1926 PGA Championship Winner and Scores
Winner: Walter Hagen (def. Leo Diegel in championship match)
Semifinalists: Hagen, Diegel, Johnny Farrell, Johnny Golden
Where it was played: Salisbury Golf Club in East Meadow, New York
Tournament dates: Sept. 20-25, 1926
What Happened in the 1926 PGA Championship
Walter Hagen claimed his third consecutive crown in this tournament, and his fourth win overall in the event, at the 1926 PGA Championship. Hagen was the first — and he remains the only — back-to-back-to-back winner of this major. It was Hagen's eighth win in tournaments now recognized as major championships.In the championship match, Hagen defeated Leo Diegel, 4 and 3. Diegel later won back-to-back PGA titles in 1928-29, and eliminated Hagen in both those years.
Hagen reached the final with wins over Joe Turnesa (who Hagen would beat in the title match one year later, and who a month earlier finished second in the 1926 U.S. Open), Dick Grout, Pat Doyle and Johnny Farrell. Diegel's route to the final went through Mike Patton, Neal McIntyre, Abe Espinosa and Johnny Golden.
Hagen led Diegel 2-up after the morning 18 of the championship match. But Diegel quickly found himself in trouble in the afternoon 18. On the 19th hole, Diegel flew the green, his ball bounding onto a road and coming to rest under a parked car. The PGA of America's tournament history notes that "when the owner moved the car, Diegel's ball was in a deep rut. It took him three swipes to get it on the green and he lost the hole to go 3-down."
Diegel put up a fight after that, but Hagen closed it out when Diegel double-bogeyed the 33rd hole.
One of the best matches, in terms of the golfers' resumés, happened in the first round. In a match pitting two 2-time PGA Championship winners, Gene Sarazen beat Jim Barnes. But Sarazen was knocked out in the Round of 16 by Golden.
Late-Round Match Scores in 1926 PGA Championship
Round of 16 (36 holes)Pat Doyle def. Marshall Crichton, 3 and 2
Walter Hagen def. Dick Grout, 7 and 6
Johnny Farrell def. Dick Linnars, 6 and 5
Harry Hampton def. Tom Harmon Jr., 6 and 5
Abe Espinosa def. Mike Brady, 1-up
Leo Diegel def. Neal McIntyre, 6 and 5
Johnny Golden def. Gene Sarazen, 4 and 3
George Christ def. Bill Leach, 1-up (38 holes)
Quarterfinals (36 holes)
Walter Hagen def. Pat Doyle, 6 and 5
Johnny Farrell def. Harry Hampton, 3 and 1
Leo Diegel def. Abe Espinosa, 3 and 2
Johnny Golden def. George Crist, 7 and 6
Semifinals (36 holes)
Walter Hagen def. Johnny Farrell, 6 and 5
Leo Diegel def. Johnny Golden, 1-up
Championship Match (36 holes)
Walter Hagen def. Leo Diegel, 4 and 3
