1953 PGA Championship

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1953 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:

• Wednesday and Thursday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
  • defending champion Jim Turnesa and top 63 professionals advanced to match play
• Friday – first two rounds, 18 holes each
• Saturday – third round – 36 holes
• Sunday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
• Monday – semifinals – 36 holes
• Tuesday – final – 36 holes

Final results

Tuesday, July 7, 1953

Source:--

Final eight bracket

July 5 July 6 July 7

| score-width= 35px | team-width= 100px

| RD1-team1= Walter Burkemo | RD1-score1= 2up | RD1-team2= Dave Douglas | RD1-score2=

| RD1-team3= Claude Harmon | RD1-score3= 6&5 | RD1-team4= Bill Nary | RD1-score4=

| RD1-team5= Felice Torza | RD1-score5= 1up | RD1-team6= Jimmy Clark | RD1-score6=

| RD1-team7= Jack Isaacs | RD1-score7= 1up | RD1-team8= Henry Ransom | RD1-score8=

| RD2-team1= Walter Burkemo | RD2-score1= 1up | RD2-team2= Claude Harmon | RD2-score2=

| RD2-team3= Felice Torza | RD2-score3= 39h | RD2-team4= Jack Isaacs | RD2-score4=

| RD3-team1= Walter Burkemo | RD3-score1= 2&1 | RD3-team2= Felice Torza | RD3-score2= Sources:

Final match scorecards

Morning

Afternoon

Source:

Conflict with British Open

The Open Championship in Carnoustie, Scotland, was held July 8–10. Its mandatory 36-hole qualifier was played the two days before the first round, the same days as the semifinals and final at the PGA Championship in Michigan.

Ben Hogan, the reigning Masters and U.S. Open champion, traveled to Britain for the only time to qualify for the Open. He won the Claret Jug by four strokes and set the course record at Carnoustie during the final round. First prize was a modest £500 ($1,400), less than one-third of the PGA's. Hogan won the PGA Championship in 1946 and 1948, then did not enter for over a decade. After his near-fatal automobile accident in early 1949, his battered legs could not endure the arduous double-round schedule for five consecutive days. He played in three of the events in the 1960s, after the change of format to stroke play.

The concept of the modern grand slam and professional major championships were not firmly established in 1953, as evidenced by the schedule conflict in early July. The PGA Championship moved two weeks later in 1954 to avoid this conflict, but during the 1960s, the two majors were played in consecutive weeks in July on five occasions. The PGA Championship was first played in August in 1965, and moved permanently in 1969, except for 1971 when it was played in Florida in February.

References

References

1. (July 8, 1953). "Burkemo wins PGA title, 2–1". Milwaukee Sentinel.
2. (July 3, 1953). "PGA qualifying scores". Youngstown Vindicator.
3. "Tournament Info for: 1953 PGA Championship". PGA.com.
4. Cromie, Robert. (July 8, 1953). "Burkemo captures P.G.A title". Chicago Daily Tribune.
5. (July 3, 1953). "Palmer ties PGA mark". Toledo Blade.
6. (July 3, 1953). ""Tornado" Palmer grags PGA medal". Spokesman-Review.
7. Grimsley, Will. (July 4, 1953). "Snead, Middlecoff, defending champion Turnesa beaten in PGA Tourney". Youngstown Vindicator.
8. (July 6, 1953). "Torza, Burkemo, Harmon, Isaacs in U.S.P.G.A. Seni-finals". Montreal Gazette.
9. (July 7, 1953). "Burkemo, Torza Win Way Into P.G.A. Final Round". Montreal Gazette.
10. (July 8, 1953). "Burkemo wins P.G.A. - Locke paces British qualifiers". Montreal Gazette.