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2023 PGA Championship preview: The “other” WNY club that hosted the PGA
In 1980 at Rochester’s Oak Hill Country Club, Jack Nicklaus claimed his fifth PGA Championship. 23 years after, Shaun Micheel laced a brilliant 7-iron into the 18th hole to fend off a Chad Campbell challenge to Oak Hill’s second PGA hosting. 10 years further on, Jason Dufner confirmed for the world what it had long suspected and anticipated: that he had what it took to hoist a major event trophy. The third Wannamaker trophy to be awarded at the upstate New York club, was lifted by Dufner.
Would you be surprised if I told you that another PGA Championship had taken place in western New York? That it was held 73 miles to the west, 46 years prior to #JackIsBack. And, most important, it was decided on the club’s second green, which turned out to be the 38th hole of the day. If so, pick up your jaw and settle in, because I have a story for you.
1934 PGA Championship Promotional Poster
The Park Country Club of Buffalo was founded in 1903, in what is now Delaware Park, a Buffalo Olmsted Park. The club decided to move east as the city continued to grow, settling in at a bucolic tract along Sheridan Dr. in Williamsville. Clifford Wendehack designed one of his most notable clubhouses there, and Charles Alison was entrusted with the laying out of the golf course. Seven years after it opened, the Park Club’s Williamsville Course was entrusted to host one of the game’s great championships.
In 1934, the PGA Championship was decided at match play. The tournament began on Tuesday, July 24th, and the field was reduced to the top 31 qualifiers, plus the defending champion, Gene Sarazen. Sarazen had won the year before at the Seth Raynor-designed Blue Mound Country Club in Wisconsin. 114 golfers attempted to qualify via 36 holes of single-day, onsite qualifying. Bob Crowley of Massachusetts was the medalist, and Paul Runyan set the course record in the afternoon, with a 6-under 66. 10 players tied for the final eight spots in match play, and they met at 8 p.m., as the sun was setting, to determine who would advance.
1934 PGA Championship Program Cover
Beginning on Wednesday, all matches would reach 36 holes, unless the fates decided that a player was unable to overcome his opponent’s advantage. That first day saw one match exceed the mandated 36 holes, and one other match reach the 35th hole. The largest margin of victory was by 12 & 10, with Ky Laffoon of Arkansas coming out on top.
Day two of match play saw the defending champion exit at the hands of Al Watrous. The second day of match play saw a decidedly more-balanced set of competitions, with all matches reaching at least the 33rd green. Moving into the quarterfinals were Watrous, Craig Wood, “Lighthorse” Harry Cooper, Densmore Shute, Al Houghton, Dick Metz, Gene Kunes, and Bob Crowley. Of the remaining golfers, Paul Runyan figured into two interesting storylines. He was one of the hottest golfers on tour, with five titles to his name thus far that year. In addition, he had been Craig Wood’s student when he served as his assistant pro at Forest Hills Country Club.
Competitors on the practice putting green
Day three saw four golfers win their way into the semifinals. Al Watrous lost to Craig Wood by 2 & 1. Watrous would come close over the years, but would never win a major championship. Wood was a year away from being victimized by the shot heard ’round the world, Gene Sarazen’s electrifying 4-wood for double eagle at the Masters. The Lake Placid pro, Wood, received Densmore Shute as his semifinal-round opponent. Shute had won The Open in 1933 and would win a pair of PGA Championships in 1936 and 1937. At Park, he would lose to Wood by a 2 & 1 margin. The other semifinal pitted “Little Poison,” Paul Runyan, against Gene Kunes. Runyan would close Kunes out on the 16th green, by 4 & 2. Thus was the final match set, with the teacher and the student paired in combat.
The final match was a see-saw affair, with Wood taking a lead after the morning 18, only to see Runyan rally in the afternoon to square the match. Wood went back in front at the 11th hole of the afternoon 18, but Runyan won two of the next four holes to seize an advantage. At the uphill 17th, Wood nearly holed for two, but his three was enough to square the match. Nervy par putts from a dozen feet from both golfers sent the match to extra holes.
1934 PGA Championship winner Paul Runyan (left) receives Wannamaker trophy
Bob Morber, a long-time member of the Park Club, recalls a 1998 visit at the club with Paul Runyan, in which the eventual champion recounted how the bridge over Ellicott Creek was reserved for the competitors, and the gallery had to splash through the waters to follow the playoff. Both golfers made birdie at the par-5 1st hole, with Wood missing an eight-foot putt for eagle and the win. At the 38th hole of the day, Wood made a mess of things, eventually missing from 12 feet for par. Runyan made a birdie and became the 17th winner of the PGA Championship.
During his visit to the Park Club, Runyan also recalled how open the course was. As he reached the 14th tee, he asked when the trees went up along the left edge of the fairway. What had once been an open tee shot, was now compelled to go right, then back left. During the 2010s, Park Club undertook a restorative project with Ian Andrew as lead architect. Unnecessary trees were removed, sightlines were restored, and the course was returned to the strategic layout that Charles Alison had envisioned.
1934 PGA Championship final-match gallery around 18th green
Today, the Park Club continues to offer one of the finest challenges in western New York. The clubhouse underwent an expansion, and the new grill room was named in honor of the 1934 PGA Champion. The Runyan Room is bedecked with artifacts from that tournament, including photos, programs, and tickets. One of the photographs features Runyan and Morber in 1998, on the 18th green. It was taken moments after Runyan holed a massive putt from the back fringe to a front hole location, something that no one but a champion can muster.
Next month, the PGA of America will return to Oak Hill’s East course for its fourth PGA Championship at the storied Rochester layout. This writer will spend more than a moment recalling an event played nearly 90 years ago, at a club with Oak Hill reciprocity, in the suburbs of neighboring Buffalo.
1934 PGA Championship champion’s medal
Credit and gratitude to Heritage Auctions for the championship medal image.
Credit and gratitude to Park Country Club for all other images.
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.
In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Jason Day – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- SungJae Im – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
Pullout Albums
- Jason Day’s 1off Payntr golf shoes – 2026 The Memorial
- JT Poston’s TaylorMade Spider – 2026 The Memorial
- Cameron putter – 2026 The Memorial
- Tommy Fleetwood’s TM Spider putters – 2026 The Memorial
- New Mitsubishi Chemical 1K Pro Orange shaft – 2026 The Memorial
Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.
Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.
PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole
Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.
Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.
Henley’s Suitcase
- Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
- Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
- Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
- Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
- Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
- Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
- Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype
LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!
Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.
Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.
Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.
Celine’s Suitcase
- Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
- Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
- Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
- Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
- Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
- Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
- Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS
DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!
Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.
Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.
Kaneko’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping Max G440
- Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
- Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
- Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
- Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7
Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro
Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.
The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.
Alvaro’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
- Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
- Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
- Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
- Wedges
- Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C
A party on the green!
Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026
LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.
Niemann’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping 440 LST
- Metal: Ping G440 Max at 15 degrees
- Metal: Ping G425 Max at 21 degrees
- Hybrid: Ping G430 at 25 degrees
- Irons: Ping Blueprint S 5 through PW
- Wedges: Ping S159 at 52, 56, and 60 degrees
- Putter: Ping PLD Anser
Driver: Titleist TSi3 (10 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 6.5 TX
3-wood: Titleist TS3 (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Project X Denali Black 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T250 (4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (7-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F @47, 50-08F @51, 54-10S @55, 60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48), S400 (47)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
