The 1972 PGA Championship was the 54th edition of the tournament, held at Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan. Gary Player won his first PGA Championship by two strokes over Tommy Jacobs and Jim Jamieson, completing the career Grand Slam. Player became only the third golfer in history to achieve this feat, joining Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan.
The 1972 PGA Championship opened at Oakland Hills Country Club's South Course in Birmingham, Michigan. The course, known for its difficulty, had previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1951 and 1961 but was hosting the PGA Championship for the first time.
After 36 holes, the cut was made at Oakland Hills. The challenging course conditions kept scores high, with only a handful of players under par through two rounds. Gary Player positioned himself within striking distance of the lead.
Gary Player moved into contention through 54 holes with a third-round 70. Club professional Jim Jamieson remained a surprising contender near the top of the leaderboard. Tommy Jacobs also stayed in the hunt heading into the final round.
Gary Player shot a final-round 69 to win the 1972 PGA Championship with a total of 281 (1-under par), defeating Tommy Jacobs and Jim Jamieson by two strokes. The victory at Oakland Hills marked Player's first PGA Championship title and his sixth major championship overall.
With his PGA Championship victory, Gary Player completed the career Grand Slam, having previously won the Masters in 1961, the U.S. Open in 1965, and The Open Championship in 1959 and 1968. Player became only the third golfer to achieve this feat, following Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan.
Oakland Hills Country Club's South Course lived up to its reputation as one of golf's toughest tests. Player's winning score of 1-under-par 281 was one of only a few under-par totals for the week, underscoring the difficulty of the Robert Trent Jones-renovated layout.
Jim Jamieson, a club professional, finished tied for second place with Tommy Jacobs at 283 (1-over par). Jamieson's performance was one of the most notable by a club professional in PGA Championship history, coming agonizingly close to winning the title.