Straight to the holePhoto by Mick De Paola on Unsplash |
Since it opened in 1977, Shoal Creek has hosted several major golf tournaments, including the Jerry Pate's National Intercollegiate event in 1994 won by a Standford University team led by Tiger Woods. It also hosted two PGA Championship events, with the most recent occurring in 1990.
The 1990 PGA Championship was won by "the other Australian" Wayne Grady. One of the favorites entering the event was Australian Greg Norman, who finished tied for 19th and was in his private jet by the time Grady won the tournament. Grady, boosted by a second-round score of 67, won the four-round tournament with a combined score of 282, finishing three shots ahead of second-place finisher Fred Couples. He won $225,000 while Couples took home $135,000.
The victory at Shoal Creek provided redemption for Grady, who squandered a final-round lead at the British Open the year prior. It was his second career victory and, while he continued playing on the PGA Tour until 2002, he never won another tournament.