1946 PGA Championship

1946 PGA Championship

Tournament information
Dates	August 19–25, 1946
Location	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Course(s)	Portland Golf Club
Organized by	PGA of America
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Match play - 6 rounds
Statistics
Par	72
Length	6,524 yards (5,966 m)
Field	122 players, 64 to match play
Cut	148 (+4), playoff
Prize fund	$17,700
Winner's share	$3,500
Champion
Ben Hogan
def. Ed Oliver, 6 & 4
«1945 1947»

Portland GC

Location in the United States

Portland GC

Location in Oregon

The 1946 PGA Championship was the 28th PGA Championship, held August 19–25 at Portland Golf Club outside Portland, Oregon. Ben Hogan won the match play championship, 6 & 4 over Ed Oliver in the final; the winner's share was $3,500 and the runner-up's was $1,500.

Hogan was three down after the first 18 holes in the morning, then rebounded in the afternoon. In the semifinals, Hogan defeated Jimmy Demaret 10 & 9 and Oliver beat Jug McSpaden 6 & 5. Oliver defeated defending champion Byron Nelson 1 up in the quarterfinals.

For Hogan, age 34, it was the first of his nine major titles. He won again in 1948, but following his near-fatal auto accident in early 1949, his debilitated condition did not agree with the grueling five-day schedule of 36 holes per day in summer heat. Hogan did not enter the PGA Championship again until 1960, its third year as a 72-hole stroke play event, at 18 holes per day.

In the quarterfinals, defending champion Byron Nelson bogeyed the final hole and lost 1 down to Oliver; it was Nelson's final appearance at the PGA Championship. The medalist for the stroke-play qualifying portion was Jim Ferrier, which included a 29 on the front nine of the second round, a record for a PGA event. He won the PGA Championship title the following year in 1947.

The Portland Golf Club hosted the Portland Open on the PGA Tour the previous two years; Sam Snead won in 1944 and Hogan in 1945. It also hosted the Ryder Cup in 1947, won by the U.S. team captained by Hogan.

This was the first "full field" at the PGA Championship since 1941, with a match play bracket of 64 competitors. Due to World War II, it had been reduced to 32 for 1942, 1944, and 1945, and not played in 1943.

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1946 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:

• Monday and Tuesday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
  • defending champion Byron Nelson 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

Past champions in the field

Player	Country	Year(s) won	Record	Advanced to	Finish
Byron Nelson	United States	1940, 1945	3–1	Quarterfinals	T5
Vic Ghezzi	United States	1941	1–1	Second round	T17
Bob Hamilton	United States	1944	1–1	Second round	T17
Sam Snead	United States	1942	1–1	Second round	T17

Final results

Sunday, August 25, 1946

Place	Player	Country	Money ($)
1	Ben Hogan	United States	3,500
2	Ed Oliver	United States	1,500
T3	Jimmy Demaret	United States	750
	Harold "Jug" McSpaden	United States
T5	Chuck Congdon	United States	500
	Frank Moore	United States
	Byron Nelson	United States
	Jim Turnesa	United States

Final eight bracket

Quarter-finals August 23

Semi-finals August 24

Finals August 25

Ben Hogan

5&4

Frank Moore

Ben Hogan

10&9

Jimmy Demaret

Jimmy Demaret

6&5

Jim Turnesa

Ben Hogan

6&4

Ed Oliver

Ed Oliver

1up

Byron Nelson

Ed Oliver

6&5

Harold "Jug" McSpaden

Harold "Jug" McSpaden

5&3

Chuck Congdon

External links

• PGA Media Guide 2012
• About.com – 1946 PGA Championship
• PGA.com – 1946 PGA Championship