It’s extremely hard to make a living in the world of professional golf, with players on the PGA Tour getting better and better with every year that passes.
Anyone who manages to win even one single PGA Tour event clearly has serious amounts of talent in their arsenal.
The PGA Championship seems to be the major that produces the most unexpected winners.
Scottie Scheffler won the PGA Championship this year, and that was a very-much expected outcome.
However, way back in the early-2000s, the complete opposite was true, as a shock winner came out of absolutely nowhere to lift the Wanamaker Trophy.
He’s the golfer whose only win in 404 PGA Tour starts was a major championship
To have played in 404 PGA Tour events, and a major championship having been your only win is quite something.
That’s exactly what happened with Shaun Micheel back in 2003 when he triumphed at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
Micheel, now 56, lifted the Wanamaker Trophy 22 years ago, after finishing four-under par for the tournament, two shots clear of second-placed Chad Campbell.
The American, who reached a high of 34th in the world after his PGA Championship win, hit one of the most memorable shots in major championship history to close out the deal at Oak Hill.
Faced with 175 yards to the pin on the 18th hole, and needing a par to win, Micheel struck a perfect, laser-like 7-iron towards the flag.
His ball ended up just two inches away from the hole, and he was able to really enjoy the walk up to the green and the adulation from the fans.
Shaun Micheel’s PGA Tour career by numbers
Micheel may have only recorded a solitary victory during his time on the PGA Tour, but he still forged a decent career for himself.
Here are his career totals:
| Achievements | Micheel’s totals |
| Events played | 404 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Top-5s | 11 |
| Top-10s | 20 |
| Cuts made | 206 |
| Money earned | $9,139,260 |
Micheel may not have been one of the superstars of the game, but the fact he was able to win the PGA Championship proves that he had a very special talent.
And let’s face it, just over $9 million in career earnings is not too shabby at all, is it?
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