1931 PGA Championship

1931 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesSeptember 14–19, 1931
LocationRumford, Rhode Island
Course(s)Wannamoisett Country Club
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatMatch play - 5 rounds
Statistics
Par70 [1][2]
Field32 to match play
Cut153 (+13), playoff
Prize fund$7,200[3]
Winner's share$1,000
Champion
United States Tom Creavy
def. Denny Shute, 2 and 1
← 1930
1932 →
Rumford  is located in the United States
Rumford 
Rumford 
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Location in the United States
Wannamoisett  Country Club is located in Rhode Island
Wannamoisett  Country Club
Wannamoisett 
Country Club
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Location in Rhode Island

The 1931 PGA Championship was the 14th PGA Championship, held September 14–19 at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, Rhode Island, northeast of Providence. Then a match play championship, Tom Creavy, age 20, defeated Gene Sarazen 5 and 3 in the semifinals[4] and Denny Shute 2 and 1 in the finals.[3][5][6][7]

This was the first year the defending champion was exempt from qualifying; Tommy Armour lost in the quarterfinals to Shute, 3 and 1.[8] Sarazen was the medalist in the qualifying with 145 (+5).[9][10]

Through 2016, Sarazen remains the youngest winner of a modern major title at age 20 (in 1922) and Creavy was just 2 months older.[11][12] Finalist Shute won consecutive titles in 1936 and 1937.

  1. ^ "97 pros begin play today in national meet". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. September 14, 1931. p. 21.
  2. ^ "Sarazen P.G.A. tourney medalist with 145". Milwaukee Sentinel. September 15, 1931. p. 13. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Tournament Info for: 1931 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  4. ^ "Shute faces Creavy today". Youngstown Vindicator. Associated Press. September 19, 1931. p. 7. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  5. ^ "Creavy whips Shute, 2 and 1, for pro golf title". Chicago Sunday Tribune. September 20, 1931. p. 1, sec. 2.
  6. ^ "Creavy brings new style to paid brigade". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. United News. September 22, 1931. p. 12. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  7. ^ King, Bill (September 20, 1931). "Tom Creavy, 20-year-old Albany pro, downs Denny Shute for P.G.A. title". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. C-2. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  8. ^ "Sarazen plays Creavy, Burke meets Shute in P.G.A. semi-finals". Miami News. Associated Press. September 18, 1931. p. 13. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  9. ^ "Sarazen takes PGA medal with 145 total". Chicago Daily Tribune. September 15, 1931. p. 17.
  10. ^ "Gene Sarazen cards 145 to lead pros in qualifying round at Providence". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. September 15, 1931. p. 10.
  11. ^ Fields, Bill (August 10, 2011). "A forgotten champion's PGA triumph". Golf Digest. Archived from the original on September 14, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  12. ^ Diaz, Jaime (August 28, 2000). "Notebook: Paul Creavy". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2013.