1951 PGA Championship

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 & 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]

1951 PGA Championship

Tournament information
Dates	June 27 – July 3, 1951
Location	Oakmont, Pennsylvania, U.S. 40.526°N 79.827°W
Course(s)	Oakmont Country Club
Organized by	PGA of America
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Match play - 6 rounds
Statistics
Par	72
Length	6,882 yards (6,293 m)[1]
Field	140 players,[1] 64 to match play
Cut	154 (+10), playoff
Prize fund	$17,700[2]
Winner's share	$3,500
Champion
Sam Snead
def. Walter Burkemo, 7 & 6
Location Map
Oakmont CC Location in the United States Oakmont CC Location in Pennsylvania

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 the third and final win for Snead 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 back in 1942, won the title 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 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]

• Wednesday and Thursday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
  • defending champion Chandler Harper and top 63 professionals advanced to match play
• Friday – first two rounds, 18 holes each
• Saturday – third round – 36 holes
• Sunday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
• Monday – semifinals – 36 holes
• Tuesday – final – 36 holes

Past champions in the field

Player	Country	Year(s) won	Record	Advanced to	Finish
Sam Snead	United States	1942, 1949	6–0	Champion	1
Jim Ferrier	Australia	1947	2–1	Third round	T9
Vic Ghezzi	United States	1941	2–1	Third round	T9
Bob Hamilton	United States	1944	1–1	Second round	T17
Henry Picard	United States	1939	1–1	Second round	T17
Gene Sarazen	United States	1922, 1923, 1933	1–1	Second round	T17
Denny Shute	United States	1936, 1937	1–1	Second round	T17
Chandler Harper	United States	1950	0–1	First round	T33

Failed to qualify

Player	Country	Years won	R1	R2	Total	To par
Paul Runyan	United States	1934, 1938	74	80	154	+10

Runyan did not advance in the six-way playoff for the one final spot in the match play field.
Source:[2]

Final results

Place	Player	Country	Money ($)
1	Sam Snead	United States	3,500
2	Walter Burkemo	United States	1,500
T3	Charlie Bassler	United States	750
	Ellsworth Vines	United States
T5	Al Brosch	United States	500
	Johnny Bulla	United States
	Jack Burke, Jr.	United States
	Reggie Myles	United States

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	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	5	4	4	5	4	3	4	3	5	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	4
Snead	3	4	4	4	3	3	4	4	5	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	5
Burkemo	4	5	4	5	6	4	4	4	5	4	3	5	4	3	4	4	3	4
Leader	S1	S2	S2	S3	S4	S5	S5	S5	S5	S5	S4	S4	S5	S4	S4	S5	S4	S3

Afternoon

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	5	4	4	5	4	3	4	3	5	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	4
Snead	4	3	4	5	4	3	4	3	5	4	4	5	Snead wins 7 & 6
Burkemo	5	4	5	4	4	3	5	4	4	5	4	5
Leader	S4	S5	S6	S5	S5	S5	S6	S7	S6	S7	S7	S7

Eagle

Birdie

Bogey

Double bogey

Source:[4]

References

1. Gundelfinger, Phil, Jr. (June 27, 1951). "140 to tee off today in PGA opening round". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
2. "Tournament Info for: 1951 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
3. Gundelfinger, Phil, Jr. (July 4, 1951). "Snead routs Burkemo for third PGA title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 1.
4. 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.

External links

• PGA Media Guide 2012
• About.com – 1951 PGA Championship
• PGA.com – 1951 PGA Championship