1951 PGA Championship

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1951 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJune 27 – July 3, 1951
Location Oakmont, Pennsylvania, U.S.
40°31′34″N79°49′37″W / 40.526°N 79.827°W / 40.526; -79.827
Course(s) Oakmont Country Club
Organized by PGA of America
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Match play - 6 rounds
Statistics
Par72
Length6,882 yards (6,293 m) [1]
Field140 players, [1]
64 to match play
Cut154 (+10), playoff
Prize fund $17,700 [2]
Winner's share$3,500
Champion
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Sam Snead
def. Walter Burkemo, 7 and 6
Location map
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Icona golf.svg
Oakmont CC
Location in the United States
USA Pennsylvania relief location map.svg
Icona golf.svg
Oakmont CC
Location in Pennsylvania
  1950
1952  

The 1951 PGA Championship was the 33rd PGA Championship, held June 27 to July 3 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, a suburb northeast of Pittsburgh. Sam Snead won the match play championship, 7 and 6, over Walter Burkemo in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $3,500, and the runner-up's was $1,500. [3] [4]

Contents

It marked the first time the PGA Championship returned to a venue; Oakmont had hosted in 1922 [2] (at the time, it had also hosted two U.S. Opens and three U.S. Amateurs). It was Snead's third and final win in the PGA Championship and the fifth of his seven major titles. At age 39, he was the oldest at the time to win the PGA Championship, passing his old record of two years earlier. Burkemo won the title in 1953 and was runner-up again in 1954.

Defending champion Chandler Harper lost in the first round to Jim Turnesa in a match that went to 23 holes. [5] Turnesa, the runner-up to Snead in 1942, won the title the following year in 1952 and displaced Snead as the oldest champion by a few months.

Snead's win was the last by a former champion for twenty years until Jack Nicklaus won his second PGA Championship in 1971.

Claude Harmon, Lloyd Mangrum, and Pete Cooper tied for the lowest score in the stroke play qualifier at 142 (−2). Harmon won the $250 medalist prize on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. [6]

The British Open in 1951 was held in the first week of July in Northern Ireland. Its mandatory two-day qualifier was held on the same days as the PGA's semifinals and finals, which prevented participation in both events. [7]

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1951 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days: [2]

Final results

PlacePlayerMoney ($)
1 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Sam Snead 3,500
2 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Walter Burkemo 1,500
T3 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Charlie Bassler 750
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Ellsworth Vines
T5 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Al Brosch 500
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Johnny Bulla
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Jack Burke Jr.
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Reggie Myles

Final eight bracket

Quarter-finals
July 1
Semi-finals
July 2
Finals
July 3
         
Sam Snead 2&1
Jack Burke Jr.
Sam Snead 9&8
Charlie Bassler
Charlie Bassler 1up
Al Brosch
Sam Snead 7&6
Walter Burkemo
Walter Burkemo 1up
Reggie Myles
Walter Burkemo 37h
Ellsworth Vines
Ellsworth Vines 1up
Johnny Bulla

Source: [8]

Final match scorecards

Morning

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par544543435445344344
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Snead344433445445344345
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Burkemo454564445435434434
LeaderS1S2S2S3S4S5S5S5S5S5S4S4S5S4S4S5S4S3

Afternoon

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par544543435445344344
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Snead434543435445Snead wins
7 and 6
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Burkemo545443544545
LeaderS4S5S6S5S5S5S6S7S6S7S7S7
EagleBirdieBogeyDouble bogey

Source: [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 Gundelfinger, Phil Jr. (June 27, 1951). "140 to tee off today in PGA opening round". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  2. 1 2 3 "Tournament Info for: 1951 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  3. Gundelfinger, Phil Jr. (July 4, 1951). "Snead routs Burkemo for third PGA title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  4. 1 2 Bartlett, Charles (July 4, 1951). "Snead takes P.G.A. title 3d time". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 4.
  5. Gundelfinger, Phil Jr. (June 30, 1951). "Favorites advance in PGA play". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  6. Gundelfinger, Phil Jr. (June 29, 1951). "Harmon wins playoff to capture PGA medal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
  7. "Locke favored in British Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 2, 1951. p. 1.
  8. Gundelfinger, Phil Jr. (July 2, 1951). "Snead gains semi-finals in PGA play". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.