1966 PGA Championship

The 1966 PGA Championship was the 48th PGA Championship, played July 21–24 at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Al Geiberger won his only major championship, four strokes ahead of runner-up Dudley Wysong.[2][3]

1966 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJuly 21–24, 1966
LocationAkron, Ohio
Course(s)Firestone Country Club
South Course
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length7,180 yards (6,565 m)
Field162 players, 76 after cut
Cut151 (+11)
Prize fund$149,360[1]
Winner's share$25,000
Champion
Al Geiberger
280 (Even)
Firestone CC
Location in the United States
Firestone CC
Location in Ohio

Sam Snead, age 54, was co-leader and leader after the first two days, but shot 75 in the third round on Saturday. Geiberger carded a two-under 68 to lead by four strokes over Wysong, who shot a 66.[4] Both shot two-over 72 on Sunday as both bogeyed the first two holes. The lead shrunk to two as Wysong birdied the third while Geiberger bogeyed the fourth, but then birdied the fifth and ninth holes to regain the four-stroke advantage.[5]

The 1966 championship was originally scheduled to be held at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver. A flash flood of the adjacent South Platte River in June 1965 caused significant damage to the course and forced a postponement. Firestone was scheduled to host in 1967, so the venues swapped years.[6]

This was the second of three PGA Championships at the South Course, which previously hosted in 1960 and later in 1975. It is the current venue for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which began in 1976 as the "World Series of Golf" on the PGA Tour, preceded by the American Golf Classic, which debuted in 1961.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut
PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Gary Player South Africa196273707073286+6T3
Sam Snead United States1942, 1949, 195168717573287+7T6
Dow Finsterwald United States195874707372289+9T12
Jay Hebert United States196075737071289+9T12
Dave Marr United States196575756873291+11T18
Jack Nicklaus United States196375717571292+12T22
Bob Rosburg United States195973766979297+17T43
Jim Ferrier Australia194771797672298+18T49
Lionel Hebert United States195775747577301+21T64
Jack Burke, Jr. United States195675767972302+22T66
Jerry Barber United States1961737884WD

Missed the cut
PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2TotalTo par
Chick Harbert United States19547577152+12
Walter Burkemo United States19537479153+13
Doug Ford United States19557677153+13
Jim Turnesa United States19528073153+13
Denny Shute United States1936, 19377780157+17
Bobby Nichols United States19648178159+19
Vic Ghezzi United States194174WD

Source:[1]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, July 21, 1966

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Al Geiberger United States68−2
Sam Snead United States
T3Julius Boros United States69−1
Don January United States
Doug Sanders United States
6Jacky Cupit United States70E
T7Tommy Aaron United States71+1
Larry Beck United States
Jim Ferrier Australia
 United States
Jack Fleck United States
Walker Inman United States

Source:[7]

Second round

Friday, July 22, 1966

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Sam Snead United States68-71=139−1
T2Al Geiberger United States68-72=140E
Don January United States69-71=140
4Julius Boros United States69-72=141+1
T5Tommy Aaron United States71-72=143+3
Jacky Cupit United States70-73=143
Billy Farrell United States73-70=143
Gary Player South Africa73-70=143
Doug Sanders United States69-74=143
10Dow Finsterwald United States74-70=144+4

Source:[8]

Third round

Saturday, July 23, 1966

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Al Geiberger United States68-72-68=208−2
2Dudley Wysong United States74-72-66=212+2
T3Don January United States69-71-73=213+3
Gary Player South Africa73-70-70=213
T5Frank Beard United States73-72-69=214+4
Billy Farrell United States73-70-71=214
Sam Snead United States68-71-75=214
T8Julius Boros United States69-72-75=216+6
Billy Casper United States73-73-70=216
Jacky Cupit United States70-73-73=216

Source:[9]

Final round

Sunday, July 24, 1966

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Al Geiberger United States68-72-68-72=280E25,000
2Dudley Wysong United States74-72-66-72=284+415,000
T3Billy Casper United States73-73-70-70=286+68,334
Gene Littler United States75-71-71-69=286
Gary Player South Africa73-70-70-73=286
T6Julius Boros United States69-72-75-71=287+75,000
Jacky Cupit United States70-73-73-71=287
Arnold Palmer United States75-73-71-68=287
Doug Sanders United States69-74-73-71=287
Sam Snead United States68-71-75-73=287

Source:[3]

Lema and wife killed

Hours after the championship's conclusion on Sunday, Tony Lema and his wife Betty were among four fatalities in a chartered private plane crash near the Indiana-Illinois border. Lema, age 32, had finished tied for 34th and was heading west to a Monday tournament in the Chicago area. Both pilots of the twin-engine Beechcraft Bonanza were also killed as they attempted an emergency landing on a golf course in Lansing, Illinois, near the destination airport.[10][11][12][13]

References
  1. "Tournament Info for: 1966 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  2. Jenkins, Dan (August 1, 1966). "A happy stroll for golf's smiling Gei". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
  3. Mooshil, Joe (July 25, 1966). "Geiberger's par-matching 280 captures PGA title at Akron Firestone". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 20.
  4. "Geiberger grabs lead from Sam". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 24, 1966. p. 1B.
  5. "Lema's death shocks golf world, we were like brothers, says Ken". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. wire services. July 25, 1966. p. 2B.
  6. Wright, Alfred (July 31, 1967). "Two Dons in quest of a title". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
  7. "Snead, Geiberger lead PGA with 68s". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. July 22, 1966. p. 2, part 2.
  8. "Swinging, not slamming Sammy holds PGA lead". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 23, 1966. p. 1B.
  9. "Geiberger grabs lead from Sam". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 24, 1966. p. 1B.
  10. "Lema plane crash probed". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. July 26, 1966. p. 2, part 2.
  11. "Lema crash probed by aviation group". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 26, 1966. p. 19.
  12. Fimrite, Ron (July 31, 1995). "The Toast Of Golf". Sports Illustrated: G14.
  13. "Muncie, Ind., crash probed". Eugene Register-Guard. wire reports. July 26, 1966. p. 3B.
Preceded by
1966 Open Championship		 Major Championships Succeeded by
1967 Masters

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