1952 PGA Championship

1952 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJune 18–25, 1952
LocationLouisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Course(s)Big Spring Country Club
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatMatch play – 6 rounds
Statistics
Par72
Length6,620 yards (6,053 m)[1][2]
Field144 players,[2]
64 to match play
Cut147 (+3), playoff
Prize fund$17,700[3]
Winner's share$3,500
Champion
United States Jim Turnesa
def. Chick Harbert, 1 up
← 1951
1953 →
Louisville is located in the United States
Louisville
Louisville
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Location in the United States
Louisville is located in Kentucky
Louisville
Louisville
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Location in Kentucky

The 1952 PGA Championship was the 34th PGA Championship, held June 18–25 at Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Jim Turnesa won the match play championship, 1 up over Chick Harbert in the Wednesday final;[4] the winner's share was $3,500 and the runner-up's was $1,500.[5]

It was Turnesa's only major title; he had lost the final in 1942 to Sam Snead. It was the second loss for Harbert in the final, he lost to Jim Ferrier in 1947, but won the title in his third finals appearance in 1954. Turnesa did not lead through the first 35 holes, but won on the final green when Harbert bogeyed. Turnesa displaced Snead as the oldest PGA champion to date, at 39 years and six months.[5] He was later passed by Jerry Barber at 45 in 1961 and Julius Boros in 1968 at age 48.

Battling an ailing back, defending champion Snead lost in the first round to Lew Worsham, who had defeated him in a playoff five years earlier at the 1947 U.S. Open.[6] Heavy rains washed out play on Saturday and the completion of the third round was delayed until Sunday,[7] and very hot temperatures endured through the final rounds.[5][8]

The U.S. Open was played the preceding week, in Dallas, Texas,[1] won by Boros. He was not technically eligible to play in the PGA Championship, because the rules at the time stated that eligibility was after five years of PGA membership and Boros only had three.[2] Following his win at the U.S. Open, Boros was invited to play by the PGA executive committee,[9] but sensing resentment and dissension among some of the other participants, he withdrew prior to his start time of the two-day qualifier on Wednesday.[10][11][12]

Dutch Harrison was the medalist in the stroke-play qualifying with a 136 (−8) to win $250,[13] but lost in the first round to Marty Furgol.[6]

Turnesa's older brother Joe (1901–1991) was the runner-up in this championship a quarter century earlier in 1927, when Walter Hagen won his fourth consecutive, 1 up, and fifth overall.

This was the first major championship played in Kentucky. The PGA Championship returned to the state 44 years later in 1996, at Valhalla Golf Club east of Louisville. Valhalla also hosted just four years later in 2000 and in 2014.

  1. ^ a b "Golf spotlight moves next to PGA play in bluegrass". Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. June 15, 1952. p. 19.
  2. ^ a b c "Sam Snead to pass up PGA qualifying play". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 18, 1952. p. 19.
  3. ^ "Tournament Info for: 1952 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  4. ^ Bartlett, Charles (June 26, 1952). "Turnesa rallies; wins P.G.A. title". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 6.
  5. ^ a b c "Jim Turnesa wins PGA crown". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 26, 1952. p. 15.
  6. ^ a b "Worsham loses to Haas after beating Snead". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 21, 1952. p. 11.
  7. ^ "Pouring rains delay PGA tourney one day". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. June 21, 1952. p. 6.
  8. ^ "Turnesa, Harbert gain finals in '110' heat". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. June 25, 1952. p. 2–part 2.
  9. ^ Bartlett, Charles (June 18, 1952). "Open P.G.A. meet today; Boros guest". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
  10. ^ Bartlett, Charles (June 19, 1952). "Boros leaves P.G.A. tourney". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 4.
  11. ^ "Unknown leads qualifiers in PGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 19, 1952. p. 15.
  12. ^ "Boros out of PGA meet, Harmon fires sparking 68". Palm Beach Post. United Press. June 19, 1952. p. 14.
  13. ^ "Dutch Harrison's 136 captures PGA medal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 20, 1952. p. 23.