1951 PGA Championship Winner and Scores
Winner: Sam Snead (def. Walter Burkemo in championship match)
Semifinalists: Snead, Burkemo, Charles Bassler, Ellsworth Vines
Where it was played: Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Tournament dates: June 27-July 3, 1951
What Happened in the 1951 PGA Championship
Sam Snead won his third PGA Championship title, and second in three years, at Oakmont Country Club. Snead beat Walter Burkemo in the championship match, 7 and 6.For Snead, it was his last victory in this tournament. It was the fifth of Snead's seven wins in major championships. Burkemo went on to win the 1953 PGA Championship, one of just two official PGA Tour wins for him. Burkemo reached the title match three of the four years from 1951-54.
Snead reached the finals by beating Fred Haas and Marty Furgol in 18-hole first- and second-round matches (although he had to go to 21 holes to dispatch Furgol); and then, in 36-hole matches, Lloyd Mangrum, Jack Burke Jr. and Charles Bassler.
Burkemo beat Toby Lyons, Chick Harbert, Dick Shoemaker, Vic Ghezzi and Ellsworth Vines en route to the final.
Vines had been one of the best tennis players in the world in the 1930s, winning the U.S. Open tennis championship in 1931 and 1932, and winning Wimbledon in 1932. Before age 30, he retired from tennis and turned to golf, playing on the PGA Tour for another decade. His semifinals appearance at the 1951 PGA Championship — officially a tie for third — was his best showing in any of the golf majors.
In an interesting earlier-round match, Jack Burke Jr. defeated Gene Sarazen, 5 and 3, in the second round. Sarazen had lost to Burke's father, Jack Burke Sr., in the 1925 PGA Championship.
Oakmont this year became the first golf course to be the site of two different PGA Championships. It had previously hosted in 1922; prior to this year, the PGA of America always put the tournament on a new venue each year.
Late-Round Match Scores in 1951 PGA Championship
Round of 16 (36 holes)Sam Snead def. Lloyd Mangrum, 3 and 2
Jack Burke Jr. def. Gene Kunes, 4 and 3
Charles Bassler def. George Balestra, 1-up (37 holes)
Al Brosch def. Jack Harden, 6 and 5
Walter Burkemo def. Dick Shoemaker, 2 and 1
Reggie Myles def. Vic Ghezzi, 1-up
Ellsworth Vines def. Jackson Bradley, 2 and 1
Johnny Bulla def. Jim Ferrier, 9 and 8
Quarterfinals (36 holes)
Sam Snead def. Jack Burke Jr., 2 and 1
Charles Bassler def. Al Brosch, 1-up
Walter Burkemo def. Vic Ghezzi, 1-up
Ellsworth Vines def. Johnny Bulla, 1-up
Semifinals (36 holes)
Sam Snead def. Charles Bassler, 9 and 8
Walter Burkemo def. Ellsworth Vines, 1-up (37 holes)
Championship Match (36 holes)
Sam Snead def. Walter Burkemo, 7 and 6
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