| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 7–13, 1941 |
| Location | Englewood, Colorado, U.S. |
| Course(s) | Cherry Hills Country Club |
| Organized by | PGA of America |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Match play - 6 rounds |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,888 yards (6,298 m)[1] |
| Field | 97 players,[3] 64 to match play |
| Cut | 154 (+12), playoff |
| Prize fund | $10,600[2] |
| Winner's share | $1,100 |
| Champion | |
 Vic Ghezzi | |
| def. Byron Nelson, 38 holes | |
The 1941 PGA Championship was the 24th PGA Championship, held July 7–13 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Englewood, Colorado (now Cherry Hills Village), just south of Denver. Then a match play championship, Vic Ghezzi won his only major title over defending champion Byron Nelson in 38 holes.[4][5] Nelson defeated Ralph Guldahl, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen on successive days to reach his third consecutive final.
Seven of the eight quarterfinalists in 1941 won major titles during their careers. Sam Snead was the medalist in the stroke play qualifier at 138 (−4);[6] he lost in the quarterfinals but won the first of his three titles the following year.
Due to World War II, this was the last "full field" at the PGA Championship until 1946. The match play bracket was scaled back from 64 competitors to 32 for 1942, when it and the Masters were the only majors held. The PGA Championship was the only major in 1944 and 1945; none were played in 1943 and the other three returned in 1946.
This was the last time the final match in the PGA Championship went to extra holes. The PGA Championship changed to stroke play in 1958 and its first two playoffs in 1961 and 1967 were 18 holes, before conversion to sudden-death, first used in 1977 and last in 1996. The present three-hole aggregate playoff made its debut in 2000.
This championship was the second major played at this course; the U.S. Open was held at Cherry Hills three years earlier in 1938, won by Guldahl. It later hosted the U.S. Open in 1960 and 1978, and the PGA Championship in 1985. The average elevation of the course exceeds 5,300 feet (1,620 m) above sea level.
- ^ "Harrison, Bassler lead PGA qualifiers with sub-par 68's". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. United Press. July 8, 1941. p. 9.
- ^ "Tournament Info for: 1941 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ Kelly, Loudon (July 8, 1941). "Bassler and Harrison top P.G.A. qualifier with 68s". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 13. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ Bartlett, Charles (July 14, 1941). "Ghezzi beats Nelson on 38th hole for P.G.A. title". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 19.
- ^ Kelly, Loudon (July 14, 1941). "Vic Ghezzi stages brilliant rally to trim Nelson on 38th hole in P.G.A. final". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. 9. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- ^ "Sam Snead takes medal in PGA qualifying play". Palm Beach Post. Florida. Associated Press. July 9, 1941. p. 9.