1928 PGA Championship

The 1928 PGA Championship was the 11th PGA Championship, held October 1–6 at the Five Farms Course of the Baltimore Country Club in Lutherville, Maryland, north of Baltimore. Then a match play championship, Leo Diegel defeated Al Espinosa 6 & 5 in the finals to win the first of his two consecutive titles.[3]

1928 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesOctober 1–6, 1928
LocationLutherville, Maryland
Course(s)Baltimore Country Club
Five Farms (East) Course
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatMatch play - 5 rounds
Statistics
Par70[1]
Field63 players,[1]
32 to match play
Cut160 (+20)
Prize fund$10,400[2]
Champion
Leo Diegel
def. Al Espinosa, 6 & 5
Baltimore CC
Location in the United States
Baltimore CC
Location in Maryland

Prior to the finals, Diegel defeated both Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen, the winners of the previous seven PGA Championships, in the two preceding matches. He prevailed 2 & 1 over nemesis Hagen in the quarterfinals[4] and 9 & 8 over Sarazen in the semifinals.[3][5] Diegel had lost to Hagen in the 1925 quarterfinals (40 holes) and the 1926 finals.

Five-time champion Hagen had won 22 consecutive matches and four straight titles at the PGA Championship. Prior to his loss to Diegel in the quarterfinals, his match record in the 1920s was 32–1 (.970), falling only to Sarazen in 38 holes in the 1923 finals.

The Five Farms Course, now the East Course, was designed by A. W. Tillinghast and opened two years earlier in September 1926.[6]

Diegel continued the tradition of repeat champions and successfully defended his title in 1929.

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1928 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in six days:[2]

  • Monday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier
    • top 32 professionals advanced to match play
  • Tuesday – first round – 36 holes
  • Wednesday – second round – 36 holes
  • Thursday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
  • Friday – semifinals – 36 holes
  • Saturday – final – 36 holes

Past champions in the field
PlayerCountryYear(s) wonRecordAdvanced toFinish
Gene Sarazen United States1922, 19233–1SemifinalsT3
Jock Hutchison Scotland1920 2–1QuarterfinalsT5
Walter Hagen United States1921, 1924,
1925, 1926, 1927		 2–1QuarterfinalsT5
Jim Barnes England1916, 1919 1–1Second roundT9

Final results

Saturday, October 6, 1928

PlacePlayerCountry
1Leo Diegel United States
2Al Espinosa United States
T3Gene Sarazen United States
Horton Smith United States
T5Perry Del Vecchio United States
Ed Dudley United States
Walter Hagen United States
Jock Hutchison Scotland
 United States

Final eight bracket
Quarter-finals
October 4 		Semi-finals
October 5 		Finals
October 6
         
Leo Diegel 2&1
Walter Hagen
Leo Diegel 9&8
Gene Sarazen
Gene Sarazen 7&6
Ed Dudley
Leo Diegel 6&5
Al Espinosa
Al Espinosa 5&4
Jock Hutchison
Al Espinosa 6&5
Horton Smith
Horton Smith 2up
Perry Del Vecchio

References
  1. Vosburgh, F.G. (October 2, 1928). "Al Espinosa heads field in pro meet". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 11.
  2. "Tournament Info for: 1928 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  3. Rice, Lester (October 7, 1928). "Diegel cinches pro golf title". Milwaukee Sentinel. United Service Correspondence. p. 1-sec 3.
  4. Vosbrough, F.G. (October 5, 1928). "Diegel beats Walter Hagen in pro event". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 15.
  5. Vosburgh, F.G. (October 6, 1928). "Espinosa and Diegel survive". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 13.
  6. "Legacy". Baltimore Country Club. Retrieved May 11, 2013.

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