Payne Stewart won the first of his three major championships, one stroke ahead of runners-up Andy Bean, Mike Reid, and Curtis Strange.

His tee shot at the 16th hole was pushed and found the water hazard, and he made bogey.

On the par-3 17th, Reid stayed dry but misplayed a greenside chip shot from thick rough, then three-putted for double bogey and lost the lead.

In search of a PGA Championship victory to complete a career grand slam, both Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer were on the first page of the leaderboard after the first round, with 67 and 68, respectively.

This was the first PGA Tour event at Kemper Lakes, a daily-fee course opened ten years earlier in 1979.