# 1951 PGA Championship

The 1951 PGA Championship was the 33rd PGA Championship, held June 27 to July 3 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, a suburb northeast of Pittsburgh. Sam Snead won the match play championship, 7 and 6, over Walter Burkemo in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $3,500, and the runner-up's was $1,500.
It marked the first time the PGA Championship returned to a venue; Oakmont had hosted in 1922 (at the time, it had also hosted two U.S. Opens and three U.S. Amateurs). It was Snead's third and final win in the PGA Championship and the fifth of his seven major titles. At age 39, he was the oldest at the time to win the PGA Championship, passing his old record of two years earlier. Burkemo won the title in 1953 and was runner-up again in 1954.
Defending champion Chandler Harper lost in the first round to Jim Turnesa in a match that went to 23 holes. Turnesa, the runner-up to Snead in 1942, won the title the following year in 1952 and displaced Snead as the oldest champion by a few months.
Snead's win was the last by a former champion for twenty years until Jack Nicklaus won his second PGA Championship in 1971.
Claude Harmon, Lloyd Mangrum, and Pete Cooper tied for the lowest score in the stroke play qualifier at 142 (−2). Harmon won the $250 medalist prize on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff.
The British Open in 1951 was held in the first week of July in Northern Ireland. Its mandatory two-day qualifier was held on the same days as the PGA's semifinals and finals, which prevented participation in both events.

## Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1951 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:
* Wednesday and Thursday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
** defending champion Chandler Harper and top 63 professionals advanced to match play
* Friday – first two rounds, 18 holes each
* Saturday – third round – 36 holes
* Sunday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
* Monday – semifinals – 36 holes
* Tuesday – final – 36 holes

## Final results

| Place | Player | Money ($) |
| 1 | Sam Snead | 3,500 |
| 2 | Walter Burkemo | 1,500 |
| T3 | Charlie Bassler | 750 |
| T3 | Ellsworth Vines | 750 |
| T5 | Al Brosch | 500 |
| T5 | Johnny Bulla | 500 |
| T5 | Jack Burke Jr. | 500 |
| T5 | Reggie Myles | 500 |

## Final eight bracket

| Quarter-finals July 1 | Quarter-finals July 1 | Quarter-finals July 1 | Semi-finals July 2 | Semi-finals July 2 | Semi-finals July 2 | Finals July 3 | Finals July 3 | Finals July 3 |
| Sam Snead | Sam Snead | 2&1 | | | | | | |
| Jack Burke Jr. | Jack Burke Jr. | | | | | | | |
| Jack Burke Jr. | Jack Burke Jr. | | Sam Snead | Sam Snead | 9&8 | | | |
| | | | Charlie Bassler | Charlie Bassler | | | | |
| Charlie Bassler | Charlie Bassler | 1up | Charlie Bassler | Charlie Bassler | | | | |
| Al Brosch | Al Brosch | | | | | | | |
| Al Brosch | Al Brosch | | | | | Sam Snead | Sam Snead | 7&6 |
| | | | | | | Walter Burkemo | Walter Burkemo | |
| Walter Burkemo | Walter Burkemo | 1up | | | | | | | Walter Burkemo | Walter Burkemo |
| Reggie Myles | Reggie Myles | | | | | | | |
| Reggie Myles | Reggie Myles | | Walter Burkemo | Walter Burkemo | 37h | | | |
| | | | Ellsworth Vines | Ellsworth Vines | | | | |
| Ellsworth Vines | Ellsworth Vines | 1up | Ellsworth Vines | Ellsworth Vines | | | | |
| Johnny Bulla | Johnny Bulla | | | | | | | |
Source:

## Final match scorecards

Morning
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Par | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Snead | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Burkemo | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Leader | S1 | S2 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S5 | S5 | S5 | S5 | S4 | S4 | S5 | S4 | S4 | S5 | S4 | S3 |
Afternoon
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Par | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Snead | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 |
| Burkemo | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 |
| Leader | S4 | S5 | S6 | S5 | S5 | S5 | S6 | S7 | S6 | S7 | S7 | S7 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 | Snead wins 7 and 6 |
    Eagle Birdie Bogey Double bogey
Source: