1955 PGA Championship

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1955 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJuly 20–26, 1955
LocationNorthville Twp, Michigan
Course(s)Meadowbrook Country Club
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatMatch play - 6 rounds
Statistics
Par71
Length6,701 yards (6,127 m)[1]
Field135 players,[3]
64 to match play
Cut147 (+5), playoff
Prize fund$20,700[2]
Winner's share$5,000
Champion
United States Doug Ford
def. Cary Middlecoff, 4 & 3
← 1954
1956 →
Meadowbrook Country Club is located in the United States
Meadowbrook Country Club
Meadowbrook
Country Club
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Location in the United States
Meadowbrook Country Club is located in Michigan
Meadowbrook Country Club
Meadowbrook
Country Club
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Location in Michigan

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 & 3 over Cary Middlecoff in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $5,000 and the runner-up earned $3,000.[4][5][6] 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.[7][8] 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 miles (30 km) 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:[2]

  • 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

Past champions in the field[]

Player Country Year(s) won Record Advanced to Finish
Vic Ghezzi  United States 1941 1–1 Second round T17
Chick Harbert  United States 1954 1–1 Second round T17
Gene Sarazen  United States 1922, 1923, 1933 1–1 Second round T17
Sam Snead  United States 1942, 1949, 1951 1–1 Second round T17
Walter Burkemo  United States 1953 0–1 First round T33

Failed to qualify[]

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
Denny Shute  United States 1936, 1937 75 73 148 +6
Jim Turnesa  United States 1952 75 76 151 +9
Chandler Harper  United States 1950 78 74 152 +10

Source:[8][9]

Final results[]

Tuesday, July 26, 1955

Place Player Country Money ($)
1 Doug Ford  United States 5,000
2 Cary Middlecoff  United States 3,000
T3 Tommy Bolt  United States 750
Shelley Mayfield  United States
T5 Jack Burke Jr.  United States 500
Don Fairfield  United States
Fred Hawkins  United States
Lew Worsham  United States

Final eight bracket[]

Quarter-finals
July 24 		Semi-finals
July 25 		Finals
July 26
         
Doug Ford 5&4
Fred Hawkins
Doug Ford 4&3
Shelley Mayfield
Shelley Mayfield 3&2
Don Fairfield
Doug Ford 4&3
Cary Middlecoff
Cary Middlecoff 40h
Jack Burke Jr.
Cary Middlecoff 4&3
Tommy Bolt
Tommy Bolt 8&7
Lew Worsham

Final match scorecards[]

Morning

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 4 5 4
United States Ford 4 5 4 4 4 2 4 3 4 4 3 4 2 4 5 4 4 4
United States Middlecoff 3 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 5 3 3 4 4 5 4
Leader M1 M1 M1 M1 M1 – M1 M1 M2 M2 M2 M1 – M1 M2 M2 M1 M1

Afternoon

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 4 5 4
United States Ford 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 2 4 4 2 4 4 3 4 Ford wins
4 & 3
United States Middlecoff 5 4 4 5 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 3 4 5
Leader – M1 M1 – – – – F1 F1 F1 F2 F3 F2 F3 F4

Source:[5]

References[]

  1. ^ "Snead putts well, posts 66 to lead PGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 21, 1955. p. 17.
  2. ^ a b "Tournament Info for: 1955 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Retrieved April 17, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "National PGA tourney opens". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. July 20, 1955. p. 4B.
  4. ^ "Doug Ford wins PGA title in his first try". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 27, 1955. p. 15.
  5. ^ a b Bartlett, Charles (July 27, 1955). "P.G.A. title won 4 and 3 by Doug Ford". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
  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". Sports Illustrated. p. 54.
  7. ^ Bartlett, Charles (July 22, 1955). "P.G.A. medal won with 135 by Doug Ford". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
  8. ^ a b "Doug Ford shoots 135 to win PGA medal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 22, 1955. p. 19.
  9. ^ "First round PGA scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 21, 1955. p. 17.

External links[]

Coordinates: 42°26′13″N 83°26′49″W / 42.437°N 83.447°W / 42.437; -83.447

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