1939 PGA Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 9–15, 1939 |
| Location | Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Course(s) | Pomonok Country Club |
| Organized by | PGA of America |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Match play - 6 rounds |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,354 yards (5,810 m)[1] |
| Field |
109 players,[1] 64 to match play |
| Cut | 148 (+4), playoff |
| Prize fund | $10,600 [2] |
| Winner's share | $1,100 |
| Champion | |
 Henry Picard | |
| def. Byron Nelson, 37 holes | |
|
«1938 1940» | |
The 1939 PGA Championship was the 22nd PGA Championship, held July 9–15 at Pomonok Country Club in Queens, New York. Then a match play championship, Henry Picard won his only PGA Championship, defeating Byron Nelson with a birdie at the 37th hole.[3] It was the second of Picard's two major titles; he won the Masters in 1938. Nelson won the U.S. Open three months earlier and the next PGA Championship in 1940. Beginning in 1939, he made five finals in six PGA Championships, and won his second title in 1945.
Defending champion Paul Runyan lost in the quarterfinals to Dick Metz.
This PGA Championship was held during the 1939 New York World's Fair. The golf course no longer exists; Pomonok Country Club disbanded in 1949 and the property was developed for residences.
Format
The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1939 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[2]
- Sunday and Monday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
- defending champion and top 63 professionals advanced to match play
- Tuesday – first two rounds, 18 holes each
- Wednesday – third round – 36 holes
- Thursday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
- Friday – semifinals – 36 holes
- Saturday – final – 36 holes
Past champions in the field
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | Record | Advanced to | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Runyan | United States | 1934, 1938 | 3–1 | Quarterfinals | T5 |
| Johnny Revolta | United States | 1935 | 2–1 | Third round | T9 |
| Denny Shute | United States | 1936, 1937 | 2–1 | Third round | T9 |
| Leo Diegel | United States | 1928, 1929 | 1–1 | Second round | T17 |
| Walter Hagen | United States | 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 | 0–1 | First round | T33 |
| Gene Sarazen | United States | 1922, 1923, 1933 | 0–1 | First round | T33 |
Failed to qualify
| Player | Country | Year won | R1 | R2 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Creavy | United States | 1931 | 153 | +9 |
Source:[2]
Final results
Saturday. July 15, 1939
| Place | Player | Country | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Picard | United States | 1,100 |
| 2 | Byron Nelson | United States | 600 |
| T3 | Dutch Harrison | United States | 350 |
| Dick Metz | United States | ||
| T5 | Emerick Kocsis | United States | 250 |
| Rod Munday | United States | ||
| Paul Runyan | United States | ||
| Horton Smith | United States |
Source:[3]
Final eight bracket
| Quarter-finals July 13 | Semi-finals July 14 | Finals July 15 | ||||||||||||
| Henry Picard | 2&1 | |||||||||||||
| Rod Munday | ||||||||||||||
| Henry Picard | 1up | |||||||||||||
| Dick Metz | ||||||||||||||
| Dick Metz | 2&1 | |||||||||||||
| Paul Runyan | ||||||||||||||
| Henry Picard | 37h | |||||||||||||
| Byron Nelson | ||||||||||||||
| Byron Nelson | 10&9 | |||||||||||||
| Emerick Kocsis | ||||||||||||||
| Byron Nelson | 9&8 | |||||||||||||
| Dutch Harrison | ||||||||||||||
| Dutch Harrison | 4&3 | |||||||||||||
| Horton Smith | ||||||||||||||
References
- 1 2 "Four aces smash par to lead meet as P.G.A. split widens to chasm". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. July 11, 1939. p. 13. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- 1 2 3 "Tournament Info for: 1939 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
- 1 2 Boni, Bill (July 16, 1939). "Picard defeats Nelson on 37th for PGA title". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 1-B.
External links
- PGA Media Guide 2012
- About.com – 1939 PGA Championship
- PGA.com – 1939 PGA Championship
Coordinates: 40°44′02″N 73°48′36″W / 40.734°N 73.810°W