Golf legend Walter Hagen’s century-old secret resurfaces at PGA Championship.
As the PGA Championship returns this week at Quail Hollow in North Carolina, all eyes are once again on the Wanamaker Trophy — one of the most iconic and prestigious awards in professional golf. But few may realize that this legendary piece of silverware was once lost under mysterious circumstances, nearly a century ago, by none other than Walter Hagen, one of the greatest golfers in history.
At 28 inches tall and weighing 27 pounds, the Wanamaker Trophy is not easy to misplace. Yet that’s exactly what happened after Hagen’s 1925 victory at Olympia Fields Country Club near Chicago. The flamboyant golfer, celebrating his win, allegedly handed the trophy to a taxi driver with instructions to deliver it to his hotel. It never arrived.
A Secret Won and Lost
Walter Hagen was already a towering figure in the sport. With 11 major titles to his name, he ranks third all-time behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. His dominance at the PGA Championship — five titles, four of them consecutively from 1924 to 1927 — remains legendary. But the tale of the lost Wanamaker added an unexpected twist to his career.
After winning again in 1926, Hagen returned without the trophy, brushing off questions with characteristic bravado. “I will win it anyway, so I didn’t bring it,” he quipped when asked about its whereabouts. True to form, he defended his title again in 1927, keeping the missing trophy a secret for yet another year.
However, in 1928, Hagen finally lost — to fellow American Leo Diegel — and with his win streak broken, he came clean. The truth of the trophy’s disappearance was out: it had vanished after a night of celebration, and no one had seen it since.
The Trophy Reemerges
In response to its disappearance, a duplicate Wanamaker Trophy was created in 1926. Remarkably, the original would resurface six years later, ahead of the 1931 PGA Championship. Reports at the time suggested it was found in a Detroit factory that manufactured Hagen’s golf equipment.
Today, the original 1916 Wanamaker Trophy — named after department store heir Rodman Wanamaker, a key figure in the founding of the PGA of America — is displayed at the PGA’s headquarters in Texas. The trophy awarded at each tournament is the 1926 duplicate, which the winner keeps for one year. Every champion also receives a replica, approximately 10 percent smaller, to keep permanently.
Legacy of a Showman
Hagen’s tale reflects not just his unmatched skill, but his larger-than-life persona. A pioneer of professional golf, he famously said, “I never wanted to be a millionaire, I just wanted to live like one.” His contributions went far beyond the fairway. Hagen won 45 PGA Tour events, captured the US Open twice, and became the first American-born golfer to win the Open Championship — ultimately claiming the Claret Jug four times.
He was also instrumental in shaping the Ryder Cup, serving as captain of the American team during its first six editions.
As the 2025 PGA Championship unfolds, players compete for a trophy whose history includes not just victory and prestige, but a chapter of intrigue and redemption. Walter Hagen’s legacy lives on — not just in record books, but in the enduring mystique of the Wanamaker Trophy he once lost and helped immortalize.