1936 PGA Championship
The 1936 PGA Championship was the 19th PGA Championship, held November 16–22 at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Then a match play championship, Denny Shute won the first of his consecutive PGA Championships, defeating Jimmy Thomson 3 & 2 on the No. 2 Course.[4][1][5]
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | November 16–22, 1936 |
| Location | Pinehurst, North Carolina |
| Course(s) | Pinehurst Resort No. 2 Course[1] |
| Organized by | PGA of America |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Match play - 6 rounds |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Field | 113 players, 64 to match play[2] |
| Cut | 156 (+12), playoff |
| Prize fund | $9,200[3] |
| Winner's share | $1,000 |
| Champion | |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Denny Shute | |
| def. Jimmy Thomson, 3 & 2 | |
It was Shute's second major title; his first was at the British Open in 1933 at St. Andrews. He previously made the finals at the PGA Championship in 1931.
Fay Coleman was the medalist in the stroke play qualifier at 143 (−1). Five-time champion Walter Hagen and two-time winner Leo Diegel both shot 157 (+13), one stroke out of the playoff.[6] Defending champion Johnny Revolta lost in the second round to Harold "Jug" McSpaden in 19 holes.
Shute repeated as champion less than seven months later in May 1937. He was the last to successfully defend his title at the PGA Championship until Tiger Woods won consecutive titles twice, in 1999–2000 and 2006–2007.
This was the first major played at Pinehurst and Course No. 2, which had sand greens until 1935.[7] While the PGA Championship has yet to return, the U.S. Open was held at the course in 1999, 2005, and 2014. It hosted the Ryder Cup in 1951 and the U.S. Women's Open was also here in 2014.
Format
The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1936 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[3]
- Monday and Tuesday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
- defending champion Johnny Revolta and top 63 professionals advanced to match play
- Wednesday – first two rounds, 18 holes each
- Thursday – third round – 36 holes
- Friday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
- Saturday – semifinals – 36 holes
- Sunday – final – 36 holes
Final results
Sunday, November 22, 1936
| Place | Player | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Shute | 1,000 |
| 2 | Jimmy Thomson | 500 |
| T3 | Bill Mehlhorn | 250 |
| Craig Wood | ||
| T5 | Jimmy Hines | 200 |
| Tony Manero | ||
| Harold "Jug" McSpaden | ||
| Horton Smith |
Final eight bracket
| Quarter-finals November 20 | Semi-finals November 21 | Finals November 22 | ||||||||||||
| Denny Shute | 3&2 | |||||||||||||
| Horton Smith | ||||||||||||||
| Denny Shute | 1up | |||||||||||||
| Bill Mehlhorn | ||||||||||||||
| Bill Mehlhorn | 4&2 | |||||||||||||
| Jimmy Hines | ||||||||||||||
| Denny Shute | 3&2 | |||||||||||||
| Jimmy Thomson | ||||||||||||||
| Jimmy Thomson | 1up | |||||||||||||
| Jug McSpaden | ||||||||||||||
| Jimmy Thomson | 4&3 | |||||||||||||
| Craig Wood | ||||||||||||||
| Craig Wood | 5&4 | |||||||||||||
| Tony Manero | ||||||||||||||
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 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Shute | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
 Thomson | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Leader | S1 | – | S1 | S2 | S1 | S1 | S1 | – | S1 | S1 | S1 | S1 | – | – | S1 | S1 | S1 | S1 |
Afternoon
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Shute | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Thomson | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | ||
| Leader | S1 | S2 | S2 | S1 | S1 | S1 | S1 | – | S1 | S1 | S2 | S2 | S2 | S2 | S2 | S3 | ||
- Source:[4]
References
- McLemore, Henry (November 22, 1936). "Shute, Thomson meet in P.G.A. finals today". Milwaukee Journal. United Press. p. 1-sports. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- "Coleman, Ex-Amateur Golfer, Paces Shotmakers In Play". The Spartanburg Herald. South Carolina. Associated Press. November 17, 1936. p. 9. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- "Tournament Info for: 1936 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- Bartlett, Charles (November 23, 1936). "Shute wins U.S. pro golf title, 3 and 2". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 19.
- "Shute wins title, beating Thomson". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. November 23, 1936. p. 17. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
- "Coleman's 143 win's P.G.A. medal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 18, 1936. p. 17.
- Bartlett, Charles (November 16, 1936). "Pro golf stars open play foe U.S. title today". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 19.