No experience required PGA Championship more kind to winless than winners Click here for more on this story Posted: Wednesday August 11, 1999 11:09 PM   Vijay Singh will attempt to become the first golfer since 1937 to repeat at the PGA Championship. AP By Desmond M. Wallace, CNN/SI Vijah Singh heads to Medinah Country Club looking to hoist the Wannamaker Trophy for the second straight year. But history reveals that Singh probably should feel less optimistic about his chances to successfully defend his PGA Championship title. There hasn't been a repeat winner at the event since 1937 when Denny Shute accomplished the feat. And in the last 50 years, only eight men (Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Dave Stockton, Ray Floyd, Lee Trevino, Larry Nelson and Nick Price) have won the PGA more than once. Double Duty Players who have won PGA and another major in same year Year Player Other Major 1994 1980 1975 1963 1956 1949 1948 1924 1922 Nick Price Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus Jack Burke, Jr. Sam Snead Ben Hogan Walter Hagen Gene Sarazen British Open U.S. Open Masters Masters Masters Masters U.S. Open British Open U.S. Open   However, Jose Maria Olazabal (Masters), Payne Stewart (US Open), and Paul Lawrie (British Open) may feel a sense of extra inspiration. In history, players who have won one of the season's previous majors have went on to win the PGA Championship in the same year nine times. Five years ago, British Open titleist Nick Price became the most recent player to parlay earlier success at a major into a PGA Championship win. Then again, today's events aren't played in the past. Each athlete has a chance to write his own script every day. And the PGA Championship has been known to spawn new heroes.   First Prize Players who won majors without a PGA Tour win Year Player Major Title 1999 1991 1988 1976 1969 1968 Paul Lawrie John Daly Jeff Sluman Jerry Pate Orville Moody Lee Trevino British Open* PGA Championship PGA Championship U.S. Open U.S. Open U.S. Open Since 1968 * Won the Euro Tour's 1996 Catalonia Open Singh was the 10th player in 11 years ('94 champion Price was the other) to win his first major championship at the PGA. And it's not out of the question to have a player strike gold for the first time period. In fact, two players have won the PGA Championship without a single PGA Tour win under their belts. John Daly (1991) and Jeff Sluman (1988) each stunned the field with three-stroke victories at the PGA Championship. Daly and Sluman are two of six players since 1968 that have won their first major without a previous PGA Tour victory.   Related information Stories CNNSI.com's PGA Championship coverage 1999 British Open Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.

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