1938 PGA Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 10–16, 1938 |
| Location |
Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Course(s) | Shawnee Country Club |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Match play - 6 rounds |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72[1] |
| Length | 6,656 yards (6,086 m) |
| Field |
107 players,[1] 64 to match play |
| Cut | 151 (+7), playoff |
| Prize fund | $10,000[2] |
| Champion | |
 Paul Runyan | |
| def. Sam Snead, 8 & 7 | |
The 1938 PGA Championship was the 21st PGA Championship, held July 10–16 at Shawnee Country Club in Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania. Then a match play championship, Paul Runyan won his second PGA Championship, defeating the favored Sam Snead 8 & 7. Nicknamed "Little Poison," Runyan was one of the shorter hitters on tour, while Snead was one of the longest. Runyan was five holes up after the morning round, then needed just eleven holes to finish off Snead, the largest victory margin ever in the match play finals of the PGA Championship.[3] He won the title four years earlier in 1934.
Two-time defending champion Denny Shute lost in the third round to semifinalist Jimmy Hines.
The course is on an island in the Delaware River, east of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
Format
The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1938 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[2]
- Sunday and Monday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
- defending champion and top 63 professionals advanced to match play
- Tuesday – first two rounds, 18 holes each
- Wednesday – third round – 36 holes
- Thursday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
- Friday – semifinals – 36 holes
- Saturday – final – 36 holes
Past champions in the field
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | Record | Advanced to | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Runyan | United States | 1934 | 6–0 | Champion | 1 |
| Gene Sarazen | United States | 1922, 1923, 1933 | 3–1 | Quarterfinals | T5 |
| Denny Shute | United States | 1936, 1937 | 2–1 | Third round | T9 |
| Leo Diegel | United States | 1928, 1929 | 1–1 | Second round | T17 |
| Johnny Revolta | United States | 1935 | 1–1 | Second round | T17 |
Final results
Saturday, July 16, 1938
Final eight bracket
| Quarter-finals July 14 |
Semi-finals July 15 |
Finals July 16 | |||||||||||
| Paul Runyan | 4&3 | ||||||||||||
| Horton Smith | |||||||||||||
| Paul Runyan | 4&3 | ||||||||||||
| Henry Picard | |||||||||||||
| Henry Picard | 3&2 | ||||||||||||
| Gene Sarazen | |||||||||||||
| Paul Runyan | 8&7 | ||||||||||||
| Sam Snead | |||||||||||||
| Sam Snead | 8&7 | ||||||||||||
| Jim Foulis | |||||||||||||
| Sam Snead | 1up | ||||||||||||
| Jimmy Hines | |||||||||||||
| Jimmy Hines | 2&1 | ||||||||||||
| Byron Nelson | |||||||||||||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Frank Moore wins qualifying medal". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. July 12, 1938. p. 13. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Tournament Info for: 1938 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- ↑ McLemore, Henry (July 17, 1938). "Runyan trounces Snead 8-7, for P.G.A. title". Miami News. United Press. p. 1C. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
External links
- PGA Media Guide 2012
- About.com – 1938 PGA Championship
- PGA.com – 1938 PGA Championship
Coordinates: 41°00′18″N 75°06′54″W / 41.005°N 75.115°W