The PGA Championship Golf Tournament had begun in 1916 as an elimination match play event, meaning the winner was determined by the number of holes he won out of 36 holes - the first and second rounds were 18 holes each, all played in a single day, and the remaining matches were 36 holes.
This format made it possible for an exceptional golfer to score an excellent average, and yet nevertheless lose a match on the first day of the tournament.
In contrast, however, one awful hole would not completely destroy a golfer's chance at victory since each hole offers a fresh start and only counts for one point.
In 1958, the format changed to a stroke play event, meaning the winner is determined by the total number of strokes played during the course of the entire match, with the player with the fewest strokes emerging as victor.
Since 1957 was also the first year that the PGA Championship was televised, broadcasting on CBS, the decision was most likely made to conform to media preference for a substantial group of popular final contenders by the end of the tournament for ratings' sakes, since the match play format could easily result in the best and most popular golfers being eliminated from the tournament in the early stages.
The stroke play format, in contrast, would present a more thrilling build all the way through to a tournament's conclusion, thus drawing and sustaining a larger audience, especially by the end of the tournament.
The stroke play event is also more convenient to broadcasters since its progress is easier to film than the match play format.
However, the new format changed the golfers' tactics completely, since the previous match play format, there had been no need for golfers to keep one's total strokes to a minimum.
PGA Championship Record Breakers: • Walter Hagen won his fifth PGA Championship in 1927 - his fourth in a row from 1924-1927, a record no player has broken yet.
No one has ever won as many consecutive championships, and only one other player in the championship's history has matched his total number of five wins, Jack Nicklaus.
• In 1980, Jack Nicklaus won his fifth PGA Championship, tying Walter Hagen's record, but setting his own record of winning by a margin of seven strokes.
• In 1922, Gene Sarazan, at twenty years old, defeated Emmett French and became the youngest player in the history of the tournament to win the PGA Championship.
In 1972, he also became the oldest participant in the history of the championship.
• In 1976, it rained enough to cause a delay for the first time in the history of the tournament - yet a crowd of 115,450 spectators nevertheless gathered at the course to watch, setting a new record for attendance.
• In 1977, Lanny Wadkins and Gene Littler showed down in the first ever sudden death play-off in the history of the tournament, with Wadkins emerging as the victor.
Becoming a PGA winner not only earns golfers an enormous Wanamaker Trophy of his own for the mantle, but also solidifies a golfer's position as an elite member of the profession, automatically warranting an invitation to play in Masters Tournament, the US Open, and the Open Championship - the first three majors of each season for the next five years after winning - in addition to being granted membership on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and Players Championship during those five years.
After winning one PGA Championship, the winner is also exempt from qualifying for the tournament even again, thus considered an automatic participant for the duration of his career.
Similar crystal sports awards can be found in the online marketplace, available for customization and direct purchase.