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1955 PGA Championship

Golf competition in 1955


Golf competition in 1955

FieldValue
name1955 PGA Championship
locationNorthville Twp, Michigan
courseMeadowbrook Country Club
datesJuly 20–26, 1955
par71
yardage6701 yd
orgPGA of America
tourPGA Tour
field135 players,
64 to match play
cut147 (+5), playoff
formatMatch play - 6 rounds
purse$20,700
winners_share$5,000
championUSA Doug Ford
scoredef. Cary Middlecoff, 4 and 3
previous[1954](1954-pga-championship)
next[1956](1956-pga-championship)

64 to match play |}} |USA Country Club |USA Michigan Country Club The 1955 PGA Championship was the 37th PGA Championship, held July 20–26 in Michigan at Meadowbrook Country Club in Northville Township, northwest of nearby Detroit. Doug Ford won the match play championship, 4 and 3 over Cary Middlecoff in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $5,000 and the runner-up earned $3,000. This was the first of two major titles for Ford, who won the Masters in 1957.

Ford was also the medalist in the stroke-play qualifying with a 135 (−7), worth $250 and the Alex Smith trophy. He was the fourth to win the final match after winning the qualifier, joining Walter Hagen (1926), Olin Dutra (1932), and Byron Nelson (1945). Ford was the last medalist, as the format was changed in 1956 to seven rounds without a qualifier for two years, then to 72-hole stroke play in 1958.

Defending champion Chick Harbert, a local resident, was defeated in the second round by Johnny Palmer, 1 up. No former champion advanced past the second round.

This was second time in three years the PGA Championship was played near Detroit; the 1953 event was played at Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, about 20 mi northeast. The 1947 edition, in which Harbert was runner-up, was also held in the Detroit area.

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1955 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:

  • Wednesday and Thursday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
    • defending champion Chick Harbert and the 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 26, 1955

PlacePlayerMoney ($)
1USA **Doug Ford**5,000
2USA Cary Middlecoff3,000
T3USA Tommy Bolt750
USA Shelley Mayfield
T5USA Jack Burke Jr.500
USA Don Fairfield
USA Fred Hawkins
USA Lew Worsham

Source:--

Results

Top half

|team-width=140 July 22|RD2 = Last 32 July 22| RD3 = Last 16 July 23 July 24|RD5 = Semi-finals July 25 || Brien Charter | 2&1 | Jimmy Johnson | || Jerry Barber | | Lionel Hebert | 2&1 || Don Fairfield | 3&1 | Walter Romans | || Pete Cooper | | Vic Ghezzi | 4&3 || Gene Sarazen | 6&4 | Clarence Doser | || Shelley Mayfield | 6&5 | Ted Neist | || Claude Harmon | 5&4 | Mike Turnesa | || Errie Ball | | Eldon Briggs | 1up || Gus Salerno | 2&1 | Gunnard Johnson | || Ed Furgol | 20h | Jimmy Gauntt | || Fred Hawkins | 3&2 | Eddie Joseph | || Skee Riegel | | Fred Haas | 3&2 || Mike Dietz | | Leonard Wagner | 1up || Wally Ulrich | 19h | Dutch Harrison | || Ted Kroll | 3&2 | Buck White | || Doug Ford | 2&1 | George Fazio | || Brien Charter | 1up | Lionel Hebert | || Don Fairfield | 23h | Vic Ghezzi | || Gene Sarazen | | Shelley Mayfield | 4&3 || Claude Harmon | 2&1 | Eldon Briggs | || Gus Salerno | | Ed Furgol | 20h || Fred Hawkins | 2up | Fred Haas | || Leonard Wagner | | Wally Ulrich | 2up || Ted Kroll | | Doug Ford | 2&1 || Brien Charter | | Don Fairfield | 2&1 || Shelley Mayfield | 1up | Claude Harmon | || Ed Furgol | | Fred Hawkins | 6&5 || Wally Ulrich | | Doug Ford | 12&10 || Don Fairfield | | Shelley Mayfield | 3&2 || Fred Hawkins | | Doug Ford | 5&4 || Shelley Mayfield | | Doug Ford | 4&3

Bottom half

|team-width=140 July 22|RD2 = Last 32 July 22| RD3 = Last 16 July 23 July 24|RD5 = Semi-finals July 25 || Chick Harbert | 3&1 | Eric Monti | || Johnny Palmer | 5&4 | Roy Wallin | || Lew Worsham | 2&1 | Dick Lundahl | || Jackson Bradley | | Ray Hill | 2&1 || Sam Snead | 2&1 | Al Feminelli | || Tommy Bolt | w/o | Al Watrous | || Jack Fleck | 4&2 | Joe Zarhardt | || Jay Hebert | 4&3 | Alex Redl | || Cary Middlecoff | 2&1 | Walter Burkemo | || Bill Nary | 2&1 | Darwin White | || Ed Oliver | | Jim Browning | 3&2 || Mike Pavella | 3&2 | Bob Kay | || Marty Furgol | 3&2 | Jack Igoe | || Tony Holguin | 1up | Joe Greer | || Jack Burke Jr. | 4&2 | Guy Paulsen | || Dave Douglas | 4&3 | Herman Scharlau | || Chick Harbert | | Johnny Palmer | 1up || Lew Worsham | 2&1 | Ray Hill | || Sam Snead | | Tommy Bolt | 3&2 || Jack Fleck | 2&1 | Jay Hebert | || Cary Middlecoff | 3&2 | Bill Nary | || Jim Browning | | Mike Pavella | 4&3 || Marty Furgol | 1up | Tony Holguin | || Jack Burke Jr. | 8&6 | Dave Douglas | || Johnny Palmer | | Lew Worsham | 6&5 || Tommy Bolt | 3&1 | Jack Fleck | || Cary Middlecoff | 8&6 | Mike Pavella | || Marty Furgol | | Jack Burke Jr. | 2&1 || Lew Worsham | | Tommy Bolt | 8&7 || Cary Middlecoff | 40h | Jack Burke Jr. | || Tommy Bolt | | Cary Middlecoff | 4&3 w/o = won by walkover

Source:

Final

July 26, Morning

Hole123456789101112131415161718
Par454443434435344454
USA Ford454442434434245444
USA Middlecoff354443333435334454
LeaderM1M1M1M1M1M1M1M2M2M2M1M1M2M2M1M1

Afternoon

Hole123456789101112131415161718
Par454443434435344454
USA Ford454443424424434Ford wins
4 and 3
USA Middlecoff544543444445345
LeaderM1M1F1F1F1F2F3F2F3F4

Source:

References

References

  1. (July 21, 1955). "Snead putts well, posts 66 to lead PGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  2. (July 20, 1955). "National PGA tourney opens". Eugene Register-Guard.
  3. "Tournament Info for: 1955 PGA Championship". PGA.com.
  4. (July 27, 1955). "Doug Ford wins PGA title in his first try". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  5. Bartlett, Charles. (July 27, 1955). "P.G.A. title won 4 and 3 by Doug Ford". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  6. Wind, Herbert Warren. (August 15, 1955). "In the PGA, Doug Ford, the summer's hottest golfer, proved speed and hunger are a winning combination".
  7. Bartlett, Charles. (July 22, 1955). "P.G.A. medal won with 135 by Doug Ford". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  8. (July 22, 1955). "Doug Ford shoots 135 to win PGA medal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  9. "2012 PGA Championship Media Guide". [[PGA of America]].
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