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1966 PGA Championship

Coordinates: 41°00′29″N 81°30′29″W / 41.008°N 81.508°W / 41.008; -81.508
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1966 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJuly 21–24, 1966
LocationAkron, Ohio
Course(s)Firestone Country Club
South Course
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length7,180 yards (6,565 m)
Field162 players, 76 after cut
Cut151 (+11)
Prize fund$149,360[1]
Winner's share$25,000
Champion
United States Al Geiberger
280 (Even)
← 1965
1967 →
Firestone CC is located in the United States
Firestone CC
Firestone CC
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Location in the United States
Firestone CC is located in Ohio
Firestone CC
Firestone CC
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Location in Ohio

The 1966 PGA Championship was the 48th PGA Championship, played July 21–24 at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Al Geiberger won his only major championship, four strokes ahead of runner-up Dudley Wysong.[2][3]

Sam Snead, age 54, was co-leader and leader after the first two days, but shot 75 in the third round on Saturday. Geiberger carded a two-under 68 to lead by four strokes over Wysong, who shot a 66.[4] Both shot two-over 72 on Sunday as both bogeyed the first two holes. The lead shrunk to two as Wysong birdied the third while Geiberger bogeyed the fourth, but then birdied the fifth and ninth holes to regain the four-stroke advantage.[5]

The 1966 championship was originally scheduled to be held at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver. A flash flood of the adjacent South Platte River in June 1965 caused significant damage to the course and forced a postponement. Firestone was scheduled to host in 1967, so the venues swapped years.[6]

This was the second of three PGA Championships at the South Course, which previously hosted in 1960 and later in 1975. It is the current venue for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which began in 1976 as the "World Series of Golf" on the PGA Tour, preceded by the American Golf Classic, which debuted in 1961.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Gary Player  South Africa 1962 73 70 70 73 286 +6 T3
Sam Snead  United States 1942, 1949, 1951 68 71 75 73 287 +7 T6
Dow Finsterwald  United States 1958 74 70 73 72 289 +9 T12
Jay Hebert  United States 1960 75 73 70 71 289 +9 T12
Dave Marr  United States 1965 75 75 68 73 291 +11 T18
Jack Nicklaus  United States 1963 75 71 75 71 292 +12 T22
Bob Rosburg  United States 1959 73 76 69 79 297 +17 T43
Jim Ferrier  Australia 1947 71 79 76 72 298 +18 T49
Lionel Hebert  United States 1957 75 74 75 77 301 +21 T64
Jack Burke, Jr.  United States 1956 75 76 79 72 302 +22 T66
Jerry Barber  United States 1961 73 78 84 WD

Missed the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
Chick Harbert  United States 1954 75 77 152 +12
Walter Burkemo  United States 1953 74 79 153 +13
Doug Ford  United States 1955 76 77 153 +13
Jim Turnesa  United States 1952 80 73 153 +13
Denny Shute  United States 1936, 1937 77 80 157 +17
Bobby Nichols  United States 1964 81 78 159 +19
Vic Ghezzi  United States 1941 74 WD

Source:[1]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, July 21, 1966

Place Player Country Score To par
T1 Al Geiberger  United States 68 −2
Sam Snead  United States
T3 Julius Boros  United States 69 −1
Don January  United States
Doug Sanders  United States
6 Jacky Cupit  United States 70 E
T7 Tommy Aaron  United States 71 +1
Larry Beck  United States
Jim Ferrier  Australia
 United States
Jack Fleck  United States
Walker Inman  United States

Source:[7]

Second round

Friday, July 22, 1966

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Sam Snead  United States 68-71=139 −1
T2 Al Geiberger  United States 68-72=140 E
Don January  United States 69-71=140
4 Julius Boros  United States 69-72=141 +1
T5 Tommy Aaron  United States 71-72=143 +3
Jacky Cupit  United States 70-73=143
Billy Farrell  United States 73-70=143
Gary Player  South Africa 73-70=143
Doug Sanders  United States 69-74=143
10 Dow Finsterwald  United States 74-70=144 +4

Source:[8]

Third round

Saturday, July 23, 1966

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Al Geiberger  United States 68-72-68=208 E
2 Dudley Wysong  United States 74-72-66=212 +2
T3 Don January  United States 69-71-73=213 +3
Gary Player  South Africa 73-70-70=213
T5 Frank Beard  United States 73-72-69=214 +4
Billy Farrell  United States 73-70-71=214
Sam Snead  United States 68-71-75=214
T8 Julius Boros  United States 69-72-75=216 +6
Billy Casper  United States 73-73-70=216
Jacky Cupit  United States 70-73-73=216

Source:[9]

Final round

Sunday, July 24, 1966

Place Player Country Score To par Money ($)
1 Al Geiberger  United States 68-72-68-72=280 E 25,000
2 Dudley Wysong  United States 74-72-66-72=284 +4 15,000
T3 Billy Casper  United States 73-73-70-70=286 +6 8,334
Gene Littler  United States 75-71-71-69=286
Gary Player  South Africa 73-70-70-73=286
T6 Julius Boros  United States 69-72-75-71=287 +7 5,000
Jacky Cupit  United States 70-73-73-71=287
Arnold Palmer  United States 75-73-71-68=287
Doug Sanders  United States 69-74-73-71=287
Sam Snead  United States 68-71-75-73=287

Source:[3]

Lema and wife killed

Hours after the championship's conclusion on Sunday, Tony Lema and his wife Betty were among four fatalities in a chartered private plane crash near the Indiana-Illinois border. Lema, age 32, had finished tied for 34th and was heading west to a Monday tournament in the Chicago area. Both pilots of the twin-engine Beechcraft Bonanza were also killed as they attempted an emergency landing on a golf course in Lansing, Illinois, near the destination airport.[10][11][12][13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Tournament Info for: 1966 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  2. ^ Jenkins, Dan (August 1, 1966). "A happy stroll for golf's smiling Gei". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
  3. ^ a b Mooshil, Joe (July 25, 1966). "Geiberger's par-matching 280 captures PGA title at Akron Firestone". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 20.
  4. ^ "Geiberger grabs lead from Sam". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 24, 1966. p. 1B.
  5. ^ "Lema's death shocks golf world, we were like brothers, says Ken". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. wire services. July 25, 1966. p. 2B.
  6. ^ Wright, Alfred (July 31, 1967). "Two Dons in quest of a title". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
  7. ^ "Snead, Geiberger lead PGA with 68s". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. July 22, 1966. p. 2, part 2.
  8. ^ "Swinging, not slamming Sammy holds PGA lead". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 23, 1966. p. 1B.
  9. ^ "Geiberger grabs lead from Sam". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 24, 1966. p. 1B.
  10. ^ "Lema plane crash probed". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. July 26, 1966. p. 2, part 2.
  11. ^ "Lema crash probed by aviation group". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 26, 1966. p. 19.
  12. ^ Fimrite, Ron (July 31, 1995). "The Toast Of Golf". Sports Illustrated: G14.
  13. ^ "Muncie, Ind., crash probed". Eugene Register-Guard. wire reports. July 26, 1966. p. 3B.
Preceded by Major Championships Succeeded by

41°00′29″N 81°30′29″W / 41.008°N 81.508°W / 41.008; -81.508

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