As one of the four majors, the PGA Championship is one of the most sought-after tournaments in world golf. But what players have won the coveted Wanamaker Trophy back-to-back?
Join us as we outline the golfers who have won the PGA Championship in consecutive years and how many players have achieved this feat.
Has There Ever Been Back-To-Back PGA Championship Winners?
With the 2025 PGA Championship taking center-stage at Quail Hollow Club in what is the second major championship of the year, all eyes are on the world’s best players this week.
There are so many narratives going into the 107th PGA Championship too. Can Rory McIlroy add another major after capturing The Masters in April? Can Scottie Scheffler win his third major? Could Jordan Spieth complete the career Grand Slam this week?
These are just some of the narratives heading into another major championship week. Another narrative that golf fans are talking about is whether Xander Schauffele can go back-to-back and win his second consecutive PGA Championship.
After winning his first major 12 months ago at the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Schauffele is aiming to successfully defend the Wanamaker Trophy this year at Quail Hollow.
Given the quality on show nowadays in world golf, this would be quite the achievement. That being said, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility with several people fancying Schauffele heading into the 2025 PGA Championship.
If the American was to win this week at Quail Hollow, he would become just the eighth golfer in history to secure back-to-back PGA Championship victories.
Over the years there have been seven different players who achieved back-to-back PGA Championship winners status.
Now, Xander Schauffele, who boasts the lowest score in PGA Championship history, aims to add his name to that list as we embark on the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
Who Has Won The PGA Championship Back-To-Back?
As previously outlined, there have been seven previous back-to-back PGA Championship winners over the years.
Since it’s inception in 1916, only seven men have won the famous Wanamaker Trophy in consecutive years. Of these seven players, six are American with just one Englishman.
The first player to achieve the feat was Jim Barnes, who won back-to-back PGA Championship titles in 1916 and 1919. There was no tournament in 1917 or 1918 due to World War I, meaning Barnes won back-to-back Wanamaker’s right at the beginning.
Next was Gene Sarazen, who went back-to-back at the PGA Championship in 1922 and 1923. Walter Hagen was next, who miraculously won four consecutive PGA Championship’s from 1924-1927. He remains the only player to have ever won more than two consecutive PGA Championship tournaments.
Leo Diegel (1928, 1929) and Denny Shute (1937, 1938) were the next two players to secure back-to-back PGA Championship wins. Then came the great Tiger Woods.
The 15-time major champion remains the only player to have won back-to-back Wanamaker Trophy’s on two different occasions, achieving the feat in 1999-2000 and following that up again in 2006-2007.
The last player to win the PGA Championship back-to-back was Brooks Koepka in 2018 and 2019.
| Golfer | PGA Championship B2B Winners |
| Jim Barnes | 1916, 1919 |
| Gene Sarazen | 1922, 1923 |
| Walter Hagen | 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 |
| Leo Diegel | 1928, 1929 |
| Denny Shute | 1937, 1938 |
| Tiger Woods | 1999, 2000 & 2006, 2007 |
| Brooks Koepka | 2018, 2019 |
Multiple PGA Championship Winners
Including the seven men who have won the PGA Championship back-to-back, there are 22 players in total who have won the Wanamaker Trophy on multiple occasions.
The following list includes the of the seven players mentioned above, some of whom have gone on to win even more PGA Championship titles after going back-to-back too.
Below are some of the most decorated players in golfing history who will forever be remembered as greats of the game.
Sam Snead remains the only player in history who has won The Masters and PGA Championship back-to-back.
| Golfer | Multiple PGA Championship Winners |
| Jim Barnes | 1916, 1919 |
| Walter Hagen | 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 |
| Gene Sarazen | 1922, 1923, 1933 |
| Leo Diegel | 1928, 1929 |
| Paul Runyan | 1934, 1938 |
| Denny Shute | 1937, 1938 |
| Byron Nelson | 1940, 1945 |
| Sam Snead | 1942, 1949, 1951 |
| Ben Hogan | 1946, 1948 |
| Gary Player | 1962, 1972 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980 |
| Raymond Floyd | 1969, 1982 |
| Dave Stockton | 1970, 1976 |
| Lee Trevino | 1974, 1984 |
| Larry Nelson | 1981, 1987 |
| Nick Price | 1992, 1994 |
| Vijay Singh | 1998, 2004 |
| Tiger Woods | 1999, 2000 & 2006, 2007 |
| Phil Mickelson | 2005, 2021 |
| Rory McIlroy | 2012, 2014 |
| Justin Thomas | 2017, 2022 |
| Brooks Koepka | 2018, 2019, 2023 |
