John Joseph Burke Jr. was an American professional golfer who was most prominent in the 1950s. The son of a professional golfer, Jack Burke Sr., he won two major titles, both in 1956, the Masters and PGA Championship, and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Walter E. Burkemo was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the PGA Championship in 1953.
The 1952 Masters Tournament was the 16th Masters Tournament, held April 3–6 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
The 1954 Masters Tournament was the 18th Masters Tournament, held April 8–12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Sam Snead defeated defending champion Ben Hogan by one stroke in an 18-hole Monday playoff to win his third Masters tournament. It was Snead's seventh and final major victory.
The 1957 Masters Tournament was the 21st Masters Tournament, held April 4–7 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. This was the first Masters played with a 36-hole cut; 101 players started and forty made the cut at 150 (+6).
The 1958 Masters Tournament was the 22nd Masters Tournament, held April 3–6 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Arnold Palmer won the first of his four Masters titles, one stroke ahead of runners-up Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins. It was the first of his seven major titles.
The 1959 Masters Tournament was the 23rd Masters Tournament, held April 2–5 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Art Wall Jr. shot a final round of 66 (−6), with birdies on five of the last six holes, for his only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Cary Middlecoff, the 1955 champion. Wall started the final round six strokes behind the leaders, in a tie for thirteenth place.
The 1960 Masters Tournament was the 24th Masters Tournament, held April 7–10 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Arnold Palmer birdied the final two holes to win by one stroke over runner-up Ken Venturi.
The 1962 Masters Tournament was the 26th Masters Tournament, held April 5–9 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Arnold Palmer won the third of his four Masters titles in the tournament's first three-way playoff. It was the fifth of his seven major titles.
The 1953 U.S. Open was the 53rd U.S. Open, held June 11–13 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, a suburb northeast of Pittsburgh. Ben Hogan won a record-tying fourth U.S. Open title, six strokes ahead of runner-up Sam Snead.
The 1948 PGA Championship was the 30th PGA Championship, held May 19–25 at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. Ben Hogan won the match play championship, 7 and 6 over Mike Turnesa in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $3,500 and the runner-up's was $1,500.
The 1949 PGA Championship was the 31st PGA Championship, held May 25–31 in Virginia at Belmont Golf Course, north of Richmond. Native Virginian Sam Snead won the match play championship, 3 and 2 over Johnny Palmer in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $3,500 and the runner-up's was $1,500.
The 1950 PGA Championship was the 32nd PGA Championship, held June 21–27 at Scioto Country Club in Upper Arlington, Ohio, a suburb northwest of Columbus. Chandler Harper won the match play championship, 4 & 3 over Henry Williams, Jr. in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $3,500 and the runner-up's was $1,500. It was Harper's only major title; his next best finish in a major was a tie for eighth at the Masters in 1947.
The 1952 PGA Championship was the 34th PGA Championship, held June 18–25 at Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Jim Turnesa won the match play championship, 1 up over Chick Harbert in the Wednesday final; the winner's share was $3,500 and the runner-up's was $1,500.
The 1953 PGA Championship was the 35th PGA Championship, held July 1–7 at Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Local resident Walter Burkemo won the match play championship, 2 and 1 over Felice Torza in the Tuesday final. The winner's share was $5,000 and the runner-up's was $3,000. Burkemo won his only major title in the second of his three finals; he lost to Sam Snead in 1951 and Chick Harbert in 1954.
The 1954 PGA Championship was the 36th PGA Championship, held July 21–27 at Keller Golf Club in Maplewood, Minnesota, a suburb north of St. Paul. Chick Harbert won the match play championship, 4 and 3 over defending champion Walter Burkemo in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $5,000 and the runner-up's was $3,000.
The 1956 PGA Championship was the 38th edition of the professional golf competition, held at Blue Hill Country Club in Canton, Massachusetts, a suburb southwest of Boston. Jack Burke Jr. won his second major championship of 1956, a 3 and 2 victory over Ted Kroll; Burke had won the Masters in April. It was the penultimate PGA Championship as a match play competition; stroke play was introduced two years later in 1958. This was the tenth and final year the PGA Championship was scheduled for a Tuesday finish.
The 1957 PGA Championship was the 39th PGA Championship, held July 17–21 at Miami Valley Golf Club in Dayton, Ohio. In the last PGA Championship played under the match play format, Lionel Hebert won 2 and 1 over Dow Finsterwald, who won the following year, the first as a 72-hole stroke play event.
The 1958 PGA Championship was the 40th PGA Championship, played July 17–20 at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia. It was the first PGA Championship held in its current stroke play format, 72 holes over four days, ending on Sunday. The previous editions were at match play, with the two most recent ones at seven rounds over five days, the final two rounds at 36 holes per match. The announcement of the change was made eight months earlier in November.
The 1960 PGA Championship was the 42nd PGA Championship, played July 21–24 at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Jay Hebert won his only major championship, one stroke ahead of runner-up Jim Ferrier, the 1947 champion. Only one player broke par in the final round; Wes Ellis shot 69 (−1) and finished in sixth place. Hebert's younger brother Lionel won the title in 1957, the last PGA Championship contested in match play format.
Sam Snead 
