1949 PGA Championship

Pete Trenham & The History of the PGA Philadelphia

src: trenhamgolfhistory.org

The 1949 PGA Championship was the 31st PGA Championship, held May 25-31 in Virginia at Hermitage Country Club, northwest 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.

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; he won again two years later in 1951.

The medalist in the stroke play qualifier was unsung Ray Hill of Louisiana, who advanced to the quarterfinals.

Snead won the Masters in April; this was the first time the Masters champion had won the PGA Championship in the same calendar year. This has only been accomplished four times, most recently 43 years ago: Snead was followed by Jack Burke, Jr. in 1956 and Jack Nicklaus in 1963 and 1975. Snead's double was in the spring, Burke and Nicklaus completed theirs in the summer.

Defending champion Ben Hogan did not play in any of the majors during the 1949 season, following a near-fatal automobile accident in west Texas in early February. In 1948, he won two majors, led the tour in money and wins (ten), and was player of the year; he had won two events in January 1949 (Pebble Beach, Long Beach), with a playoff runner-up in a third (Phoenix). Although Hogan returned to the tour in 1950 on a limited basis and won six more majors (nine total), he did not enter the PGA Championship again until age 48 in 1960, its third year as a stroke play event.

Video 1949 PGA Championship

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1949 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:

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
Friday - first two rounds, 18 holes each
Saturday - third round - 36 holes
Sunday - quarterfinals - 36 holes
Monday - semifinals - 36 holes
Tuesday - final - 36 holes