1953 PGA Championship

1953 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJuly 1–7, 1953
LocationBirmingham, Michigan, U.S.
Course(s)Birmingham Country Club
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatMatch play - 6 rounds
Statistics
Par71
Length6,465 yards (5,912 m)[1]
Field123 players,
64 to match play
Cut148 (+6), playoff[3]
Prize fund$20,700[2]
Winner's share$5,000
Champion
United States Walter Burkemo
def. Felice Torza, 2 and 1
← 1952
1954 →
Birmingham  Country Club is located in the United States
Birmingham  Country Club
Birmingham 
Country Club
Birmingham  Country Club is located in Michigan
Birmingham  Country Club
Birmingham 
Country Club

The 1953 PGA Championship was the 35th PGA Championship, held July 1–7 at Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Local resident Walter Burkemo won the match play championship, 2 and 1 over Felice Torza in the Tuesday final.[4] The winner's share was $5,000 and the runner-up's was $3,000.[1] Burkemo won his only major title in the second of his three finals; he lost to Sam Snead in 1951 and Chick Harbert in 1954.

Johnny Palmer was the medalist of the stroke play qualifier, awarded $250 for his 134 (−8), with a second round at 66.[5][6] He lost in the first round to Jack Grout; also defeated on "Black Friday" were pre-tournament favorites Cary Middlecoff, three-time champion Sam Snead, and defending champion Jim Turnesa.[7] No former past champion advanced past the second round.

Burkemo's win marked the second time that all four major championships were won by Americans in a calendar year.

  1. ^ a b "Burkemo wins PGA title, 2–1". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. July 8, 1953. p. 3-part 2.
  2. ^ "Tournament Info for: 1953 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  3. ^ "PGA qualifying scores". Youngstown Vindicator. Associated Press. July 3, 1953. p. 9.
  4. ^ Cromie, Robert (July 8, 1953). "Burkemo captures P.G.A title". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 4.
  5. ^ "Palmer ties PGA mark". Toledo Blade. Associated Press. July 3, 1953. p. 10.
  6. ^ ""Tornado" Palmer grags PGA medal". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. July 3, 1953. p. 10.
  7. ^ Grimsley, Will (July 4, 1953). "Snead, Middlecoff, defending champion Turnesa beaten in PGA Tourney". Youngstown Vindicator. Associated Press. p. 7.