1949 PGA Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | May 25–31, 1949 |
| Location | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Course(s) | Hermitage Country Club |
| Organized by | PGA of America |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Match play - 6 rounds |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,677 yards (6,105 m)[1] |
| Field | 64 to match play |
| Cut | 149 (+8), playoff |
| Prize fund | $17,700[2] |
| Winner's share | $3,500 |
| Champion | |
 Sam Snead | |
| def. Johnny Palmer, 3 & 2 | |
The 1949 PGA Championship was the 31st PGA Championship, held May 25–31 at Hermitage Country Club in Lakeside, Virginia, north of Richmond. Native Virginian Sam Snead won the match play championship, 3 & 2 over Johnny Palmer in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $3,500 and the runner-up's was $1,500.[3]
It was the second of Snead's three wins in the PGA Championship, and the fourth of his seven major titles. At age 37, Snead was the oldest to win the PGA Championship;[4] he won again two years later in 1951.
Defending champion Ben Hogan did not play in any of the majors during the 1949 season, following a near-fatal automobile accident in early February. He did not enter the PGA Championship again until 1960, its third year as a stroke play event.
Snead won the Masters in April; this was the first time the Masters champion had won the PGA Championship in the same calendar year. Through 2015, it has only been accomplished four times: Snead was followed by Jack Burke, Jr. in 1956 and Jack Nicklaus in 1963 and 1975.
The medalist in the stroke play qualifier was unsung Ray Hill of Louisiana,[5] who advanced to the quarterfinals.
Format
The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1949 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[2]
- Wednesday and Thursday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
- the top 64 professionals advanced to match play
- defending champion Ben Hogan did not enter, out for the season with injuries from an automobile accident
- the top 64 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 | 6–0 | Champion | 1 |
| Jim Ferrier |  Australia |
1947 | 4–1 | Semifinals | T3 |
| Bob Hamilton | United States |
1944 | 1–1 | Second round | T17 |
| Gene Sarazen | United States |
1922, 1923, 1933 | 0–1 | First round | T33 |
| Denny Shute | United States |
1936, 1937 | 0–1 | First round | T33 |
Failed to qualify
| Player | Country | Year won | R1 | R2 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vic Ghezzi | United States |
1941 | 76 | 74 | 150 | +8 |
Source:[5]
Final results
Tuesday, May 31, 1949
| Place | Player | Country | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Snead | United States |
3,500 |
| 2 | Johnny Palmer | United States |
1,500 |
| T3 | Jim Ferrier | Australia United States |
750 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | United States
| ||
| T5 | Jimmy Demaret | United States |
500 |
| Clayton Heafner | United States
| ||
| Ray Hill | United States
| ||
| Henry Williams, Jr. | United States
|
Final eight bracket
| Quarter-finals May 29 | Semi-finals May 30 | Finals May 31 | ||||||||||||
| Sam Snead | 4&3 | |||||||||||||
| Jimmy Demaret | ||||||||||||||
| Sam Snead | 3&2 | |||||||||||||
| Jim Ferrier | ||||||||||||||
| Jim Ferrier | 3&2 | |||||||||||||
| Clayton Heafner | ||||||||||||||
| Sam Snead | 3&2 | |||||||||||||
| Johnny Palmer | ||||||||||||||
| Johnny Palmer | 7&6 | |||||||||||||
| Henry Williams, Jr. | ||||||||||||||
| Johnny Palmer | 6&5 | |||||||||||||
| Lloyd Mangrum | ||||||||||||||
| Lloyd Mangrum | 7&6 | |||||||||||||
| Ray Hill | ||||||||||||||
References
- ^ Gundelfinger, Phil (May 25, 1949). "Worsham fires record-tying 63 in PGA tuneup". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 19. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ a b "Tournament Info for: 1949 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Gundelfinger, Phil (June 1, 1949). "Snead wins PGA, walloping Palmer in finals , 3 and 2". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 16. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "Snead beats Palmer 3-2, takes PGA title". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. June 1, 1949. p. 14-part 2. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ a b Fraley, Oscar (May 27, 1949). "PGA match play begins". Miami News. p. 3B.
External links
- PGA Media Guide 2012
- About.com – 1949 PGA Championship
- PGA of America – 1949 PGA Championship