PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – When Hal Sutton held off Jack Nicklaus by one shot to win the 1983 PGA Championship at Riviera Country Club north of Los Angeles, the Golden Bear turned to his crystal ball.
“This will be one of many major championships for you,” Nicklaus told the 25-year-old Sutton that day, adding that he could be the “Next Jack” and become the game’s dominant force with the game he possessed.
While that never came to be – Sutton didn’t win another major – the two are linked in Players Championship history as the only players to win the PGA Tour’s flagship event twice – with all four titles captured on a Monday.
