{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox individual golf tournament | name = 1931 PGA Championship | image = | course = [[Wannamoisett Country Club]] | location = [[Rumford, Rhode Island]] | dates = September 14–19, 1931 | par = 70 <ref name=nsvnpro>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1931/09/14/page/21/article/97-pros-begin-play-today-in-national-meet |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |agency=Associated Press |title=97 pros begin play today in national meet |date=September 14, 1931 |page=21}}</ref><ref name=sptmwof>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QT0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_wwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6214%2C2244875 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |title=Sarazen P.G.A. tourney medalist with 145 |date=September 15, 1931 |page=13 |accessdate=May 7, 2013}}</ref> | yardage = <!--{{convert| |yd}}--> | org = [[Professional Golfers' Association of America|PGA of America]] | tour = [[PGA Tour]] | field = <!-- players,<br>-->32 to match play | cut = 153 (+13), playoff | format = [[Match play]] - 5 rounds | purse = [[United States dollar|$]]7,200<ref name=pgamedia31>{{cite web |url=http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=448&date=1931&tourn_name_id=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023165903/http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=448&date=1931&tourn_name_id=2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 23, 2006 |publisher=PGA of America |title=Tournament Info for: 1931 PGA Championship |accessdate=May 6, 2013 }}</ref> | winners_share = $1,000 | champion = {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tom Creavy]] | score = def. [[Denny Shute]], 2 and 1 | previous = [[1930 PGA Championship|1930]] | next = [[1932 PGA Championship|1932]] |}} {{Location map |USA |relief = 1 |label = <small>Rumford </small> |lat = 41.845 |long = -71.359 |caption = Location in the [[United States]] |position = |marksize = 5 |float = |background = |width = 240 }} {{Location map |USA Rhode Island |relief = 1 |label = <small>Wannamoisett <br>Country Club</small> |lat = 41.845 |long = -71.359 |caption = Location in [[Rhode Island]] |position = left |marksize = 5 |float = |background = |width = 180 }} The '''1931 PGA Championship''' was the 14th [[PGA Championship]], held September 14–19 at [[Wannamoisett Country Club]] in [[Rumford, Rhode Island]], northeast of [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]]. Then a [[match play]] championship, [[Tom Creavy]], age 20, defeated [[Gene Sarazen]] 5 and 3 in the semifinals<ref name=sfct>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rfJYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b4UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4866%2C454992 |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator |agency=Associated Press |title=Shute faces Creavy today |date=September 19, 1931 |page=7 |accessdate=May 7, 2013}}</ref> and [[Denny Shute]] 2 and 1 in the finals.<ref name=pgamedia31/><ref name=cdtcwpsh>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1931/09/20/page/25/article/creavy-whips-shute-2-and-1-for-pro-golf-title |work=Chicago Sunday Tribune |title=Creavy whips Shute, 2 and 1, for pro golf title |date=September 20, 1931 |page=1, sec. 2}}</ref><ref name=pbrig>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=349RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iGkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5100%2C6043409 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post Gazette |agency=United News |title=Creavy brings new style to paid brigade |date=September 22, 1931 |page=12 |accessdate=May 7, 2013}}</ref><ref name=tctwy>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rvJYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b4UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1400%2C690489 |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator |location=Ohio|agency=Associated Press |last=King |first=Bill |title=Tom Creavy, 20-year-old Albany pro, downs Denny Shute for P.G.A. title |date=September 20, 1931 |page=C-2 |accessdate=May 7, 2013}}</ref>
This was the first year the defending champion was exempt from qualifying; [[Tommy Armour]] lost in the quarterfinals to Shute, 3 and 1.<ref name=szplcrv>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a0EuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ldgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4537%2C6170368 |newspaper=Miami News |agency=Associated Press |title=Sarazen plays Creavy, Burke meets Shute in P.G.A. semi-finals |date=September 18, 1931 |page=13 |accessdate=May 7, 2013}}</ref> Sarazen was the medalist in the qualifying with 145 (+5).<ref name=smedls>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1931/09/15/page/17/article/sarazen-takes-p-g-a-medal-with-145-total |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |title=Sarazen takes PGA medal with 145 total |date=September 15, 1931 |page=17}}</ref><ref name=yvscoff>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aBJKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q4UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6529%2C288533|newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator |location=Ohio|agency=Associated Press |title=Gene Sarazen cards 145 to lead pros in qualifying round at Providence |date=September 15, 1931 |page=10}}</ref>
Through 2016, Sarazen remains the youngest winner of a modern [[Men's major golf championships|major]] title at age 20 (in [[1922 PGA Championship|1922]]) and Creavy was just 2 months older.<ref name=fafpt>{{cite journal |url=http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/blogs/local-knowledge/2011/08/fields-a-forgotten-champions-pga-triumph.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914192840/http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/blogs/local-knowledge/2011/08/fields-a-forgotten-champions-pga-triumph.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 14, 2011 |magazine=Golf Digest |last=Fields |first=Bill |title=A forgotten champion's PGA triumph |date=August 10, 2011 |accessdate=May 6, 2013 }}</ref><ref name=notebpc>{{cite journal |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1020201/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604000123/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1020201/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Diaz |first=Jaime |title=Notebook: Paul Creavy |date=August 28, 2000 |accessdate=May 6, 2013}}</ref> Finalist Shute won consecutive titles in [[1936 PGA Championship|1936]] and [[1937 PGA Championship|1937]].
