Tournament information | |
---|---|
Dates | July 17–20, 1958 |
Location | Havertown, Pennsylvania |
Course(s) | Llanerch Country Club |
Organized by | PGA of America |
Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
Format | Stroke play |
Statistics | |
Par | 70 |
Length | 6,710 yards (6,136 m) |
Field | 161 players 93 after first cut 64 after second cut |
Cut | 154 (+14) (first cut) 228 (+18) (second cut)[2] |
Prize fund | $39,388[1] |
Winner's share | $5,500 |
Champion | |
Dow Finsterwald | |
276 (−4) | |
The 1958 PGA Championship was the 40th PGA Championship, played July 17–20 at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia. It was the first PGA Championship held in its current stroke play format,[3] 72 holes over four days, ending on Sunday. The previous editions were at match play, with the two most recent ones at seven rounds over five days, the final two rounds at 36 holes per match. The announcement of the change was made eight months earlier in November.[4][5]
Dow Finsterwald, the runner-up in 1957, shot a final round 67 to win his only major title, two shots ahead of runner-up Billy Casper. Finsterwald's round-by-round scores were 67-72-70-67=276, 4-under-par on the par-70 course.[6] Sam Snead led after 54 holes in pursuit of a fourth title, but faded to third with a final round 73 (+3).[7] The winner's share was $5,500, down from the previous year's $8,000.
The Open Championship was held two weeks earlier in England at Royal Lytham & St Annes, with only two Americans in the field; Gene Sarazen finished 16th, but missed the first cut at the PGA Championship.