1966 PGA Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 21–24, 1966 |
| Location | Akron, Ohio |
| Course(s) |
Firestone Country Club South Course |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 7,180 yards (6,565 m) |
| Field | 162 players, 76 after cut |
| Cut | 151 (+11) |
| Prize fund | $149,360[1] |
| Winner's share | $25,000 |
| Champion | |
 Al Geiberger | |
| 280 (Even) | |
|
«1965 1967» | |
The 1966 PGA Championship was the 48th PGA Championship, played July 21–24 at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Al Geiberger won his only major championship, four strokes ahead of runner-up Dudley Wysong.[2][3]
Sam Snead, age 54, was co-leader and leader after the first two days, but shot 75 in the third round on Saturday. Geiberger carded a two-under 68 to lead by four strokes over Wysong, who shot a 66.[4] Both shot two-over 72 on Sunday as both bogeyed the first two holes. The lead shrunk to two as Wysong birdied the third while Geiberger bogeyed the fourth, but then birdied the fifth and ninth holes to regain the four-stroke advantage.[5]
The 1966 championship was originally scheduled to be held at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley, Colorado, a suburb of south of Denver. A flash flood of the adjacent South Platte River in June 1965 caused significant damage to the course and forced a postponement. Firestone was scheduled to host in 1967, so the venues swapped years.[6]
This was the second of three PGA Championships at the South Course, which previously hosted in 1960 and later in 1975. It is the current venue for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which began in 1976 as the "World Series of Golf" on the PGA Tour.
Past champions in the field
Made the cut
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Player |  South Africa | 1962 | 73 | 70 | 70 | 73 | 286 | +6 | T3 |
| Sam Snead | United States | 1942, 1949, 1951 | 68 | 71 | 75 | 73 | 287 | +7 | T6 |
| Dow Finsterwald | United States | 1958 | 74 | 70 | 73 | 72 | 289 | +9 | T12 |
| Jay Hebert | United States | 1960 | 75 | 73 | 70 | 71 | 289 | +9 | T12 |
| Dave Marr | United States | 1965 | 75 | 75 | 68 | 73 | 291 | +11 | T18 |
| Jack Nicklaus | United States | 1963 | 75 | 71 | 75 | 71 | 292 | +12 | T22 |
| Bob Rosburg | United States | 1959 | 73 | 76 | 69 | 79 | 297 | +17 | T43 |
| Jim Ferrier |  Australia | 1947 | 71 | 79 | 76 | 72 | 298 | +18 | T49 |
| Lionel Hebert | United States | 1957 | 75 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 301 | +21 | T64 |
| Jack Burke, Jr. | United States | 1956 | 75 | 76 | 79 | 72 | 302 | +22 | T66 |
| Jerry Barber | United States | 1961 | 73 | 78 | 84 | WD |
Missed the cut
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chick Harbert | United States | 1954 | 75 | 77 | 152 | +12 |
| Walter Burkemo | United States | 1953 | 74 | 79 | 153 | +13 |
| Doug Ford | United States | 1955 | 76 | 77 | 153 | +13 |
| Jim Turnesa | United States | 1952 | 80 | 73 | 153 | +13 |
| Denny Shute | United States | 1936, 1937 | 77 | 80 | 157 | +17 |
| Bobby Nichols | United States | 1964 | 81 | 78 | 159 | +19 |
| Vic Ghezzi | United States | 1941 | 74 | WD |
Source:[1]
Final leaderboard
Sunday, July 24, 1966
| Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Geiberger | United States | 68-72-68-72=280 | E | 25,000 |
| 2 | Dudley Wysong | United States | 74-72-66-72=284 | +4 | 15,000 |
| T3 | Billy Casper | United States | 73-73-70-70=286 | +6 | 8,334 |
| Gene Littler | United States | 75-71-71-69=286 | |||
| Gary Player | South Africa | 73-70-70-73=286 | |||
| T6 | Julius Boros | United States | 69-72-75-71=287 | +7 | 5,000 |
| Jacky Cupit | United States | 70-73-73-71=287 | |||
| Arnold Palmer | United States | 75-73-71-68=287 | |||
| Doug Sanders | United States | 69-74-73-71=287 | |||
| Sam Snead | United States | 68-71-75-73=287 |
Source:[3]
Lema and wife killed
Hours after the championship's conclusion on Sunday, Tony Lema and his wife Betty were among four fatalities in a chartered private plane crash near the Indiana-Illinois border. Lema, age 32, had finished tied for 34th and was heading west to a Monday tournament in the Chicago area. Both pilots of the twin-engine Beechcraft Bonanza were also killed as they attempted an emergency landing on a Lansing, Illinois golf course, near the destination airport.[7][8][9][10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Tournament Info for: 1966 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
- ↑ Jenkins, Dan (August 1, 1966). "A Happy Stroll For Golf's Smiling Gei". Sports Illustrated: 16. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mooshil, Joe (July 25, 1966). "Geiberger's Par-Matching 280 Captures PGA Title at Akron Firestone". Youngstown Vindicator (Youngstown, Ohio). Associated Press. p. 20. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Geiberger grabs lead from Sam". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. July 24, 1966. p. 1B.
- ↑ "Lema's death shocks golf world, we were like brothers, says Ken". Eugene Register-Guard. wire services. July 25, 1966. p. 2B.
- ↑ Wright, Alfred (July 31, 1967). "Two Dons In Quest Of A Title". Sports Illustrated: 18. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Lema Plane Crash Probed". Milwaukee Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). United Press International. July 26, 1966. p. 2, part2. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Lema Crash Probed by Aviation Group". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). Associated Press. July 26, 1966. p. 19. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
- ↑ Fimrite, Ron (July 31, 1995). "The Toast Of Golf". Sports Illustrated: G14. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
- ↑ "Muncie, Ind., crash probed". Eugene Register-Guard. July 26, 1966. p. 3B.
External links
- PGA Media Guide 2012
- About.com: 1966 PGA Championship
- PGA.com – 1966 PGA Championship
| Preceded by 1966 Open Championship |
Major Championships | Succeeded by 1967 Masters |