1944 PGA Championship

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox individual golf tournament | name = 1944 PGA Championship | image = | location = [[Spokane, Washington]], U.S. | course = [[Manito Golf and Country Club|Manito Golf and Country Club]] | dates = August 14–20, 1944 | par = 72 | yardage =  | org = [[Professional Golfers' Association of America|PGA of America]] | tour = [[PGA Tour]] | field = 78 players,<ref name=nwote>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NysaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uiMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3192%2C157337 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal|agency=United Press|title=Nelson, with 138, takes medal in pro tourney|date=August 16, 1944|page=2-part 2 }}</ref> 32 to match play | cut = 149 (+5), playoff | format = [[Match play]] - 5 rounds | purse = [[United States dollar|$]]14,500<ref name=pgamedia44>{{cite web|url=http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=462&date=1944&tourn_name_id=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023165412/http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=462&date=1944&tourn_name_id=2|archive-date=October 23, 2006|publisher=PGA.com|title=Tournament Info for: 1944 PGA Championship|access-date=April 15, 2013}}</ref> | winners_share = $3,500 | champion = {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bob Hamilton]] | score = def. [[Byron Nelson]], 1 up | previous = [[1942 PGA Championship|1942]] | next = [[1945 PGA Championship|1945]] |}} {{Location map |USA |relief = 1 |label = Spokane |lat = 47.609 |long = -117.395 |caption = Location in the [[United States]] |marksize = 5 |float = |background = |width = 240 }} {{Location map |USA Washington |relief = 1 |label = Manito  G & CC |lat = 47.609 |long = -117.395 |caption = Location in [[Washington (state)|Washington]] |marksize = 5 |position = |float = |background= |width = 180 }} The '''1944 PGA Championship''' was the 26th [[PGA Championship]], held August 14–20 at [[Manito Golf and Country Club]] in [[Spokane, Washington]]. Then a [[match play]] championship, [[Bob Hamilton]] won his only [[Men's major golf championships|major]] title, 1 up in the 36-hole final over heavily favored [[Byron Nelson]];<ref name=cdtmamwn>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1944/08/21/page/17/article/hamilton-beats-nelson-for-p-g-a-crown|work=Chicago Daily Tribune |agency=Associated Press |title=Hamilton beats Nelson for P.G.A. crown |date=August 21, 1944 |page=17}}</ref><ref name=hsnifin>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PCsaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uiMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5318%2C2134413|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal|agency=Associated Press|title=Hamilton surprises Nelson in PGA final|date=August 21, 1944|page=6-part 2}}</ref> the winner's share was [[United States dollar|$]]3,500 and the runner-up's was $1,500.<ref name=bndbdhh >{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=22kxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xU4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5423%2C5749996 |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|location=Florida|agency=Associated Press|title=Byron Nelson defeated by dark horse Hamilton|date=August 21, 1944|page=6}}</ref> Hamilton defeated [[Harold "Jug" McSpaden|Jug McSpaden]] 2 and 1 in the quarterfinals<ref name=hdfmcsp>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2WkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xU4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5618%2C5038400 |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|location=Florida|agency=Associated Press|title=Hamilton defeats McSpadden 2 and 1|date=August 19, 1944|page=10}}</ref> and George Schneiter 1 up in the semifinals.<ref name=hfbnipf>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2mkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xU4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7161%2C5171807|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|location=Florida|agency=Associated Press|title=Hamilton faces Byron Nelson in PGA final|date=August 20, 1944|page=17}}</ref>

It was Nelson's third runner-up finish ([[1939 PGA Championship|1939]], [[1941 PGA Championship|1941]], 1944); he won the title in [[1940 PGA Championship|1940]] and [[1945 PGA Championship|1945]].<ref name=hbntw >{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QSlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZuQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4303%2C1444750|newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|title=Hamilton beats Nelson to win P.G.A.|last=Stark|first=Charles R. Jr.|date=August 21, 1944|page=1}}</ref> Nelson was the medalist in the stroke play qualifier with a 6-under 138.<ref name=nwpmwo>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SWQwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u2kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3316%2C710532|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Nelson wins PGA medal with 138 |date=August 16, 1944|page=13}}</ref><ref name=nmipw>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4KxWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dOgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6944%2C4203180 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon|agency=Associated Press |title=Nelson medalist in PGA with 138 |last=Newland |first=Russ |date=August 16, 1944 |page=10 }}</ref>

This was the first PGA Championship in two years, it was not contested in 1943. [[Sam Snead]] won in [[1942 PGA Championship|1942]], but did not defend his title; he was at the [[Naval Medical Center San Diego|naval hospital]] in [[San Diego]] for treatment for his ailing back,<ref name=pgamedia44/> and received a medical discharge from the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] a month later.<ref name=ssgmd>{{cite news|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p5ExAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yU4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3860,1762916|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|location=Florida|agency=Associated Press|title=Sam Snead discharged from navy|date=September 13, 1944|page=6}}</ref>

The event was sponsored by the Athletic Round Table, Spokane's notable fun and benevolence organization headed by attorney [[Joe Albi]].<ref name=bndbdhh/> Following this event, the ART sponsored the [[Esmeralda Open]], a [[PGA Tour]] event in 1945 and 1947, and the first [[United States Women's Open Championship (golf)|U.S. Women's Open]] in 1946, all held in Spokane.

The PGA Championship was the sole major played in 1944 (and [[1945 PGA Championship|1945]]); the three others returned in [[1946 Masters Tournament|1946]].

This was the first major championship played in the [[Pacific Northwest]]. The PGA Championship was played in [[Portland Golf Club|Portland]] in [[1946 PGA Championship|1946]], and at [[Sahalee Country Club|Sahalee]], east of [[Seattle]], in [[1998 PGA Championship|1998]]. The first [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] in the region was played in [[2015 U.S. Open (golf)|2015]] at [[Chambers Bay]], southwest of [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]].

==Format== The [[match play]] format at the PGA Championship in 1944 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:<ref name=pgamedia44/> * Monday and Tuesday – 36-hole [[stroke play]] qualifier, 18 holes per day, field of 78 players;<ref name=nwote/> **the top 32 professionals advanced to match play, defending champion [[Sam Snead]] did not enter * Wednesday – first round – 36 holes * Thursday – second round – 36 holes * Friday – quarterfinals – 36 holes * Saturday – semifinals – 36 holes * Sunday – final – 36 holes

==Final results== ''Sunday, August 20, 1944'' {| class=wikitable !Place!!Player!!Money ([[United States dollar|$]]) |- | align=center|1 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} '''[[Bob Hamilton]]''' || align=center|3,500 |- | align=center|2 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Byron Nelson]] || align=center|1,500 |- | align=center rowspan=2|T3 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Chuck Congdon]] || align=center rowspan=2|750 |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[George Schneiter]] |- | align=center rowspan=4|T5 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Art Bell (golfer)|Art Bell]] || align=center rowspan=4|500 |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ed Dudley]] |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Willie Goggin]] |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jug McSpaden]] |}

==Final eight bracket== {{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds | RD1=Quarter-finals August 18 | RD2=Semi-finals August 19 | RD3=Finals August 20

| score-width= 35px | team-width= 120px

| RD1-team1= '''[[Bob Hamilton]]''' | RD1-score1= 2&1 | RD1-team2= [[Jug McSpaden]] | RD1-score2=

| RD1-team5= '''[[Byron Nelson]]''' | RD1-score5= 4&3 | RD1-team6= [[Willie Goggin]] | RD1-score6=

| RD1-team7= '''[[Chuck Congdon]]''' | RD1-score7= 6&5 | RD1-team8= [[Ed Dudley]] | RD1-score8=

| RD2-team1= '''[[Bob Hamilton]]''' | RD2-score1= 1up | RD2-team2= [[George Schneiter]] | RD2-score2=

| RD2-team3= '''[[Byron Nelson]]''' | RD2-score3= 8&7 | RD2-team4= [[Chuck Congdon]] | RD2-score4=

| RD3-team1= '''[[Bob Hamilton]]''' | RD3-score1= 1up | RD3-team2= [[Byron Nelson]] | 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||4||3||4||4||4||4||5||4|| 5||3||4||4||4||5||3||4||4 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Hamilton ||4||4||3||4||4||4||4||5||4||style="background: Pink;"|4||3||4||4||4||style="background: Pink;"|4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|4||4||style="background: Pink;"|3 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Nelson ||4||4||3||style="background: Pink;"|3||4||4||4||5||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||style="background: Pink;"|4||3||4||4||style="background: Pink;"|3||style="background: Pink;"|4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|4||4||4 |- |align=left| Leader ||–||–||–||N1||N1||N1||N1||N1||–||–||–||–||–||N1||N1||N1||N1||– |}

''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||4||3||4||4||4||4||5||4|| 5||3||4||4||4||5||3||4||4 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Hamilton ||style="background: Pink;"|3||4||3||4||4||4||4||5||4||5||3||4||4||4||5||style="background: Pink;"|2||4||style="background: Pink;"|3 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Nelson ||4||4||3||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||4||4||style="background: Pink;"|4||4||5||style="background: PaleGreen;"|4||style="background: Pink;"|3||4||4||style="background: Pink;"|4||3||4||style="background: Pink;"|3 |- |align=left| Leader ||H1||H1||H1||H1||H2||H2||H2||H1||H1||H1||H2||H1||H1||H1||–||H1||H1||H1 |} *Source:<ref name=cdtmamwn/> :{|class="wikitable" span = 50 style="font-size:85%; |- |style="background:Pink; width:10px;"| |Birdie |style="background:PaleGreen; width:10px;"| |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_1944.html PGA.com] – 1944 PGA Championship

[[Category:PGA Championship]] [[Category:Golf tournaments in Washington (state)]] [[Category:Sports competitions in Spokane, Washington]] [[Category:1944 in golf|PGA Championship]] [[Category:1944 in American sports|PGA Championship]] [[Category:1944 in sports in Washington (state)|PGA Championship]] [[Category:August 1944 sports events in the United States|PGA Championship]]