PGA Championship: Top 5 Controversial Moments, Ranked

The PGA Championship is only five days away from raising its curtains at the Valhalla Golf Club. The best talents would be brought from all sides of the golf realm, starting from the rebel league of LIV Golf, the PGA Tour, the world’s renowned players from Asia, and the PGA Professionals.

Contested as a stroke play championship since 1958, it has been over 6 decades and in these years many controversial things have transpired at the PGA Championship. The five most notable of those are listed below before the players tee up at the Valhalla starting on May 16th.

5. 2023 PGA Championship: Phil Mickelson’s rule confusion

At the par-4 sixth of the Oak Hills Golf Club, Phil Mickelson found a water hazard as he made his first tee shot. The 6-time major winner took the usual penalty drop from two club lengths and attempted to play his third shot. However, soon an official approached Lefty and stopped him from playing.

He informed Mickelson how he had taken a bad drop, but the 54-year-old thought otherwise and said, “I don’t think that’s accurate.” Moments later, Mickelson received a second opinion from a second official and they said the same as they explained about the 2023 rule change and told him to take a shot from the first cut rough. Lefty did exactly that, as he appreciated them stopping him from getting another penalty.

It became a huge thing in the golf world as the new rule was explained. Eventually, the 45-time PGA Tour winner finished 2 over 72 in the second and made the cut. That was Lefty’s 100th cut of the career and 27th of the PGA Championship, equalling the record held by Jack Nicklaus.

4. Dustin Johnson at the 2010 PGA Championship

Not looking at the local rule sheet cost Dustin Johnson his supposed first major victory. 14 years ago, Johnson was playing the 18th hole at Whistling Straits and shot his first tee shot into the sides. The 3-time major winner assumed that the area wasn’t part of the course and as he hit the next shot, Johnson grounded his club.

But to his surprise, the area was part of the Whistling Straits and a sand bunker. In 2010, the PGA informed golfers through the rule sheet that every sand bunker raked or not would be considered a bunker because the Whistling Straits had 1,000 of it. The 39-year-old didn’t read the sheet properly and was given a two-stroke penalty.

Thus, finishing 9 under instead of 12 under and tied for fifth place, out from playing playoffs or contesting. Johnson then won his first major, after 10 years at Augusta National.

3. Phil Mickelson absent at the 2022 PGA Championship out of choice

Rolling the clock back to when the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf debuted in the golf world. Phil Mickelson was one of the LIV purists and one of the first to join the rebel circuit. The book ‘Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!)’ by Alan Shipnuck revealed some of Lefty’s disparaging comments on the PGA Tour and why he chose the PIF-backed LIV.

After the disclosed conversation, Lefty was under heavy criticism, and many of his sponsors, including KPMG, severed their contracts. Mickelson then apologized profusely for his statements and explained he needed time to self-reflect. Hence, Mickelson didn’t defend his title at the 2022 PGA Championship, where he became the oldest major winner a winner ago. He also was the fifth major winner since 1960 to not defend his title, that too out by his choice.

2. Tiger Woods vs Bob May: 2000 PGA Championship ball bounce

It has been a mystery unsolved for the last 24 years, The PGA Championship was held at Valhalla and Tiger Woods entered into the playoff with Bob May to win his third major event. At the third playoff hole, the par-5 18th, of the three-hole playoff, the 15-time major winner hit his drive shot,

His ball went up into the sky, turned left, and for a second in the fescue on the rough. A few seconds later, the ball was moving in a different direction, with more speed, as if someone had kicked it out of place. In the CBS Sports broadcast, the ball could be seen going into the fescue but no one was seen kicking it deliberately.

The clearer drop gave Woods an advantage as he then scrambled to make the birdie putt. On the other hand, May missed his birdie and the 82-time PGA Tour winner lifted his second Wanamaker Trophy. The mysterious ball bounce remains a conspiracy theory, where many believe that the ball was indeed kicked while many go against it.

1. Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau’s beef at 2021 PGA Championship

The long-standing feud between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau was squashed in 2023 when the two golfers decided to become friends playing in the same league. However, in 2021, the beef was well watered with the 5-time major winner taking a jibe at DeChambeau’s lack of major wins and the 2020 U.S. Open winner making fun of Koepka’s abs.

The two were in constant back and forth when another hilarious moment was leaked. In an interview with Todd Lewis of Golf Channel, the 34-year-old could be seen rolling his eyes as DeChambeau walked past. It was later assumed that Koepka was annoyed by the noise DeChambeau’s spike made. So much so that he lost his train of thought and looked displeased by DeChambeau’s presence. The two have moved on from their past rivalry, but it remains one of the most iconic moments of the PGA Championship.

Out of all five, which one was your favorite? Tell us in the comments.