1922 PGA Championship Winner and Scores
Winner: Gene Sarazen (def. Emmet French in championship match)
Semifinalists: Gene Sarazen def. Bobby Cruickshank; Emmet French def. Johnny Golden (all match scores below)
Where it was played: Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Tournament dates: Aug. 14-18, 1922
What Happened at the 1922 PGA Championship
Gene Sarazen was 20 years old in 1922 when he burst onto the national golf scene with his first victories in PGA Tour events. The first of those was the Southern Open. Then Sarazen won the 1922 U.S. Open. And then he added this one. Sarazen was 20 years, 5 months and 22 days old when he defeated Emmet French in the final to win the 1922 PGA Championship. Given that the PGA Championship had only been played four times previously, it's not surprising that Sarazen became the youngest PGA champion.But today Sarazen remains the recordholder as youngest-ever winner of the PGA Championship.
Sarazen also became the fourth-youngest winner of a major at the 1922 PGA Championship. Only Young Tom Morris (17 years, 5 months at 1868 British Open), Johnny McDermott (19 years, 9 months at 1911 U.S. Open) and Francis Ouimet (20 years, 4 months at the 1913 U.S. Open) won majors at a younger age than Sarazen. And those four still today rank as the youngest major champions.
Sarazen reached the 1922 PGA Championship final by beating Tom Mahan, Willie Ogg, Frank Sprogell, Jock Hutchinson and Bobby Cruickshank. French's road to the final went through George Gordon, Mike Brady, R.S. Miner, Emil Loeffler and Johnny Golden. (Loeffler, by the way, beat his brother Walter in the first round. A third Loeffler brother, Archie, also fell in the first round.)
This tournament was in its infancy, and the modern concept of "major championships" had not yet emerged. That helps explain why the defending champion, Walter Hagen, did not return to defend his title. Hagen had better offers — he was busy playing exhibition matches that paid a lot more money.
The championship match was square through the morning 18, and remained so through the 26th hole. But Sarazen then reeled off three consecutive wins on holes 27, 28 and 29. Sarazen closed it out on the 33rd hole to win, 4 and 3. And when he won, Sarazen became the first golfer to win the U.S. Open and PGA Championship titles in the same year.
This tournament was also the occasion of Oakmont Country Club's emergence as a major championship venue. Three years earlier Oakmont hosted the U.S. Amateur Championship, but this PGA was the first time a professional major was played at Oakmont.
Match Scores at the 1922 PGA Championship
First Round (18 holes)Fred Brand def. Charles Clark, default
Francis Gallett def. Wilfred Reid, 6 and 4
Al Watrous def. George Sargent, 1-up
Bobby Cruickshank def. George Underwood, 7 and 6
Peter Walsh def. Dave McKay, 2 and 1
Jack Burgess def. A.J. Chapman, 4 and 3
Tom Boyd def. John Edmundson, 5 and 4
Charles Rowe def. William Robinson, 1-up
Frank Sprogell def. Willie Hunter, 3 and 1
Don Kenny def. Earl Rowly, 2-up
Gene Sarazen def. Tom Mahan, 3 and 2
Willie Ogg def. Clarence Hackney, 2-up
Dan Goss def. Nelson Zimmerman, 6 and 5
Jock Hutchison def. Louis Goldbeck, 6 and 5
Charles Hoffner def. Larry Nabholtz, 3 and 1
Harry Hampton def. Jack Gordon, 3 and 2
Tom Kerrigan def. Archie Loeffler, 5 and 4
Charles Hilgendorf def. George Dernback, 5 and 4
Johnny Farrell def. Jack Campbell, 6 and 5
Jim Barnes def. George McLean, 2 and 1
Johnny Golden def. Frank Coltart, 4 and 3
P.J. Gaudin def. T.K. Minley, 3 and 2
Al Ciuci def. Carl Giehler, 2-up
George Stark def. John Rogers, 1-up (20 holes)
Emil Loeffler def. Walter Loeffler, 4 and 3
Dave Robertson def. Tom McNamara, 3 and 2
Matt Duffy def. Laurie Ayton Sr., default
Eddie Towns. def. Tom Harmon Jr., default
Fred Baroni def. John Rowe, 4 and 3
R.S. Minor def. Jim Carberry, default
Emmet French def. George Gordon, 4 and 2
Mike Brady def. Gil Nichols, 1-up
Second Round (18 holes)
Francis Gallett def. Fred Brand, 5 and 4
Bobby Cruickshank def. Al Watrous, 3 and 2
Jack Burgess def. Peter Walsh, 3 and 2
Charles Rowe def. Tom Boyd, 3 and 1
Frank Sprogell def. Dan Kenny, 2-up
Gene Sarazen def. Willie Ogg, 2 and 1
Jock Hutchison def. Dan Goss, 6 and 4
Harry Hampton def. Charles Hoffner, 3 and 2
Tom Kerrigan def. Charles Hilgendorf, 5 and 4
Johnny Farrell def. Jim Barnes, 1-up
Johnny Golden def. P.J. Gaudin, 8 and 7
Al Ciuci def. George Stark, 4 and 2
Emil Loeffler def. Dave Robertson, 4 and 3
Eddie Towns def. Matt Duffy, 1-up
R.S. Minor def. Fred Baroni, 1-up (19 holes)
Emmet French def. Mike Brady, 7 and 6
Third Round (36 holes)
Bobby Cruickshank def. Francis Gallet, 7 and 6
Charles Rowe def. Jack Burgess, 6 and 5
Gene Sarazen def. Frank Sprogell, 9 and 7
Jock Hutchison def. Harry Hampton, 4 and 3
Tom Kerrigan def. Johnny Farrell, 4 and 3
Johnny Golden def. Al Ciuci, 3 and 2
Emil Loeffler def. Eddie Towns, 2 and 1
Emmet French def. R.S. Minor, 8 and 7
Quarterfinals (36 holes)
Bobby Cruickshank def. Chas Rowe, 3 and 2
Gene Sarazen def. Jock Hutchinson, 3 and 1
Johnny Golden def. Tom Kerrigan, 4 and 3
Emmet French def. Emil Loeffler, 4 and 2
Semifinals (36 holes)
Gene Sarazen def. Bobby Cruickshank, 3 and 2
Emmet French def. Johnny Golden, 8 and 7
Championship Match (36 holes)
Gene Sarazen def. Emmet French, 4 and 3
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