1987 PGA Championship

Template:Short description The 1987 PGA Championship was the 69th PGA Championship, held August 6–9 at the Champion Course of PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. In hot and windy conditions, Larry Nelson won his second PGA Championship in a sudden-death playoff over 1977 champion Lanny Wadkins. It was Nelson's third and final major title.

D.A. Weibring, a 54-hole co-leader, shot 76 (+4) and finished a stroke back at even-par 288. The other co-leader, Mark McCumber, posted 77 and finished in a tie for fifth. Two major champions in contention shot high scores and fell back: Seve Ballesteros (78) and Raymond Floyd (80).

In the August heat of Florida, the attendance was low. A record high temperature for the day of was recorded on Sunday. It was the second major played in Florida, following the PGA Championship in 1971, played in February at the old PGA National. Through 2021, this is the last major played in the state. The purse was the last under $1 million at the PGA Championship.

With the win, Nelson gained an automatic bid to the Ryder Cup team in 1987, his third, bumping Don Pooley. Nelson's record in that competition in late September was 0–3–1, as the U.S. lost the Cup for the first time on home soil. He lost all three pairs matches and halved his singles match.

The Champion Course hosted the Ryder Cup in 1983 and the Senior PGA Championship for 19 years (1982–2000). Since 2007, it has been the venue of The Honda Classic on the PGA Tour, played in March.

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, August 6, 1987

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Template:Flagicon Bobby Wadkins	68	−4
T2	Template:Flagicon David Edwards	69	−3
	Template:Flagicon Fred Funk
T4	Template:Flagicon Raymond Floyd	70	−2
	Template:Flagicon Bernhard Langer
	Template:Flagicon Larry Nelson
	Template:Flagicon Curtis Strange
	Template:Flagicon Lanny Wadkins
T9	Template:Flagicon Bobby Clampett	71	−1
	Template:Flagicon Bobby Cole
	Template:Flagicon Ray Freeman
	Template:Flagicon Dan Pohl
	Template:Flagicon Mike Reid
	Template:Flagicon Tim Simpson

Source:

Second round

Saturday, August 7, 1987

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Template:Flagicon Raymond Floyd	70-70=140	−4
	Template:Flagicon Lanny Wadkins	70-70=140
T3	Template:Flagicon Tim Simpson	71-70=141	−3
	Template:Flagicon Jeff Sluman	72-69=141
T5	Template:Flagicon Seve Ballesteros	72-70=142	−2
	Template:Flagicon Ben Crenshaw	72-70=142
	Template:Flagicon Larry Nelson	70-72=142
	Template:Flagicon Bobby Wadkins	68-74=142
T9	Template:Flagicon Bobby Clampett	71-72=143	−1
	Template:Flagicon Mark McCumber	74-69=143

Source:

Third round

Saturday, August 8, 1987

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Template:Flagicon Mark McCumber	74-69-69=212	−4
	Template:Flagicon D. A. Weibring	73-72-67=212
T3	Template:Flagicon Raymond Floyd	70-70-73=213	−3
	Template:Flagicon Bobby Wadkins	68-74-71=213
T5	Template:Flagicon Seve Ballesteros	72-70-72=214	−2
	Template:Flagicon Lanny Wadkins	70-70-74=214
7	Template:Flagicon Larry Nelson	70-72-73=215	−1
T8	Template:Flagicon Ben Crenshaw	72-70-74=216	E
	Template:Flagicon David Frost	75-70-71=216
T10	Template:Flagicon Curt Byrum	74-75-68=217	+1
	Template:Flagicon Don Pooley	73-71-73=217
	Template:Flagicon Nick Price	76-71-70=217
	Template:Flagicon Curtis Strange	70-76-71=217

Source:

Final round

Sunday, August 9, 1987

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
T1	Template:Flagicon Larry Nelson	70-72-73-72=287	−1	Playoff
	Template:Flagicon Lanny Wadkins	70-70-74-73=287
T3	Template:Flagicon Scott Hoch	74-74-71-69=288	E	58,750
	Template:Flagicon D. A. Weibring	73-72-67-76=288
T5	Template:Flagicon Mark McCumber	74-69-69-77=289	+1	37,500
	Template:Flagicon Don Pooley	73-71-73-72=289
T7	Template:Flagicon Ben Crenshaw	72-70-74-74=290	+2	27,500
	Template:Flagicon Bobby Wadkins	68-74-71-77=290
9	Template:Flagicon Curtis Strange	70-76-71-74=291	+3	22,500
T10	Template:Flagicon Seve Ballesteros	72-70-72-78=292	+4	17,000
	Template:Flagicon David Frost	75-70-71-76=292
	Template:Flagicon Tom Kite	72-77-71-72=292
	Template:Flagicon Nick Price	76-71-70-75=292

Source:

Scorecard

Birdie

Bogey

Double bogey

Final round

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	4	5	3	4	5	3	4	4	4	5	4	4	4	3	4	3	5
Template:Flagicon Nelson	−1	E	−1	−2	−2	−2	−2	−2	−2	−2	−2	−2	−2	−1	−1	E	−1	−1
Template:Flagicon Wadkins	−3	−1	−2	−3	−3	−3	−3	−2	−1	−1	−2	E	E	E	−1	−1	−1	−1

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
Source:

Playoff

The sudden-death playoff began on the par-4 10th hole, where both missed the green. Nelson chipped to six feet (1.8 m) and Wadkins to four. First to putt, Nelson saved par but Wadkins missed his attempt to extend the playoff.

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Template:Flagicon Larry Nelson	4	E	150,000
2	Template:Flagicon Lanny Wadkins	x	+1	90,000

External links

• PGA.com – 1987 PGA Championship