1939 PGA Championship
The 1939 PGA Championship was the 22nd PGA Championship, held July 9–15 at Pomonok Country Club in Queens, New York. Then a match play championship, Henry Picard won his only PGA Championship, defeating Byron Nelson with a birdie at the 37th hole.[3][4][5][6] It was the second of his two major titles; he won the Masters in 1938. Nelson won the U.S. Open three months earlier and the next PGA Championship in 1940. Beginning in 1939, he made five finals in six PGA Championships, and won his second title in 1945.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 9–15, 1939 |
| Location | Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Course(s) | Pomonok Country Club |
| Organized by | PGA of America |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Match play - 6 rounds |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,354 yards (5,810 m)[1] |
| Field | 109 players,[1] 64 to match play |
| Cut | 148 (+4), playoff |
| Prize fund | $10,600 [2] |
| Winner's share | $1,100 |
| Champion | |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Henry Picard | |
| def. Byron Nelson, 37 holes | |
Picard had not trailed and led by two as late as the 26th hole, but the match was squared on the 29th green and Nelson led by one after 32 holes. Both birdied the par-5 33rd and Picard sank a curling putt from over twenty feet (6 m) for par to halve the 34th hole and stay one back.[3] They halved the par-3 35th at par and both had birdie putts on the 36th green. Nelson missed his from ten feet (3 m) feet while Picard sank his from three to square up the match. On the extra hole, both again had birdie putts: Picard made his from ten feet while Nelson missed his from six.[4]
Defending champion Paul Runyan lost in the quarterfinals to Dick Metz.
This PGA Championship was held during the 1939 New York World's Fair. The golf course no longer exists; Pomonok Country Club disbanded in 1949 and the property was developed for residences.
Format
The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1939 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[2]
- Sunday and Monday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
- defending champion and top 63 professionals advanced to match play
- Tuesday – first two rounds, 18 holes each
- Wednesday – third round – 36 holes
- Thursday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
- Friday – semifinals – 36 holes
- Saturday – final – 36 holes
Past champions in the field
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | Record | Advanced to | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Runyan | United States | 1934, 1938 | 3–1 | Quarterfinals | T5 |
| Johnny Revolta | United States | 1935 | 2–1 | Third round | T9 |
| Denny Shute | United States | 1936, 1937 | 2–1 | Third round | T9 |
| Leo Diegel | United States | 1928, 1929 | 1–1 | Second round | T17 |
| Walter Hagen | United States | 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 | 0–1 | First round | T33 |
| Gene Sarazen | United States | 1922, 1923, 1933 | 0–1 | First round | T33 |
Final results
Saturday. July 15, 1939
| Place | Player | Country | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Picard | United States | 1,100 |
| 2 | Byron Nelson | United States | 600 |
| T3 | Dutch Harrison | United States | 350 |
| Dick Metz | United States | ||
| T5 | Emerick Kocsis | United States | 250 |
| Rod Munday | United States | ||
| Paul Runyan | United States | ||
| Horton Smith | United States |
Source:[6]
Final eight bracket
| Quarter-finals July 13 | Semi-finals July 14 | Finals July 15 | ||||||||||||
| Henry Picard | 2&1 | |||||||||||||
| Rod Munday | ||||||||||||||
| Henry Picard | 1up | |||||||||||||
| Dick Metz | ||||||||||||||
| Dick Metz | 2&1 | |||||||||||||
| Paul Runyan | ||||||||||||||
| Henry Picard | 37h | |||||||||||||
| Byron Nelson | ||||||||||||||
| Byron Nelson | 10&9 | |||||||||||||
| Emerick Kocsis | ||||||||||||||
| Byron Nelson | 9&8 | |||||||||||||
| Dutch Harrison | ||||||||||||||
| Dutch Harrison | 4&3 | |||||||||||||
| Horton Smith | ||||||||||||||
Final match scorecards
Morning
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Picard | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Nelson | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Leader | P1 | – | P1 | P2 | P2 | P3 | P3 | P3 | P2 | P2 | P3 | P2 | P2 | P2 | P1 | P1 | P2 | P1 |
Afternoon
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Picard | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Nelson | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Leader | – | P1 | P1 | P2 | P2 | P2 | P2 | P2 | P1 | P1 | – | – | – | N1 | N1 | N1 | N1 | – |
Extra hole
| Hole | 1 |
|---|---|
| Par | 4 |
| Picard | 3 |
| Nelson | 4 |
| Leader | P1 |
References
- "Four aces smash par to lead meet as P.G.A. split widens to chasm". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. July 11, 1939. p. 13. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- "Tournament Info for: 1939 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- Boni, Bill (July 16, 1939). "Picard beats Nelson on 37th hole to take PGA title". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. D-1.
- McLemore, Henry (July 16, 1939). "Picard P.G.A." Pittsburgh Press. United Press. p. 1, sports.
- Bartlett, Charles (July 15, 1939). "Picard to meet Nelson today for P.G.A. title". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 11.
- Boni, Bill (July 16, 1939). "Picard defeats Nelson on 37th for PGA title". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 1-B.
External links
- PGA Media Guide 2012
- About.com – 1939 PGA Championship
- PGA.com – 1939 PGA Championship