here's How Rare It Is to Repeat at the PGA Championship

Scottie Scheffler enters this PGA Championship at Aronimink as the top-ranked player in the world at at the height of his powers. He's also the defending champion at this event, and with that comes a shot at history.

Repeat winners don't come along often at the PGA, perhaps because it changes venues each year. Or perhaps because the field is so deep. And maybe also because it's just extremely tough to win majors, much less the same major two years in a row.

In modern history, only two players have won back-to-back PGA Championships: the most recent was Brooks Koepka in 2018 at Whistling Straits and 2019 at Bethpage Black. Tiger Woods also won repeat PGA titles, achieving the feat in 1999 and 2000 and then again in 2006 and 2007.

For repeat PGA winners in the modern era, that's it. Koepka and Woods are the entire list.

It gets lost a bit in history, but for several decades the PGA Championship was a match-play event. Back in that era, it produced a handful of back-to-back winners. They are:

Denny Shute: 1936, 1937

Leo Diegel: 1928, 1929

Walter Hagen: 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 (A record four wins in a row.)

Gene Sarazen: 1922, 1923

Jim Barnes: 1916, 1919 (there was no event in 1917-18)

While repeating at the PGA is difficult, there have been more players who have won multiple PGAs in their career, a list led by Jack Nicklaus's five PGA Championship titles, in 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1980. Walter Hagen, mentioned above, also finished with five titles during the match-play era.

So, it may seem like the odds are against Scheffler this week, but the World No. 1 will be ready to take a run at another Wanamaker, and at history.

More Golf from Sports Illustrated

• Aronimink's List of Previous Champions Is Diverse (and Surprising)
• How to Watch the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club
• Brooks Koepka Is Having Fun Again. All He Had to Do Was Leave LIV Golf.
• LIV Golfer Richard Bland Says He Wouldn't Be 'Hugely Welcome' on PGA Tour Champions

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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 4:38 PM.