2022 PGA Championship Recap & Highlights

The PGA Championship 2022 began on Thursday, May 19, and ended Sunday, May 22. So who won the PGA championship, and how much did they walk away with? 

Read on for a full recap of the event and to get answers to common questions like "where is the PGA championship held?"

Introduction to the Tournament

Held a little over a month after the Masters, it is the second major golf event of the season and an official event of the PGA, European and Japan Golf Tours.

In addition to the potential to win the purse, clinching victory at the PGA championships is a boon for any golfer's career. The victor receives an automatic invitation to the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, The Open Championship and the Player's Championship events for the next five years. In addition, the winner can play in the PGA Championships for life. Competition each year is stiff because the event is the only one of the four majors that is only open to professional players.

Unlike the Masters, the PGA Championships aren't held at the same course every year. Instead, an exclusive group of world-class courses hosts it. This year, the tournament was held at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

PGA Championship Earnings and Payout

The amount of money available for players to win in a golf tournament is known as the purse. This term dates back to Old English and was used to describe a bag that held coins. A number of sources fund the PGA championship purse, including the sale of television rights and donations from sponsors that include golf courses and large companies.

Over the last few decades, the size of the purse at PGA events has grown dramatically. In 1970, the entire PGA Tour paid out $5.5 million in prize money. By comparison, the PGA Championship purse for the single event this year was $15 million. The first-place winner received $2.7 million, and the second-place winner received $1.62 million.

Check out the table below for the top 10 players earnings from the PGA Championship payout.

Overview of What Happened at the 2022 PGA Championship

Vegas' Odds of Winning the PGA Championship

At the start of the tournament, the PGA championship odds were 10-1 on Scottie Scheffler, 12-1 on Justin Thomas and 12-1 on Jordan Spieth. Already, the odds-on favorites for 2023 are Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm. The following table summarizes the PGA championship odds for this year. 

Tiger Woods Leaving The Tournament Early

A little more than a year ago, Tiger Woods suffered numerous injuries in a serious motor vehicle accident, yet he was still present on the course for the event this year. Last month, he finished in 47th place at the Masters, his worst showing since his debut at the event. He arrived in Tulsa hoping to perform better but ended up withdrawing on Saturday when he finished nine-over par 79 and found himself tied for last place. PGA of America President Jim Richerson made the announcement and sent along well wishes to the golf legend.

Mito Pereira's collapse on 18

At the start of Sunday, Chilean pro Mito Pereira looked like he might end up on top of the final leaderboard. He arrived at the 18th hole one stroke ahead but then shot into the water. The blunder was enough for him to end the tournament tied with Cameron Young in third place.

In interviews following the PGA Championships, Pereira admitted that his level of nervousness and anxiety increased during each day of the tournament. He said he never felt as nervous during a round as he did when he stepped up to the tee on that hole. In addition, he said that when he saw the path the ball was taking, he felt a mix of shame but also accomplishment at having played so well up until that point.

Justin Thomas Wins the PGA Championship

The final round of the PGA Championship came down to Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris. Throughout the tournament, Thomas had his ups and downs. On Friday, he finished with a 67 in the face of high winds that posed challenges for his competitors. Despite much more favorable conditions, he had five bogeys on Saturday, which left him seven strokes behind Pereira and five shots away from second place.

Even on Sunday, Thomas suffered setbacks. When he bogeyed the par-3 sixth hole, it began to look like he was out of the running. But then, he stunned everyone, finishing the next 12 holes 5 under par despite narrowly missing a few putts.

At the end of the 2022 PGA Championship, Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris were battling for first place. On the 17th hole, Thomas landed a two-putt birdie, while Zalatoris missed the crucial shot. After that, it was nearly impossible for him to catch up to Thomas. The victory was Thomas' second at the PGA Championships, his first win being in 2017. Zalartoris finished second with Young and Pereira behind him and Tommy Fleetwood, Chris Kirk and Matt Fitzpatrick tied for fifth.

Like Pereira, Thomas admitted that he was feeling unusually nervous throughout the weekend. He attributed his erratic performance to his nerves, leading some to wonder if the much higher PGA Championship purse may be overly turning up the pressure.

Final 2022 PGA Championship Table

For a stat recap of the 2022 PGA Championship, check out the table below.

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