1945 PGA Championship
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 & 3 in the final over Sam Byrd,[4] a former major league baseball player.[5]
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | July 9–15, 1945 |
| Location | Kettering, Ohio |
| Course(s) | Moraine Country Club |
| Organized by | PGA of America |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Match play - 5 rounds |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Field | 143 players,[1] 32 to match play |
| Cut | 148 (+6), playoff |
| Prize fund | $14,700[2] |
| Winner's share | $5,000 in war bonds[3] |
| Champion | |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Byron Nelson | |
| def. Sam Byrd, 4 & 3 | |
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 & 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:[2]
- 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
Past champions in the field
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | Record | Advanced to | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Nelson | United States | 1940 | 5–0 | Champion | 1 |
| Vic Ghezzi | United States | 1941 | 2–1 | Quarterfinals | T5 |
| Denny Shute | United States | 1936, 1937 | 2–1 | Quarterfinals | T5 |
| Johnny Revolta | United States | 1935 | 1–1 | Second round | T9 |
| Bob Hamilton | United States | 1944 | 0–1 | First round | T17 |
| Gene Sarazen | United States | 1922, 1923, 1933 | 0–1 | First round | T17 |
Final results
Sunday, July 15, 1945
| Place | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Byron Nelson | United States |
| 2 | Sam Byrd | United States |
| T3 | Clarence Doser | United States |
| Claude Harmon | United States | |
| T5 | Vic Ghezzi | United States |
| Ralph Hutchison | United States | |
| Ky Laffoon | United States | |
| Denny Shute | United States |
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 |
| Nelson | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| 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 |
| Nelson | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | Nelson wins 4 & 3 | ||
| 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 | |||
- Source:[4]
References
- "Denny Shute cards sizzlind five-under-par 67, paces P.G.A. qualifying field". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. July 10, 1945. p. 10.
- "Tournament Info for: 1945 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
- "Nelson defeats Byrd in PGA final". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 16, 2013. p. 16.
- Bartlett, Charles (July 16, 1945). "Nelson beats Byrd, 4 and 3, to take P.G.A. crown". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 19.
- Bartlett, Charles (July 15, 1945). "Byron Nelson and Sam Byrd battle today for P.G.A. crown". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, sec. 2.
External links
- PGA Media Guide 2012
- About.com – 1945 PGA Championship
- PGA.com – 1945 PGA Championship