1956 PGA Championship Winner and Scores
Winner: Jack Burke Jr. (def. Ted Kroll in championship match)
Semifinalists: Burke, Kroll, Ed Furgol, William Johnston (match scores below)
Where it was played: Blue Hill Golf and Country Club in Massachusetts
Tournament dates: July 20-25, 1956
What Happened in the 1956 PGA Championship
Jack Burke Jr. capped a great year by winning the 1956 PGA Championship, his second major of the season. Burke earlier won the 1956 Masters and, not surprisingly, earned Player of the Year honors for his season. It was just the second time any golfer won both The Masters and PGA Championship in the same year. (The first to do so was Sam Snead in 1949.)In the 36-hole championship match, Burke downed Ted Kroll, 3 and 2, but not without a struggle. Kroll led, 1-up, after the 19th hole, but Burke then won five of the next seven holes to grab hold of the match.
Defending champion Doug Ford was involved in an unusual incident in his second-round match against Mike Dietz. Ford, 1-up at the time, played his third shot into the 15th green. Dietz was laying one in the fairway. But before hitting his approach shot, Dietz yelled ahead to the spectators around the green, asking them how close Ford was to the hole. Dietz won the hole with a par, but Ford protested, saying Dietz violated the rules regarding asking for advice. A rules official agreed and awarded the hole to Ford.
Now 2-up with three to play, Ford proceeded to blow his lead, but eventually beat Dietz on the 23rd hole. Ford lost in the third round, however, to Walter Burkemo.
To reach the finals, Burke defeated Leon Pounders, Bill Collins, Fred Haas Jr., Chandler Harper, Fred Hawkins and Ed Furgol; while Kroll beat Roger Peacock, George Keyes, Michael Rooney, Jim Turnesa, Sam Snead and William Johnston. There was a matchup of legends in the fourth round when Snead beat Gene Sarazen, 5 and 4.
Burke essentially retired following the 1956 season, playing only a handful of events a year afterward. He was only 33 years old at the time of his win at the 1956 PGA Championship, and ended his career with 16 PGA Tour wins and two majors. Kroll was an 8-time winner on the PGA Tour but never claimed a major.
Late-Round Match Scores in 1956 PGA Championship
Round of 16 (18 holes)Jack Burke Jr. def. Chandler Harper, 3 and 2
Fred Hawkins def. Lionel Hebert, 4 and 2
Jimmy Johnson def. Toby Lyons, 1-up (19 holes)
Ed Furgol def. Robert Kay, 4 and 3
William Johnston def. Walter Burkemo, 5 and 3
Henry Ransom def. Lew Worsham, 2-up
Sam Snead def. Gene Sarazen, 5 and 4
Ted Kroll def. Jim Turnesa, 1-up
Quarterfinals (36 holes)
Jack Burke Jr. def. Fred Hawkins, 4 and 2
Ed Furgol def. Jimmy Johnson, 1-up
William Johnston def. Henry Ransom, 3 and 2
Ted Kroll def. Sam Snead, 2 and 1
Semifinals (36 holes)
Jack Burke Jr. def. Ed Furgol, 1-up (37 holes)
Ted Kroll def. William Johnston, 10 and 8
Championship Match (36 holes)
Jack Burke Jr. def. Ted Kroll, 3 and 2
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