1981 PGA Championship: Larry Nelson wins at Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course)
Larry Nelson won the 1981 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course) in Duluth, Georgia with 273 (−7), by 4 strokes over Fuzzy Zoeller.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1981 in Wanamaker Avenue, the PGA Championship room, or every year on the PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- August 6, 1981 to August 9, 1981
- Course
- Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course), Duluth, Georgia
- Edition
- 63rd PGA Championship
- Format
- stroke play
- Par
- 70 · 7,070 yards
- Field
- 147
- Made the cut
- 78 (cut at 147)
- Purse
- $401,050 · winner's share $60,000
- Champion
- Larry Nelson · age 33 · United States · born Fort Payne, Alabama
- Champion's title
- 1st PGA Championship
- Winning score
- 70-66-66-71 = 273 (−7) · won by 4 strokes
- Runner-up
- Fuzzy Zoeller
- 54-hole leader
- Larry Nelson (202)
- Low club professional
- Don Padgett II (292)
Winner and runner-up
| Pos. | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Larry Nelson | 70 | 66 | 66 | 71 | 273 | −7 |
| 2 | Fuzzy Zoeller | 70 | 68 | 68 | 71 | 277 | −3 |
What happened at the 1981 PGA Championship
Lee Trevino was disqualified for failing to sign his first-round scorecard after posting a 74.
Larry Nelson shot 66-66 in the middle rounds to lead by four, then won by four over Fuzzy Zoeller for his first major.
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).