1963 PGA Championship: Jack Nicklaus wins at Dallas Athletic Club (Blue Course)
Jack Nicklaus won the 1963 PGA Championship at Dallas Athletic Club (Blue Course) in Dallas, Texas with 279 (−5), by 2 strokes over Dave Ragan.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1963 in Wanamaker Avenue, the PGA Championship room, or every year on the PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- July 18, 1963 to July 21, 1963
- Course
- Dallas Athletic Club (Blue Course), Dallas, Texas
- Edition
- 45th PGA Championship
- Format
- stroke play
- Par
- 71 · 7,046 yards
- Field
- 165
- Made the cut
- 83 (cut at 151)
- Purse
- $80,900 · winner's share $13,000
- Champion
- Jack Nicklaus · age 23 · United States · born Columbus, Ohio
- Champion's title
- 1st PGA Championship
- Winning score
- 69-73-69-68 = 279 (−5) · won by 2 strokes
- Runner-up
- Dave Ragan
- 54-hole leader
- Bruce Crampton (208) · Jack Nicklaus was 3 strokes back
Winner and runner-up
| Pos. | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Nicklaus | 69 | 73 | 69 | 68 | 279 | −5 |
| 2 | Dave Ragan | 75 | 70 | 67 | 69 | 281 | −3 |
What happened at the 1963 PGA Championship
In extreme Dallas heat, Nicklaus had to use towels to hold the Wanamaker Trophy at the presentation after his closing 68.
Before the championship, Nicklaus won the long-drive contest with a 341-yard drive, breaking the previous record by 12 yards.
How this was built
Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's PGA Championship data. A value no source confirmed is left out; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the organizer's own record is used.
Data: pga.json (the PGA Championship room's data: Tables 1A–1H).