The Biggest Collapses at the PGA Championship

The PGA Championship, one of golf’s four major tournaments, is a stage where legends are made and heartbreak is often just a single shot away. Since its inception in 1916, the event has witnessed moments of triumph and catastrophic collapses that have left players, fans, and analysts stunned. Unlike the Masters’ pristine fairways or the U.S. Open’s punishing setups, the PGA Championship often delivers drama through its blend of accessible scoring and high-pressure finishes. Here, we explore some of the most unforgettable collapses in PGA Championship history, where leads evaporated, nerves frayed, and history was rewritten in the cruelest way.

Justin Leonard’s Missed Opportunities (2004)

Whistling Straits in 2004 was the setting for Justin Leonard’s agonizing unraveling. Holding a lead late in the final round, Leonard had multiple chances to seal his second major title. On the 15th, a 10-foot birdie putt that would have given him a three-shot cushion slid by. On the 16th, a five-foot par putt lipped out, eroding his confidence. By the 18th, needing par to stay in contention, Leonard’s second shot from the fairway found thick rough short of the green. His chip left a tricky par putt, which he missed, forcing a playoff with Vijay Singh and Chris DiMarco. Singh’s steady play in the three-hole aggregate playoff secured the victory, leaving Leonard to rue his late mistakes. “I had it in my hands,” Leonard later reflected, a sentiment that haunts many on this list.

Dustin Johnson’s Rules Controversy (2010)

Dustin Johnson’s 2010 PGA Championship collapse at Whistling Straits is as much about misfortune as it is about nerves. Leading by one on the 18th hole, Johnson pushed his drive into a sandy waste area surrounded by spectators. Unaware that the area was classified as a bunker, he grounded his club, incurring a two-stroke penalty. His approach reached the green, and he scrambled for what he thought was a bogey to force a playoff with Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson. Moments later, officials informed him of the penalty, turning his bogey into a triple-bogey seven and dropping him to fifth place. Kaymer won the playoff, and Johnson was left to digest a rules violation that cost him a chance at his first major. “I didn’t know it was a bunker,” Johnson said, a stark reminder of the fine margins in major championships.

Jason Dufner’s Late Stumble (2011)

Jason Dufner’s 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club was a study in how quickly a lead can vanish. Holding a five-shot advantage with four holes to play, Dufner appeared destined for his first major title. But the 15th hole changed everything. His tee shot found water, leading to a bogey. He followed with bogeys on the 16th and 17th, his swing tightening under pressure. Keegan Bradley, playing behind, capitalized with a birdie and steady play, catching Dufner by the 18th. In the three-hole playoff, Bradley’s birdie on the first hole and Dufner’s continued struggles handed Bradley the Wanamaker Trophy. Dufner’s collapse was a slow bleed, but its impact was profound. He later redeemed himself with a 2013 PGA Championship win, but the 2011 meltdown remains a cautionary tale.

Nick Watney’s Sunday Implosion (2010)

The 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits saw Nick Watney enter the final round with a three-shot lead after a sparkling 66 on Saturday. At 13-under, he was ahead of Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy, poised for a breakthrough major victory. But Sunday brought disaster. Watney’s game unraveled early, with bogeys piling up as the pressure mounted. He shot a final-round 81, plummeting to a tie for 18th. Martin Kaymer’s steady play and eventual playoff win over Bubba Watson overshadowed Watney’s collapse, but the American’s fall from grace was stark. “I just didn’t have it,” Watney admitted, a blunt assessment of a day where everything went wrong.

Kenny Perry’s Playoff Misstep (1996)

Kenny Perry’s collapse at the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla is unique for its mental lapse as much as its on-course errors. Leading by one on the 18th, Perry played conservatively, assuming a par would secure the title. He made par, but Mark Brooks matched him, forcing a playoff. Instead of staying loose on the range, Perry chose to sit in the television tower, watching the finish. The decision cost him dearly. In the playoff, Brooks made a five-foot birdie putt on the first hole, while Perry’s approach left him a longer putt he couldn’t convert. Brooks claimed the title, and Perry’s preparation error became a footnote in PGA lore. “I should’ve been ready,” Perry later said, a lesson learned too late.

Mito Pereira’s 72nd-Hole Nightmare (2022)

In 2022, Mito Pereira, a 27-year-old Chilean playing in only his second major, stood on the 18th tee at Southern Hills with a one-shot lead. Needing just a par to secure a historic victory and become the first golfer from Chile to win a major, Pereira’s fairytale turned into a horror story. His drive, a nervous swing under immense pressure, sailed right into a creek, a miss so errant it seemed to defy the moment’s gravity. What followed was a double-bogey six, dropping him out of the lead and into a tie for third. Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris went to a playoff, with Thomas claiming the Wanamaker Trophy. Pereira’s collapse was swift and brutal, a reminder that the 72nd hole can be the cruelest in golf. “It’s tough to swallow,” Pereira said afterward, encapsulating the pain of a dream slipping away.

The Anatomy of a Collapse

What unites these collapses is the unrelenting pressure of the PGA Championship’s final moments. Unlike the Masters, where Augusta National’s back nine often decides the champion, or the U.S. Open’s grueling test, the PGA Championship’s courses—like Whistling Straits, Southern Hills, or Valhalla—offer birdie opportunities that tempt aggressive play, but also punish mistakes. A single errant drive, a misjudged putt, or a momentary lapse in focus can unravel hours of meticulous golf.

Mental fortitude is as critical as technical skill. Pereira’s nervous swing, Leonard’s missed putts, and Johnson’s rules oversight highlight how pressure can distort decision-making. Dufner and Watney’s collapses show how momentum can shift, turning a lead into a liability. Perry’s misstep underscores the importance of preparation in high-stakes moments. Each player faced a unique challenge, but the outcome was the same: a major championship slipped away.

Lasting Impacts and Redemption

For some, like Dufner, redemption came later. His 2013 PGA Championship win exorcised the demons of 2011. Johnson, too, bounced back, winning the 2016 U.S. Open and 2020 Masters, proving his resilience. Others, like Pereira and Watney, have yet to reclaim that major spotlight, their collapses defining moments in their careers. Leonard and Perry, both accomplished players, never won another major, their PGA Championship near-misses lingering as what-ifs.

The PGA Championship’s history is richer for these collapses. They remind us that golf, at its highest level, is a test of nerve as much as skill. Fans cherish the drama, even as they empathize with the heartbreak. As Vijay Singh said after his 2004 win, “You’ve got to stay in the moment. One shot can change everything.” For Pereira, Leonard, Johnson, Dufner, Watney, and Perry, that lesson was learned in the most painful way.

The PGA Championship thrives on its capacity for chaos. Its courses, often more forgiving than those of other majors, lure players into bold plays that can lead to glory or disaster. The collapses of Mito Pereira, Justin Leonard, Dustin Johnson, Jason Dufner, Nick Watney, and Kenny Perry are etched into the tournament’s lore, each a story of human frailty under pressure. As the PGA Championship continues to evolve, moving to May in 2019 and rotating through America’s finest courses, it will undoubtedly produce more such moments—where dreams are dashed, and the fine line between victory and defeat is laid bare. For every champion hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy, there’s a player left to ponder what might have been.