1928 PGA Championship

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox individual golf tournament | name = 1928 PGA Championship | image = | course = [[Baltimore Country Club]] Five Farms (East) Course | location = [[Lutherville, Maryland]] | dates = October 1–6, 1928 | par = 70<ref name=aehpm>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=V9U_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=GA8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6099%2C167570|newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel|agency=Associated Press |last=Vosburgh |first=F.G. |title= Al Espinosa heads field in pro meet|date=October 2, 1928|page=11}}</ref> | yardage =  | org = [[PGA of America]] | tour = [[PGA Tour]] | field = 63 players,<ref name=aehpm/> 32 to match play | cut = 160 (+20) | format = [[Match play]] - 5 rounds | purse = [[United States dollar|$]]10,400<ref name=pgamedia28>{{cite web |url=http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=445&date=1928&tourn_name_id=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023170546/http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=445&date=1928&tourn_name_id=2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 23, 2006 |publisher=PGA of America |title=Tournament Info for: 1928 PGA Championship |accessdate=May 11, 2013 }}</ref> | winners_share =  | champion = {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Leo Diegel]] | score = def. {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Al Espinosa]], 6 and 5 | previous = [[1927 PGA Championship|1927]] | next = [[1929 PGA Championship|1929]] |}} {{Location map |USA |relief = 1 |label = Baltimore CC |lat = 39.442 |long = -76.663 |caption = Location in the [[United States]] |marksize = 5 |float = |background = |width = 230 }} {{Location map |USA Maryland |relief = 1 |label = Baltimore CC |lat = 39.442 |long = -76.663 |caption = Location in [[Maryland]] |position = top |marksize = 5 |float = |background = |width = 180 }} 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 and 5 in the finals to win the first of his two consecutive titles.<ref name=dspgt>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W9U_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=GA8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3446%2C1167837 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel|agency=United Service Correspondence|last=Rice |first=Lester |title=Diegel cinches pro golf title |date=October 7, 1928 |page=1-sec 3}}</ref>

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 and 1 over nemesis Hagen in the quarterfinals<ref name=dbwhipe>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WdU_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=GA8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6478%2C532199|newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel|agency=Associated Press |last=Vosbrough |first=F.G. |title=Diegel beats Walter Hagen in pro event|date=October 5, 1928|page=15}}</ref> and 9 and 8 over Sarazen in the semifinals.<ref name=dspgt/><ref name=esads>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WtU_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=GA8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3099%2C655780 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel|agency=Associated Press |last=Vosburgh |first=F.G. |title=Espinosa and Diegel survive |date=October 6, 1928|page=13}}</ref> Diegel had lost to Hagen in the [[1925 PGA Championship|1925]] quarterfinals (40 holes) and the [[1926 PGA Championship|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 ({{winning percentage|32|1}}), falling only to Sarazen in 38 holes in the [[1923 PGA Championship|1923]] finals.

The Five Farms Course, now the East Course, was designed by [[A. W. Tillinghast]] and opened two years earlier in September 1926.<ref name=bccleg>{{cite web|url=http://www.bcc1898.com/Default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&pageid=290163&ssid=169487&vnf=1|publisher=Baltimore Country Club|title=Legacy|accessdate=May 11, 2013}}</ref>

Diegel continued the tradition of repeat champions and successfully defended his title in [[1929 PGA Championship|1929]].

==Format== The [[match play]] format at the PGA Championship in 1928 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in six days:<ref name=pgamedia28/> * 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

==Final results== ''Saturday, October 6, 1928'' {| class=wikitable !Place!!Player |- | align=center|1 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} '''[[Leo Diegel]]'''  |- | align=center|2 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Al Espinosa]]  |- | align=center rowspan=2|T3 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Gene Sarazen]]  |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Horton Smith]] |- | align=center rowspan=4|T5 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Perry Del Vecchio]]  |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ed Dudley]] |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Walter Hagen]] |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jock Hutchison]] |}

==Final eight bracket== {{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds | RD1=Quarter-finals October 4 | RD2=Semi-finals October 5 | RD3=Finals October 6

| score-width= 35px | team-width= 100px

| RD1-team1= '''[[Leo Diegel]]''' | RD1-score1= 2&1 | RD1-team2= [[Walter Hagen]] | RD1-score2=

| RD1-team3= '''[[Gene Sarazen]]''' | RD1-score3= 7&6 | RD1-team4= [[Ed Dudley]] | RD1-score4=

| RD1-team5= '''[[Al Espinosa]]''' | RD1-score5= 5&4 | RD1-team6= [[Jock Hutchison]] | RD1-score6=

| RD1-team7= '''[[Horton Smith]]''' | RD1-score7= 2up | RD1-team8= [[Perry Del Vecchio]] | RD1-score8=

| RD2-team1= '''[[Leo Diegel]]''' | RD2-score1= 9&8 | RD2-team2= [[Gene Sarazen]] | RD2-score2=

| RD2-team3= '''[[Al Espinosa]]''' | RD2-score3= 6&5 | RD2-team4= [[Horton Smith]] | RD2-score4=

| RD3-team1= '''[[Leo Diegel]]''' | RD3-score1= 6&5 | RD3-team2= [[Al Espinosa]] | RD3-score2= }}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://images.pgalinks.com/vmc/pressReleases/MG_2012_PGAChamp.pdf PGA Media Guide 2012] *[http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2004/history_1928.html PGA.com] – 1928 PGA Championship *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110707101439/http://www.bcc1898.com/Default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&pageid=290171&ssid=169495&vnf=1 Baltimore Country Club: East Course]

[[Category:PGA Championship]] [[Category:Golf tournaments in Maryland]] [[Category:Sports competitions in Baltimore]] [[Category:1928 in golf|PGA Championship]] [[Category:1928 in American sports|PGA Championship]] [[Category:1928 in sports in Maryland|PGA Championship]] [[Category:October 1928 sports events in the United States|PGA Championship]]