# 1945 PGA Championship

The 1945 PGA Championship was the 27th PGA Championship, held July 9–15 at Moraine Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, a suburb south of Dayton. Then a match play championship, Byron Nelson won 4 and 3 in the final over Sam Byrd, a former major league baseball player.
It was Nelson's fifth and final major title and his second win at the PGA Championship; he also won in 1940 and was a runner-up three times (1939, 1941, 1944). The winner's share of the purse was $5,000 in war bonds. The victory was the ninth of Nelson's record eleven consecutive wins in 1945.
Defending champion Bob Hamilton was defeated in the first round by Jack Grout, 4 and 3.
Due to World War II, the PGA Championship was the sole major played in 1945 (and 1944). The three others returned in 1946.

## Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1945 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:
* Monday and Tuesday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day, field of 78 players;
** defending champion Bob Hamilton and top 31 professionals advanced to match play
* 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, July 15, 1945
| Place | Player |
| 1 | Byron Nelson |
| 2 | Sam Byrd |
| T3 | Clarence Doser |
| T3 | Claude Harmon |
| T5 | Vic Ghezzi |
| T5 | Ralph Hutchison |
| T5 | Ky Laffoon |
| T5 | Denny Shute |

## Final eight bracket

| Quarter-finals July 13 | Quarter-finals July 13 | Quarter-finals July 13 | Semi-finals July 14 | Semi-finals July 14 | Semi-finals July 14 | Finals July 15 | Finals July 15 | Finals July 15 |
| Byron Nelson | Byron Nelson | 3&2 | | | | | | |
| Denny Shute | Denny Shute | | | | | | | |
| Denny Shute | Denny Shute | | Byron Nelson | Byron Nelson | 5&4 | | | |
| | | | Claude Harmon | Claude Harmon | | | | |
| Claude Harmon | Claude Harmon | 4&3 | Claude Harmon | Claude Harmon | | | | |
| Ralph Hutchison | Ralph Hutchison | | | | | | | |
| Ralph Hutchison | Ralph Hutchison | | | | | Byron Nelson | Byron Nelson | 4&3 |
| | | | | | | Sam Byrd | Sam Byrd | |
| Sam Byrd | Sam Byrd | 7&6 | | | | | | | Sam Byrd | Sam Byrd |
| Vic Ghezzi | Vic Ghezzi | | | | | | | |
| Vic Ghezzi | Vic Ghezzi | | Sam Byrd | Sam Byrd | 7&6 | | | |
| | | | Clarence Doser | Clarence Doser | | | | |
| Clarence Doser | Clarence Doser | 2&1 | Clarence Doser | Clarence Doser | | | | |
| Ky Laffoon | Ky Laffoon | | | | | | | |

## 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 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Nelson | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Byrd | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Leader | N1 | – | N1 | N1 | N1 | N1 | N1 | N1 | – | – | N1 | N1 | N1 | N1 | – | – | B1 | B2 |
Afternoon
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Nelson | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | Nelson wins 4 and 3 | Nelson wins 4 and 3 | Nelson wins 4 and 3 |
| Byrd | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | Nelson wins 4 and 3 | Nelson wins 4 and 3 | Nelson wins 4 and 3 |
| Leader | B2 | B2 | B3 | B2 | B2 | B2 | B1 | – | – | – | N1 | N2 | N3 | N4 | N4 | Nelson wins 4 and 3 | Nelson wins 4 and 3 | Nelson wins 4 and 3 |
* Source: