1955 PGA Championship

The 1955 PGA Championship was the 37th PGA Championship, held July 20–26 in Michigan at Meadowbrook Country Club in Northville Township, northwest of nearby Detroit. Doug Ford won the match play championship, 4 & 3 over Cary Middlecoff in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $5,000 and the runner-up earned $3,000.[4][5][6] This was the first of two major titles for Ford, who won the Masters in 1957.

1955 PGA Championship

Tournament information
Dates	July 20–26, 1955
Location	Northville Twp, Michigan
Course(s)	Meadowbrook Country Club
Organized by	PGA of America
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Match play - 6 rounds
Statistics
Par	71
Length	6,701 yards (6,127 m)[1]
Field	135 players,[2] 64 to match play
Cut	147 (+5), playoff
Prize fund	$20,700[3]
Winner's share	$5,000
Champion
Doug Ford
def. Cary Middlecoff, 4 & 3

Meadowbrook
Country Club

Location in the United States

Meadowbrook
Country Club

Location in Michigan

Ford was also the medalist in the stroke-play qualifying with a 135 (−7), worth $250 and the Alex Smith trophy.[7][8] He was the fourth to win the final match after winning the qualifier, joining Walter Hagen (1926), Olin Dutra (1932), and Byron Nelson (1945). Ford was the last medalist, as the format was changed in 1956 to seven rounds without a qualifier for two years, then to 72-hole stroke play in 1958.

Defending champion Chick Harbert, a local resident, was defeated in the second round by Johnny Palmer, 1 up. No former champion advanced past the second round.

This was second time in three years the PGA Championship was played near Detroit; the 1953 event was played at Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, about 20 miles (30 km) northeast. The 1947 edition, in which Harbert was runner-up, was also held in the Detroit area.

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1955 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[3]

• Wednesday and Thursday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
  • defending champion Chick Harbert and the 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
Vic Ghezzi	United States	1941	1–1	Second round	T17
Chick Harbert	United States	1954	1–1	Second round	T17
Gene Sarazen	United States	1922, 1923, 1933	1–1	Second round	T17
Sam Snead	United States	1942, 1949, 1951	1–1	Second round	T17
Walter Burkemo	United States	1953	0–1	First round	T33

Failed to qualify

Player	Country	Year(s) won	R1	R2	Total	To par
Denny Shute	United States	1936, 1937	75	73	148	+6
Jim Turnesa	United States	1952	75	76	151	+9
Chandler Harper	United States	1950	78	74	152	+10

Source:[8][9]

Final results

Tuesday, July 26, 1955

Place	Player	Country	Money ($)
1	Doug Ford	United States	5,000
2	Cary Middlecoff	United States	3,000
T3	Tommy Bolt	United States	750
	Shelley Mayfield	United States
T5	Jack Burke, Jr.	United States	500
	Don Fairfield	United States
	Fred Hawkins	United States
	Lew Worsham	United States

Final eight bracket

Quarter-finals July 24

Semi-finals July 25

Finals July 26

Doug Ford

5&4

Fred Hawkins

Doug Ford

4&3

Shelley Mayfield

Shelley Mayfield

3&2

Don Fairfield

Doug Ford

4&3

Cary Middlecoff

Cary Middlecoff

40h

Jack Burke, Jr.

Cary Middlecoff

4&3

Tommy Bolt

Tommy Bolt

8&7

Lew Worsham

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	5	4	4	4	3	4	3	4	4	3	5	3	4	4	4	5	4
Ford	4	5	4	4	4	2	4	3	4	4	3	4	2	4	5	4	4	4
Middlecoff	3	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	4	3	5	3	3	4	4	5	4
Leader	M1	M1	M1	M1	M1	–	M1	M1	M2	M2	M2	M1	–	M1	M2	M2	M1	M1

Afternoon

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	5	4	4	4	3	4	3	4	4	3	5	3	4	4	4	5	4
Ford	4	5	4	4	4	3	4	2	4	4	2	4	4	3	4	Ford wins 4 & 3
Middlecoff	5	4	4	5	4	3	4	4	4	4	4	5	3	4	5
Leader	–	M1	M1	–	–	–	–	F1	F1	F1	F2	F3	F2	F3	F4

Source:[5]

References

1. "Snead putts well, posts 66 to lead PGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 21, 1955. p. 17.
2. "National PGA tourney opens". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. July 20, 1955. p. 4B.
3. "Tournament Info for: 1955 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
4. "Doug Ford wins PGA title in his first try". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 27, 1955. p. 15.
5. Bartlett, Charles (July 27, 1955). "P.G.A. title won 4 and 3 by Doug Ford". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
6. Wind, Herbert Warren (August 15, 1955). "In the PGA, Doug Ford, the summer's hottest golfer, proved speed and hunger are a winning combination". Sports Illustrated. p. 54.
7. Bartlett, Charles (July 22, 1955). "P.G.A. medal won with 135 by Doug Ford". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
8. "Doug Ford shoots 135 to win PGA medal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 22, 1955. p. 19.
9. "First round PGA scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 21, 1955. p. 17.

External links

• PGA Media Guide 2012
• GolfCompendium.com – 1955 PGA Championship
• PGA.com – 1955 PGA Championship