1942 PGA Championship

The 1942 PGA Championship was the 25th PGA Championship, held May 25–31 at Seaview Country Club in Galloway Township, New Jersey, just north of Atlantic City. Then a match play championship, Sam Snead won 2 and 1 in the final over Jim Turnesa.^[4]

1942 PGA Championship

Tournament information
Dates	May 25–31, 1942
Location	Galloway Twp., New Jersey
Course(s)	Seaview Country Club
Organized by	PGA of America
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Match play - 5 rounds
Statistics
Par	72[1]
Length	6,750 yards (6,172 m)[1]
Field	102 players,[2] 32 to match play
Cut	147 (+3), playoff
Prize fund	$7,550[3]
Winner's share	$2,000
Champion
Sam Snead
def. Jim Turnesa, 2 and 1
← 1941 1944 →

Atlantic City 

Location in the United States

Seaview CC 

Location in New Jersey

It was the first of Snead's seven major titles, and he began his service in the U.S. Navy immediately after the event.^[5] Turnesa, from a large family of professional golfers, won the PGA Championship in 1952. He was serving in the U.S. Army and had defeated the other pre-tournament favorites, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Due to World War II, this was the second and final major of the year, following the Masters. None of the majors were played in 1943; the PGA Championship returned in 1944 and the other three in 1946. The field for this PGA Championship was reduced from prior years, with 32 advancing to match play, and all five rounds at 36 holes per match. This format was continued for 1944 and 1945, then returned to the pre-war match play field of 64 in 1946.

In the three previous years, Nelson had advanced to the finals, but was defeated in the 1942 semifinals by Turnesa in 37 holes. Nelson returned to the finals at the next two editions for five finals in six PGA Championships; he won two, in 1940 and 1945. Prior to his match with Nelson, Turnesa defeated Hogan 2 and 1 in the quarterfinals;^[1] after the war, Hogan won the title in 1946 and 1948.

Defending champion Vic Ghezzi, a New Jersey native, lost 4 and 3 in the first round to Jimmy Demaret, who fell 3 & 2 to Snead in the semifinals. Harry Cooper was the medalist in the stroke play qualifier at 138 (−6), but lost to Nelson in the quarterfinals on the third extra hole.

The golf course, now known as the Bay Course of the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, was designed in 1914 by Donald Ross. It hosts an annual event on the LPGA Tour, the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1942 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:^[3]

• Monday and Tuesday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day, field of 102 players;
  • the top 31 professionals advanced to match play, joining defending champion Vic Ghezzi
• 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, May 31, 1942

Place	Player	Money ($)
1	Sam Snead	2,000
2	Jim Turnesa	750
T3	Jimmy Demaret	450
	Byron Nelson
T5	Harry Cooper	300
	Ed Dudley
	Ben Hogan
	Craig Wood

Source:^[5]

Final eight bracket

Quarter-finals May 29

Semi-finals May 30

Finals May 31

Sam Snead

1up

Ed Dudley

Sam Snead

3&2

Jimmy Demaret

Jimmy Demaret

7&6

Craig Wood

Sam Snead

2&1

Jim Turnesa

Jim Turnesa

2&1

Ben Hogan

Jim Turnesa

37h

Byron Nelson

Byron Nelson

39h

Harry Cooper

Final match scorecards

Morning

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	4	5	4	5	3	4	4	4	5	3	4
Snead	4	4	4	3	4	4	3	4	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	5	3	5
Turnesa	4	3	5	4	3	4	3	3	5	4	5	3	3	4	5	4	3	5
Leader	–	T1	–	S1	–	–	–	T1	T1	T2	T1	T2	T3	T3	T2	T3	T3	T3

Afternoon

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	4	5	4	5	3	4	4	4	5	3	4
Snead	4	6	4	4	4	4	3	3	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	4	2
Turnesa	5	4	4	4	4	5	3	4	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	4	2
Leader	T2	T3	T3	T3	T3	T2	T2	T1	–	S1	S1	S2	S2	S2	S2	S2	S2

• Source:^[4]