1945 PGA Championship

1945 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJuly 9–15, 1945
LocationKettering, Ohio
Course(s)Moraine Country Club
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatMatch play - 5 rounds
Statistics
Par72
Field143 players,[2]
32 to match play
Cut148 (+6), playoff
Prize fund$14,700[1]
Winner's share$5,000 in war bonds[3]
Champion
United States Byron Nelson
def. Sam Byrd, 4 and 3
← 1944
1946 →
Moraine CC is located in the United States
Moraine CC
Moraine CC
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Location in the United States
Moraine CC is located in Ohio
Moraine CC
Moraine CC
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Location in Ohio

The 1945 PGA Championship was the 27th PGA Championship, held July 9–15 at Moraine Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, a suburb south of Dayton. Then a match play championship, Byron Nelson won 4 and 3 in the final over Sam Byrd,[4] a former major league baseball player.[5]

It was Nelson's fifth and final major title and his second win at the PGA Championship; he also won in 1940 and was a runner-up three times (1939, 1941, 1944). The winner's share of the purse was $5,000 in war bonds.[3][4] The victory was the ninth of Nelson's record eleven consecutive wins in 1945.

Defending champion Bob Hamilton was defeated in the first round by Jack Grout, 4 and 3.

Due to World War II, the PGA Championship was the sole major played in 1945 (and 1944). The three others returned in 1946.

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1945 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[1]

  • Monday and Tuesday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day, field of 78 players;
    • defending champion Bob Hamilton and top 31 professionals advanced to match play
  • Wednesday – first round – 36 holes
  • Thursday – second round – 36 holes
  • Friday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
  • Saturday – semifinals – 36 holes
  • Sunday – final – 36 holes

Final results

Sunday, July 15, 1945

Place Player Country
1 United States Byron Nelson
2 United States Sam Byrd
T3 United States Clarence Doser
United States Claude Harmon
T5 United States Vic Ghezzi
United States Ralph Hutchison
United States Ky Laffoon
United States Denny Shute

Final eight bracket

Quarter-finals
July 13 		Semi-finals
July 14 		Finals
July 15
         
Byron Nelson 3&2
Denny Shute
Byron Nelson 5&4
Claude Harmon
Claude Harmon 4&3
Ralph Hutchison
Byron Nelson 4&3
Sam Byrd
Sam Byrd 7&6
Vic Ghezzi
Sam Byrd 7&6
Clarence Doser
Clarence Doser 2&1
Ky Laffoon

Final match scorecards

Morning

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 3 4 5 3 4 4 5 4 4 4 3 5 4 3 4 5 4
United States Nelson 3 4 3 5 3 4 3 6 4 4 3 3 5 4 3 3 5 4
United States Byrd 4 3 4 5 3 4 3 6 3 4 4 3 5 4 2 3 4 3
Leader N1 – N1 N1 N1 N1 N1 N1 – – N1 N1 N1 N1 – – B1 B2

Afternoon

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 3 4 5 3 4 4 5 4 4 4 3 5 4 3 4 5 4
United States Nelson 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 5 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 Nelson wins
4 and 3
United States Byrd 4 3 3 5 3 4 5 6 4 4 4 4 5 5 3
Leader B2 B2 B3 B2 B2 B2 B1 – – – N1 N2 N3 N4 N4

References

  1. ^ a b "Tournament Info for: 1945 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  2. ^ "Denny Shute cards sizzlind five-under-par 67, paces P.G.A. qualifying field". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. July 10, 1945. p. 10.
  3. ^ a b "Nelson defeats Byrd in PGA final". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 16, 2013. p. 16.
  4. ^ a b c Bartlett, Charles (July 16, 1945). "Nelson beats Byrd, 4 and 3, to take P.G.A. crown". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 19.
  5. ^ Bartlett, Charles (July 15, 1945). "Byron Nelson and Sam Byrd battle today for P.G.A. crown". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, sec. 2.

39°41′24″N 84°11′46″W / 39.690°N 84.196°W / 39.690; -84.196