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Lanny Wadkins

United States · born , Richmond, Virginia, USA

1major championship

Summary

  • First major 1977 PGA Championship
  • Ryder Cup 8 Cups · 20-11-3 · 21.5 points (63.2%)
  • Ryder Cup captain 1995
  • Runner-up in majors 4 times
  • Other titles 1970 U.S. Amateur

Wins

  1. 1970 U.S. Amateur Waverley Country Club · 279
  2. 1977 PGA Championship Pebble Beach Golf Links · 282 (-6) · won a playoff against Gene Littler

Near misses

  1. 1973 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T7 · 288 (E)
  2. 1982 PGA Championship Southern Hills Country Club · runner-up to Raymond Floyd · 275
  3. 1984 PGA Championship Shoal Creek · runner-up to Lee Trevino · 277
  4. 1984 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T4 · 281 (-7)
  5. 1986 U.S. Open Shinnecock Hills G.C. · runner-up to Raymond Floyd
  6. 1987 PGA Championship PGA National Golf Club (Champion course) · runner-up to Larry Nelson · 287 · lost playoff

Ryder Cup

8 Cups, 34 matches: 20 won, 11 lost, 3 halved, 21.5 points. Foursomes 9-6-0, four-ball 7-3-1, singles 4-2-2.

  1. 1977 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club USA · USA won 12.5–7.5 · 3-0-0, 3 points
  2. 1979 The Greenbrier (Greenbrier Course) USA · USA won 17–11 · 4-1-0, 4 points · automatic
  3. 1983 PGA National Golf Club USA · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 2-1-1, 2.5 points · automatic
  4. 1985 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · Europe won 16.5–11.5 · 3-2-0, 3 points · automatic
  5. 1987 Muirfield Village Golf Club USA · Europe won 15–13 · 1-3-0, 1 point · automatic
  6. 1989 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · tied 14–14 · 2-2-0, 2 points · captain's pick
  7. 1991 The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Golf Resort USA · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 3-1-1, 3.5 points · automatic
  8. 1993 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · USA won 15–13 · 2-1-1, 2.5 points · captain's pick
  9. 1995 Captain USA · lost 13.5–14.5

Rivals

Beat him

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Raymond Floyd's rivals →

Moments

  1. 1977 PGA Championship Lanny Wadkins beat Gene Littler with a par on the third extra hole in the first sudden-death playoff in a men's major, after Littler squandered a six-shot final-round lead.
  2. 1977 PGA Championship Several players, including Floyd, Irwin, Player, Weiskopf and Watson, had club grooves ruled nonconforming, and Watson tied for sixth with borrowed clubs.
  3. 1983 Ryder Cup Lanny Wadkins hit a wedge to about 3 feet on the par-5 18th for the birdie that halved his match with Cañizares; he is generally credited with saving the U.S. win.

Records and firsts

  1. — PGA Championship most runner-up finishes (all eras) · 4 (Jack Nicklaus; Byron Nelson lost 3 finals; Lanny Wadkins and Tiger Woods 3 each)
  2. — Ryder Cup USA #3 (tie) · 21.5 · Mickelson 18-22-7 (12 apps); Wadkins 20-11-3 (8 apps) (Phil Mickelson; Lanny Wadkins)

Results by championship

    Best day

    1977 PGA Championship

    Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California · 282 (-6) · won a playoff against Gene Littler (Wadkins 4-4-4; Littler 4-4-unknown)

    Lanny Wadkins beat Gene Littler with a par on the third extra hole in the first sudden-death playoff in a men's major, after Littler squandered a six-shot final-round lead.

    Several players, including Floyd, Irwin, Player, Weiskopf and Watson, had club grooves ruled nonconforming, and Watson tied for sixth with borrowed clubs.

    Chosen by rule: his most recent major win. Year page: 1977.

    Career line, 1970–1993

    PGA Championship
    1977 PGA Championship: won1982 PGA Championship: runner-up to Raymond Floyd1984 PGA Championship: runner-up to Lee Trevino1987 PGA Championship: runner-up to Larry Nelson
    U.S. Open
    1986 U.S. Open: runner-up to Raymond Floyd
    The Open
    1973 The Open: finished T71984 The Open: finished T4
    Ryder Cup
    1977 Ryder Cup (USA): 3-0-01979 Ryder Cup (USA): 4-1-01983 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-1-11985 Ryder Cup (USA): 3-2-01987 Ryder Cup (USA): 1-3-01989 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-2-01991 Ryder Cup (USA): 3-1-11993 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-1-1
    U.S. Amateur
    1970 U.S. Amateur: won
    19701975198019851990

    16 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Other win
    • Runner-up
    • Top 10
    • Ryder Cup, USA

    Lanny Wadkins was born on December 5, 1949, in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Wadkins won one major championship: the 1977 PGA Championship. Wadkins played in 8 Ryder Cups for USA (1977, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993), winning 20, losing 11 and halving 3 of 34 matches for 21.5 points, and captained the side in 1995.

    See Lanny Wadkins in our rooms: U.S. Open, The Open, Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (1)

    1. 1970 U.S. Amateur Waverley Country Club · 279
    2. 1977 PGA Championship Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California · 282 (-6) · won a playoff against Gene Littler (Wadkins 4-4-4; Littler 4-4-unknown)

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1973 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T7 · 288 (E)
    2. 1982 PGA Championship Southern Hills Country Club · runner-up to Raymond Floyd · 275
    3. 1984 PGA Championship Shoal Creek · runner-up to Lee Trevino · 277
    4. 1984 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · finished T4 · 281 (-7)
    5. 1986 U.S. Open Shinnecock Hills G.C. · runner-up to Raymond Floyd
    6. 1987 PGA Championship PGA National Golf Club (Champion course) · runner-up to Larry Nelson · 287 · lost playoff

    U.S. Open top-10 finishes in his career: 5 (GNN U.S. Open room data).

    Ryder Cup

    Wadkins played 8 Ryder Cups for USA: 34 matches, 20 won, 11 lost, 3 halved, 21.5 points (63.2% of those available). By format: foursomes 9-6-0, four-ball 7-3-1, singles 4-2-2 (won-lost-halved).

    1. 1977 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club USA · USA won 12.5–7.5 · 3-0-0, 3 points
    2. 1979 The Greenbrier (Greenbrier Course) USA · USA won 17–11 · 4-1-0, 4 points · automatic
    3. 1983 PGA National Golf Club USA · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 2-1-1, 2.5 points · automatic
    4. 1985 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · Europe won 16.5–11.5 · 3-2-0, 3 points · automatic
    5. 1987 Muirfield Village Golf Club USA · Europe won 15–13 · 1-3-0, 1 point · automatic
    6. 1989 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · tied 14–14 · 2-2-0, 2 points · captain's pick
    7. 1991 The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Golf Resort USA · USA won 14.5–13.5 · 3-1-1, 3.5 points · automatic
    8. 1993 The Belfry (Brabazon Course) USA · USA won 15–13 · 2-1-1, 2.5 points · captain's pick
    9. 1995 Captain USA · lost 13.5–14.5

    Partners, with matches played together: Larry Nelson (6), Hale Irwin (3), Raymond Floyd (3), Corey Pavin (3), Craig Stadler (2), Mark O'Meara (2), Payne Stewart (2), Ed Sneed (1), Gil Morgan (1), Larry Mize (1), Fred Couples (1), Wayne Levi (1).

    Other wins in championships we cover

    1. 1970 U.S. Amateur Waverley Country Club · 279

    Records and firsts

    Rows from our record tables that name this player, worded as the tables word them.

    1. — PGA Championship most runner-up finishes (all eras) · 4 (Jack Nicklaus; Byron Nelson lost 3 finals; Lanny Wadkins and Tiger Woods 3 each)
    2. — Ryder Cup USA #3 (tie) · 21.5 · Mickelson 18-22-7 (12 apps); Wadkins 20-11-3 (8 apps) (Phil Mickelson; Lanny Wadkins)

    Sources

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. where2golf
    2. Golf Compendium PGA Tour career wins
    3. Golf Compendium winners list
    4. WP: List of American Ryder Cup golfers
    5. rydercup.com — link no longer works (checked October 17, 2026): https://rydercup.com/news-media/usa/ryder-cup-team-usa-past-captains
    6. Golf Compendium
    7. Golf Compendium 1977
    8. PGA of America 2012 media guide
    9. The Golf News Net history table (2026)
    10. Today's Golfer purse history
    11. PGA of America 1977 leaderboard
    12. Golf Compendium playoff results
    13. Golf Compendium biggest comebacks
    14. PGA of America 2013 media guide, p. 53
    15. PGA of America 2012 media guide, p. 148
    16. R&A 1973
    17. R&A 1984
    18. GC: 1977 ryder cup
    19. WP 1977
    20. GC: 1979 ryder cup
    21. Wikipedia: 1979 Ryder Cup
    22. GC: 1983 ryder cup
    23. Wikipedia: 1983 Ryder Cup
    24. GC: 1985 ryder cup
    25. Wikipedia: 1985 Ryder Cup
    26. GC: 1987 ryder cup
    27. Wikipedia: 1987 Ryder Cup
    28. GC: 1989 ryder cup
    29. Wikipedia: 1989 Ryder Cup
    30. GC: 1991 ryder cup
    31. Wikipedia: 1991 Ryder Cup
    32. GC: 1993 ryder cup
    33. Wikipedia: 1993 Ryder Cup
    34. The Golf News Net, points
    35. Wikipedia: U.S. Amateur
    36. championships-plt.usga.org: u s amateur champions
    37. Wikipedia: Waverley Country Club