1981 PGA Championship
The 1981 PGA Championship was the 63rd PGA Championship, held August 6–9 at Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb northeast of Atlanta. Larry Nelson won the first of his three major titles, four strokes ahead of runner-up Fuzzy Zoeller.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | August 6–9, 1981 |
| Location | Duluth, Georgia 34.004°N 84.193°W |
| Course(s) | Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course |
| Organized by | PGA of America |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 7,070 yards (6,465 m) |
| Field | 147 players, 78 after cut |
| Cut | 147 (+7) |
| Prize fund | $401,050 |
| Winner's share | $60,000 |
| Champion | |
| Larry Nelson | |
| 273 (−7) | |
| Location map | |
Atlanta Athletic Club Location in the United States Atlanta Athletic Club Location in Georgia | |
Lee Trevino, 1974 champion, did not sign his scorecard after an opening round 74 and was disqualified after turning himself in. Bob Murphy led after each of the first two rounds, but was 8-over on the weekend and finished ten strokes back in 18th place. After a second consecutive 66 on Saturday, Nelson held the 54-hole lead, four strokes ahead of Zoeller
Tom Watson was the PGA Tour money list leader in August 1981, but missed the cut by a stroke.
It was the second major held at the Highlands Course, which hosted the U.S. Open in 1976. The PGA Championship returned in 2001 and 2011.