The 1937 PGA Championship was the 20th PGA Championship, held May 24–30 at Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, a suburb northeast of Pittsburgh. Then a match play championship, Denny Shute won his second consecutive PGA Championship in less than seven months, defeating Jug McSpaden in 37 holes.[3][4] The previous edition in 1936 was held in November at Pinehurst, North Carolina.

1937 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesMay 24–30, 1937
LocationFox Chapel, Pennsylvania
Course(s)Pittsburgh Field Club
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatMatch play - 6 rounds
Statistics
Par72
Length6,665 yards (6,094 m)
Field106 players,
64 to match play[2]
Cut157 (+13), playoff
Prize fund$9,200[1]
Winner's share$1,000
Champion
United States Denny Shute
def. Jug McSpaden, 37 holes
← 1936
1938 →
Pittsburgh is located in the United States
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh  Field Club is located in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh  Field Club
Pittsburgh 
Field Club

Shute was 3 holes up after the morning round of the finals, but McSpaden had the lead with nine holes remaining and was 2 up with three holes to go. McSpaden bogeyed the 34th and double-bogeyed the 35th to square up the match as they went to the 36th tee. McSpaden missed a four-foot (1.2 m) birdie putt to win and they halved the hole and went to an extra hole. McSpaden lipped out his par-saving putt from 8 feet (2.4 m) to end the match.[3][5]

Shute was the last to successfully defend his title at the PGA Championship until Tiger Woods won consecutive titles in 1999 and 2000. It was Shute's third and final major title; his first was at the British Open in 1933 at St. Andrews.

Usually played later in the schedule, this PGA Championship was in late May, the first of three times it was held before the U.S. Open and British Open. Prior to World War II, the PGA Championship was most often played in September, but ranged from late May (1937, 1942) to early December (1929). Since 1969, it has been held in early to mid-August, except for 1971 (February) and 2016 (July).

Format

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The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1937 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[1][6]

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

Final results

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Sunday, May 30, 1937

Place Player Money ($)
1   Denny Shute 1,000
2   Jug McSpaden 500
T3   Ky Laffoon 250
  Tony Manero
T5   Harry Cooper 200
  Jimmy Hines
  Byron Nelson
  Henry Picard

Source:[7]

Final eight bracket

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Quarter-finals
May 28
Semi-finals
May 29
Finals
May 30
         
Denny Shute 4&3
Jimmy Hines
Denny Shute 3&2
Tony Manero
Tony Manero 1up
Harry Cooper
Denny Shute 37h
Jug McSpaden
Jug McSpaden 39h
Henry Picard
Jug McSpaden 2&1
Ky Laffoon
Ky Laffoon 2&1
Byron Nelson

Final match scorecards

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Morning

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 4 5 3 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 3 5 3 4 4
  Shute 5 4 5 3 5 2 3 5 3 5 5 4 3 3 6 3 3 3
  McSpaden 3 4 4 3 4 3 ^ 5 4 5 4 5 4 4 5 3 ^ 4
Leader M1 M1 M2 M2 M3 M2 M1 M1 M1 S1 S2 S1 S1 S2 S3

Afternoon

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 4 5 3 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 3 5 3 4 4
  Shute 6 4 5 2 5 3 4 5 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 3 5 4
  McSpaden 4 3 5 3 4 3 4 4 4 5 5 4 4 3 5 4 ^ 4
Leader S2 S1 S1 S2 S1 S1 S1 M1 M1 M2 M2 M1

^ = picked up ball (hole concession)

Extra hole

Hole  1 
Par 4
  Shute 4
  McSpaden 5
Leader S1

References

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  1. ^ a b "Tournament Info for: 1937 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  2. ^ "Runyan Paces Field in PGA Golf Tourney; Hines is Second". Telegraph-Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. United Press. May 25, 1937. p. 11. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Bartlett, Charles (May 31, 1937). "Shute defeats M'Spaden for P.G.A. title on 37th". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 21.
  4. ^ "Denny Shute wins title in pro golf". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. May 31, 1937. p. 20. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  5. ^ Henry, Jack (May 31, 1937). "Denny Shute stages spectacular rally to retain national P.G.A. Championship". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). United Press. p. 10. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  6. ^ "Match-By-Match Chart Of The P.G.A. Championship At Field Club". Pittsburgh Press. May 29, 1937. p. 9. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  7. ^ "Money division in P.G.A. title meet". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. May 31, 1937. p. 10. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
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40°30′47″N 79°53′24″W / 40.513°N 79.89°W / 40.513; -79.89