1951 Pga Championship

Sam Snead won the match play championship, 7 and 6, over Walter Burkemo in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $3,500, and the runner-up's was $1,500.

1951 PGA Championship

Tournament information
Dates	June 27 – July 3, 1951
Location	Oakmont, Pennsylvania, U.S. 40°31′34″N 79°49′37″W / 40.526°N 79.827°W / 40.526; -79.827
Course(s)	Oakmont Country Club
Organized by	PGA of America
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Match play - 6 rounds
Statistics
Par	72
Length	6,882 yards (6,293 m)
Field	140 players, 64 to match play
Cut	154 (+10), playoff
Prize fund	$17,700
Winner's share	$3,500
Champion
Sam Snead
def. Walter Burkemo, 7 and 6
Location map
Oakmont CC Location in the United States Show map of the United States Oakmont CC Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania
← 1950 1952 →

It marked the first time the PGA Championship returned to a venue; Oakmont had hosted in 1922 (at the time, it had also hosted two U.S. Opens and three U.S. Amateurs). It was Snead's third and final win in the PGA Championship and the fifth of his seven major titles. At age 39, he was the oldest at the time to win the PGA Championship, passing his old record of two years earlier. Burkemo won the title in 1953 and was runner-up again in 1954.

Defending champion Chandler Harper lost in the first round to Jim Turnesa in a match that went to 23 holes. Turnesa, the runner-up to Snead in 1942, won the title the following year in 1952 and displaced Snead as the oldest champion by a few months.

Snead's win was the last by a former champion for twenty years until Jack Nicklaus won his second PGA Championship in 1971.

Claude Harmon, Lloyd Mangrum, and Pete Cooper tied for the lowest score in the stroke play qualifier at 142 (−2). Harmon won the $250 medalist prize on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff.

The British Open in 1951 was held in the first week of July in Northern Ireland. Its mandatory two-day qualifier was held on the same days as the PGA's semifinals and finals, which prevented participation in both events.

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1951 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:

• Wednesday and Thursday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
  • defending champion Chandler Harper and 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

Source:

Morning

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	5	4	4	5	4	3	4	3	5	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	4
Snead	3	4	4	4	3	3	4	4	5	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	5
Burkemo	4	5	4	5	6	4	4	4	5	4	3	5	4	3	4	4	3	4
Leader	S1	S2	S2	S3	S4	S5	S5	S5	S5	S5	S4	S4	S5	S4	S4	S5	S4	S3

Afternoon

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	5	4	4	5	4	3	4	3	5	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	4
Snead	4	3	4	5	4	3	4	3	5	4	4	5	Snead wins 7 and 6
Burkemo	5	4	5	4	4	3	5	4	4	5	4	5
Leader	S4	S5	S6	S5	S5	S5	S6	S7	S6	S7	S7	S7

Eagle

Birdie

Bogey

Double bogey

Source: