{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox individual golf tournament | name = 1956 PGA Championship | image = | dates = July 20–24, 1956 | location = [[Canton, Massachusetts]] | course = [[Blue Hill Country Club]] | org = [[Professional Golfers' Association of America|PGA of America]] | tour = [[PGA Tour]] | format = [[Match play]] - 7 rounds | par = 71 | yardage = {{convert|6634|yd}}<ref name=fcorhpt>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MZdRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4787%2C5437374 |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |agency=Associated Press |title=Ford Confident of Retaining His PGA Title |date=July 20, 1956 |page=19 |accessdate=January 2, 2013}}</ref><ref name=cdtbrally>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1956/07/25/page/45/article/burkes-rally-beats-kroll-for-p-g-a-title-3-and-2 |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|last=Bartlett |first=Charles |title=Burke's rally beats Kroll for P.G.A. title, 3 and 2 |date=July 25, 1956 |page=1, sec. 3}}</ref> | field = 128 players (all match play) | cut = | purse = [[United States dollar|$]]40,000<ref name=pgamedia56>{{cite web |url=http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=474&date=1956&tourn_name_id=2 |publisher=PGA.com |title=Tournament Info for: 1956 PGA Championship |accessdate=January 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184801/http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=474&date=1956&tourn_name_id=2 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | winners_share = $5,000 | champion = {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jack Burke Jr.]] | score = def. [[Ted Kroll]], 3 and 2 | previous = [[1955 PGA Championship|1955]] | next = [[1957 PGA Championship|1957]] }} {{Location map |USA |relief = 1 |label = <small>Blue Hill CC</small> |lat = 42.190 |long = -71.137 |caption = Location in the [[United States]] |marksize = 5 |float = |background = |width = 230 }} {{Location map |USA Massachusetts |relief = 1 |label = <small>Blue Hill CC </small> |position = left |lat = 42.190 |long = -71.137 |caption = Location in [[Massachusetts]] |marksize = 5 |float = |background = |width = 180 }} The '''1956 PGA Championship''' was the 38th edition of the professional [[golf]] competition, held at [[Blue Hill Country Club]] in [[Canton, Massachusetts]], a suburb southwest of [[Boston]]. [[Jack Burke Jr.]] won his second [[Men's major golf championship|major championship]] of 1956, a 3 and 2 victory over [[Ted Kroll]];<ref name=cdtbrally/><ref name=bbpwpga>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4ZVRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=32oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4767%2C1015233 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Burkes's blazing putter wins PGA, 3 and 2 |date=July 25, 1956 |page=15}}</ref> Burke had won the [[1956 Masters Tournament|Masters]] in April.<ref name=dlplysi>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1956/08/06/585092/duluth-playoff |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Wind |first=Herbert Warren |authorlink=Herbert Warren Wind|title=Duluth playoff |date=August 6, 1956 |page=46}}</ref> It was the penultimate [[PGA Championship]] as a [[match play]] competition; [[stroke play]] was introduced two years later in [[1958 PGA Championship|1958]]. This was the tenth and final year the PGA Championship was scheduled for a Tuesday finish.
[[1955 PGA Championship|Defending champion]] [[Doug Ford (golfer)|Doug Ford]] was stopped in the third round by [[1953 PGA Championship|1953]] champion [[Walter Burkemo]], 5 and 3.<ref name=boffpga>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1956/07/22/page/27/article/burkemo-ousts-ford-from-p-g-a-5-and-3|newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune |last=Bartlett |first=Charles |title=Burkemo ousts Ford from P.G.A., 5 and 3 |date=July 22, 1956 |page=1, sec. 3}}</ref>
Blue Hill was not highly regarded as a championship venue and calls increased for a change in format to stroke play.<ref name=sievdis>{{cite news |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1956/08/06/585078/events--discoveries |magazine=Sports Illustrated |title=Events & Discoveries |date=August 6, 1956 |page=17}}</ref><ref name=sivpcbk>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1957/08/05/667041/the-pga-comes-back |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Wind |first=Herbert Warren |authorlink=Herbert Warren Wind|title=The PGA comes back |date=August 5, 1957 |page=54 }}</ref> Also, a five-year membership in the [[PGA of America]] was necessary to compete in the PGA Championship at the time; this excluded young professionals [[Arnold Palmer]], [[Dow Finsterwald]], [[Gene Littler]], and [[Mike Souchak]].<ref name=sievdis/><ref name=sivpcbk/>
This remains the only time the PGA Championship has been played in Massachusetts. It was the 8th major championship played in the state and the first in over 30 years, since the [[1925 U.S. Open (golf)|1925 U.S. Open]]. The next major held in the state would be the [[1963 U.S. Open (golf)|1963 U.S. Open]].
Burke was the second to win the Masters and PGA Championship in the same calendar year, following [[Sam Snead]] in [[1949 PGA Championship|1949]]. Through [[2016 PGA Championship|2016]], it has only been accomplished four times, with the latter two by [[Jack Nicklaus]] in [[1963 PGA Championship|1963]] and [[1975 PGA Championship|1975]].
The [[1956 Open Championship|Open Championship]] was held two weeks earlier in [[England]] at [[Royal Liverpool Golf Club]]; neither Burke nor Kroll played in 1956 (or ever).
In the skills competitions held on Thursday, Joe Kraak won the long [[Drive (golf)|driving]] contest at {{convert|300|yd|m|0}}.<ref name=lgdrvcnt>{{cite news|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1956/07/20/page/39/article/kraaks-blast-wins-driving-title-in-pga |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|last=Bartlett |first=Charles |title=Kraak's blast wins driving title in P.G.A. |date=July 20, 1956 |page=3, sec. 3}}</ref>
==Format== The match play format at the PGA Championship was modified in 1956 and called for 9 rounds (162 holes) in five days, Friday through Tuesday. Previously, a two-day stroke play qualifying segment (36 holes) on Wednesday and Thursday preceded the match play competition to narrow the field to 64 competitors. This year, 128 players were entered in the single-elimination bracket. The first five rounds were 18-hole matches contested over the first three days, which reduced the field to four players. The semifinals and finals were 36-hole matches played on the final two days, Monday and Tuesday.<ref name=fcorhpt/><ref name=pgamedia56/> * Friday – first round, 18 holes * Saturday – second and third rounds, 18 holes each * Sunday – fourth round and quarterfinals, 18 holes each * Monday – semifinals – 36 holes * Tuesday – final – 36 holes
==Final results== ''Tuesday, July 24, 1956'' {| class=wikitable !Place!!Player!!Money ([[United States dollar|$]]) |- | align=center|1 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} '''[[Jack Burke Jr.]]''' || align=center|5,000 |- | align=center|2 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ted Kroll]] || align=center|3,000 |- | rowspan=2 align=center|T3 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ed Furgol]] || rowspan=2 align=center|1,000 |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Johnston (golfer)|Bill Johnston]] |- | rowspan=4 align=center|T5 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Sam Snead]] || rowspan=4 align=center|500 |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Fred Hawkins (golfer)|Fred Hawkins]] |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Terl Johnson]] |- | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Henry Ransom]] |}
==Final eight bracket== In the Sunday quarterfinals, Ted Kroll defeated favorite [[Sam Snead]] 2 and 1.<ref name=kdstgsf>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zDlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6684%2C3693730 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |title=Kroll defeats Snead to gain semifinals |agency=Associated Press |date=July 23, 1956 |page=2B}}</ref> In the semifinals, Kroll needed only 28 holes to handily defeat [[Bill Johnston (golfer)|Bill Johnston]] 10 and 8, but Burke's match went 37 holes, extended to an extra hole to stop [[Ed Furgol]], the [[1954 U.S. Open (golf)|1954 U.S. Open]] champion.<ref name=kbgptr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=06FhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=32oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4756%2C740645 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Kroll, Burke gain PGA title round |date=July 24, 1956 |page=14}}</ref> In the final on Tuesday, Burke was three holes down to Kroll after 19 holes, then won five of the next seven holes. The two then halved the next seven holes and Kroll's bogey at the par-3 34th hole ended the match at 3 and 2.<ref name=cdtbrally/><ref name=bbpwpga/> {{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds | RD1=Quarter-finals<br>July 22 | RD2=Semi-finals<br>July 23 | RD3=Finals<br>July 24
| score-width= 35px | team-width= 100px
| RD1-team1= '''[[Jack Burke Jr.]]''' | RD1-score1= 4&2 | RD1-team2= [[Fred Hawkins (golfer)|Fred Hawkins]] | RD1-score2=
| RD1-team3= '''[[Ed Furgol]]''' | RD1-score3= 1up | RD1-team4= [[Terl Johnson]] | RD1-score4=
| RD1-team5= '''[[Ted Kroll]]''' | RD1-score5= 2&1 | RD1-team6= [[Sam Snead]] | RD1-score6=
| RD1-team7= '''[[Bill Johnston (golfer)|Bill Johnston]]''' | RD1-score7= 3&2 | RD1-team8= [[Henry Ransom]] | RD1-score8=
| RD2-team1= '''[[Jack Burke Jr.]]''' | RD2-score1= 37h | RD2-team2= [[Ed Furgol]] | RD2-score2=
| RD2-team3= '''[[Ted Kroll]]''' | RD2-score3= 10&8 | RD2-team4= [[Bill Johnston (golfer)|Bill Johnston]] | RD2-score4=
| RD3-team1= '''[[Jack Burke Jr.]]''' | RD3-score1= 3&2 | RD3-team2= [[Ted Kroll]] | 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||4||3||4||4||3||5||5|| 4||4||4||3||4||4||3||4||5 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Burke||4||4||4||style="background: Pink;"|2||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||3||5||style="background: Pink;"|4||4||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||3||4||4||3||style="background: Pink;"|3||4 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Kroll||4||4||4||3||4||4||3||5||style="background: Pink;"|4||style="background: Pink;"|3||4||4||3||4||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|4||style="background: Pink;"|3||4 |- |align=left| Leader ||–||–||–||B1||–||K1||K1||K1||K1||K2||K2||K3||K3||K3||K3||K2||K2||K2 |}
''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||4||3||4||4||3||5||5|| 4||4||4||3||4||4||3||4||5 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Burke||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||4||4||style="background: Pink;"|2||4||style="background: Pink;"|3||style="background: Pink;"|2||style="background: Pink;"|4||style="background: Pink;"|4||4||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||3||4||4||style="background: Pink;"|2||rowspan=3 colspan=2 style="background:#DCDCDC;"|Burke<br>wins<br>3 and 2 |- |align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Kroll||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||4||3||4||4||3||5||style="background: Pink;"|4||4||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|5||3||4||4||style="background: PaleGreen;"|4 |- |align=left| Leader ||K3||K2||K2||K1||K1||–||B1||B2||B2||B2||B2||B2||B2||B2||B2||B3 |} <small>Source:</small><ref name=cdtbrally/> :{|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_1956.html PGA.com] – 1956 PGA Championship
{{Golf Major Championships master|1956}} {{PGA Championship}} {{coord|42.190|-71.137|type:event|display=title}}
[[Category:PGA Championship]] [[Category:Golf tournaments in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Canton, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Sports in Norfolk County, Massachusetts]] [[Category:1956 in golf|PGA Championship]] [[Category:1956 in American sports|PGA Championship]] [[Category:1956 in sports in Massachusetts|PGA Championship]] [[Category:July 1956 sports events in the United States|PGA Championship]]