==Format== The [[match play]] format at the PGA Championship in 1931 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in six days:<ref name=pgamedia31/> * Monday – 36-hole [[stroke play]] qualifier **defending champion [[Tommy Armour]] and top 31 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, September 19, 1931'' {| class=wikitable !Place!!Player!!Money ([[United States dollar|$]]) |- | align=center|1 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} '''[[Tom Creavy]]''' || align=center|1,000 |- | align=center|2 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Denny Shute]] || align=center|500 |- | align=center rowspan=2|T3 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Billy Burke (golfer)|Billy Burke]] || align=center rowspan=2|250 |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Gene Sarazen]] |- | align=center rowspan=4|T5 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tommy Armour]] || align=center rowspan=4|200 |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Abe Espinosa]] |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Horton Smith]] |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Cyril Walker (golfer)|Cyril Walker]] |} <!--<small>Source:</small>-->
==Final eight bracket== {{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds | RD1=Quarter-finals<br>September 17 | RD2=Semi-finals<br>September 18 | RD3=Finals<br>September 19
| score-width= 35px | team-width= 100px
| RD1-team1= '''[[Tom Creavy]]''' | RD1-score1= 3&1 | RD1-team2= [[Cyril Walker (golfer)|Cyril Walker]] | RD1-score2=
| RD1-team3= '''[[Gene Sarazen]]''' | RD1-score3= 5&4 | RD1-team4= [[Horton Smith]] | RD1-score4=
| RD1-team5= '''[[Denny Shute]]''' | RD1-score5= 3&1 | RD1-team6= [[Tommy Armour]] | RD1-score6=
| RD1-team7= '''[[Billy Burke (golfer)|Billy Burke]]''' | RD1-score7= 5&3 | RD1-team8= [[Abe Espinosa]] | RD1-score8=
| RD2-team1= '''[[Tom Creavy]]''' | RD2-score1= 5&3 | RD2-team2= [[Gene Sarazen]] | RD2-score2=
| RD2-team3= '''[[Denny Shute]]''' | RD2-score3= 1up | RD2-team4= [[Billy Burke (golfer)|Billy Burke]] | RD2-score4=
| RD3-team1= '''[[Tom Creavy]]''' | RD3-score1= 2&1 | RD3-team2= [[Denny Shute]] | RD3-score2= }}
==Final match scorecards== ''Morning'' {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !Hole!!1!!2!!3!!4!!5!!6!!7!!8!!9!!10!!11!!12!!13!!14!!15!!16!!17!!18 |- |Par||4||5||3||4||4||4||4||3||4|| 4||4||3||4||4||3||4||5||4 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Creavy||4||style="background: Pink;"|4||style="background: Pink;"|2||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|4||4||4||style="background: Pink;"|3||style="background: PaleGreen;"|4||4||4||3||4||5||style="background: Green;"|6 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Shute||4||style="background: Pink;"|4||3||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||4||style="background: Green;"|6||4||3||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||4||4||3||style="background: Pink;"|3||4||style="background: Green;"|5||4||5||style="background: Green;"|6 |- |align=left| Leader ||–||–||C1||C1||C1||C2||C2||C1||C2||C2||C3||C2||C1||C1||C2||C2||C2||C2 |}
''Afternoon'' {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !Hole!!1!!2!!3!!4!!5!!6!!7!!8!!9!!10!!11!!12!!13!!14!!15!!16!!17!!18 |- |Par||4||5||3||4||4||4||4||3||4|| 4||4||3||4||4||3||4||5||4 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Creavy||4||5||3||4||4||4||4||3||4||style="background: Pink;"|3||style="background: Pink;"|3||3||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||3||style="background: Green;"|6||5||rowspan=3 style="background:#DCDCDC;"| |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Shute||4||style="background: Pink;"|4||3||4||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||style="background: Pink;"|3||3||4||4||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|4||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||style="background: Pink;"|2||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|6 |- |align=left| Leader ||C2||C1||C1||C1||C1||C2||C1||C1||C1||C2||C3||C4||C3||C3||C2||C1||C2 |} *<small>Source:</small><ref name=cdtcwpsh/><ref name=tctwy/> :{|class="wikitable" span = 50 style="font-size:85%; |- |style="background:Pink; width:10px;"| |Birdie |style="background:PaleGreen; width:10px;"| |Bogey |style="background:Green; width:10px;"| |Double bogey |}
==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_1931.html PGA.com] – 1931 PGA Championship
{{Golf Major Championships master|1931}} {{PGA Championship}} {{coord|41.845|-71.359|type:event|display=title}}
[[Category:PGA Championship]] [[Category:Golf tournaments in Rhode Island]] [[Category:East Providence, Rhode Island]] [[Category:1931 in golf|PGA Championship]] [[Category:1931 in sports in Rhode Island|PGA Championship]] [[Category:September 1931 sports events in the United States|PGA Championship]]