Best Finishes by PGA Professionals in PGA Championship

One of the unique parts that sets the PGA Championship apart from other men's majors is that 20 PGA of America Golf Professionals are competing right alongside the world's best.

These are your coaches, your head pros, your club and apparel experts who are at courses each day buoyed by a love for the game. They just so happen to be stellar players, too, and qualified via the PGA Professional Championship last month.

In 2024, two PGA of America Golf Professionals in Jeremy Wells (South Florida Section) and Braden Shattuck (Philadelphia Section) made the cut at the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. It was the first time since 2021 that more than one PGA of America Golf Professional played the weekend at the PGA Championship.

And the year before that . . . who could forget Michael Block (Southern California Section) at Oak Hill, who finished in a tie for 15th after a scintillating performance that captured the world's attention.

See below for how PGA of America Golf Professionals have fared all-time in the PGA Championship:

   3 - 1971 - Tommy Bolt (PGA National)

   4 - 1969 - Jimmy Wright (NCR C.C.)

T-4 - 1972 - Sam Snead (Oakland Hills)*

T-9 - 1973 - Sam Snead (Cantebury C.C.)*

T-11 - 1973 - Don Bies  (Cantebury C.C.)

T-11 - 1974 - Tommy Aycock  (Tanglewood Park)

T-11 - 1986 - Lonnie Nielsen  (Inverness Club)

T-12 - 1973 - Denny Lyons  (Cantebury C.C.)

T-15 - 2023 - Michael Block  (Oak Hill)

T-17 - 1988 - Jay Overton  (Oak Tree)

T-19 - 1990 - Bob Boyd (Shoal Creek)

T-27 - 1983 - Buddy Whitten (Riviera)

T-28 - 1992 - Tom Wargo (Bellerive)

T-30 - 1994 - Bob Boyd (Southern Hills)

T-31 - 2004 - Chip Sullivan (Whistling Straits)

T-31 - 1993 - Stu Ingraham (Inverness Club)

T-40-  2005 - Steve Schneiter (Baltusrol)

T-42 - 2018 - Ben Kern (Bellerive)

T-44 - 2021 - Ben Cook (Kiawah)

T-44 - 2001 - Rick Schuller (Atlanta Athletic)

T-47 - 1987 - Bob Betley (PGA National)

T-52 - 1996 - Bob Boyd (Valhalla G.C.)

T-60 - 2019 - Rob Labritz (Bethpage Black)

T-61 - 1981 - Don Padgett (Atlanta Athletic)

T-62 - 1984 - Scott Bess (Shoal Creek)

T-68 - 2010 - Rob Labritz (Whistling Straits)

T-68 - 2006 - Don Yrene (Medinah)

T-68 - 1999 - Bruce Zabriski (Medinah)

T-69 - 2011 - Mike Small (Atlanta Athletic)

T-69 - 2007 - Mike Small (Southern Hills)

T-71 - 2015 - Brian Gaffney (Whistling Straits)

72 - 2024 - Braden Shattuck (Valhalla)

77 - 2024 - Jeremy Wells (Valhalla)

*Note: Sam Snead competed as a PGA of America Golf Professional in these events as the PGA Head Professional at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, Va.

In addition, here's thePGA Professionals over the last 20 years to rank among the top 40 after 36 holes at the PGA Championship:

The last PGA of America Golf Professional to finish among the top 40 for the entire championship was Block last year at Oak Hill (T-15).