The 1955 PGA Championship was the 37th PGA Championship, held July 20–26 in Michigan at Meadowbrook Country Club in Northville Township, northwest of nearby Detroit. Doug Ford won the match play championship, 4 and 3 over Cary Middlecoff in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $5,000 and the runner-up earned $3,000.[4][5][6] This was the first of two major titles for Ford, who won the Masters in 1957.

1955 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJuly 20–26, 1955
LocationNorthville Twp, Michigan
Course(s)Meadowbrook Country Club
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatMatch play - 6 rounds
Statistics
Par71
Length6,701 yards (6,127 m)[1]
Field135 players,[3]
64 to match play
Cut147 (+5), playoff
Prize fund$20,700[2]
Winner's share$5,000
Champion
United States Doug Ford
def. Cary Middlecoff, 4 and 3
← 1954
1956 →
Meadowbrook Country Club is located in the United States
Meadowbrook Country Club
Meadowbrook
Country Club
Meadowbrook Country Club is located in Michigan
Meadowbrook Country Club
Meadowbrook
Country Club

Ford was also the medalist in the stroke-play qualifying with a 135 (−7), worth $250 and the Alex Smith trophy.[7][8] He was the fourth to win the final match after winning the qualifier, joining Walter Hagen (1926), Olin Dutra (1932), and Byron Nelson (1945). Ford was the last medalist, as the format was changed in 1956 to seven rounds without a qualifier for two years, then to 72-hole stroke play in 1958.

Defending champion Chick Harbert, a local resident, was defeated in the second round by Johnny Palmer, 1 up. No former champion advanced past the second round.

This was second time in three years the PGA Championship was played near Detroit; the 1953 event was played at Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, about 20 miles (30 km) northeast. The 1947 edition, in which Harbert was runner-up, was also held in the Detroit area.

Format

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The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1955 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[2]

  • Wednesday and Thursday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
    • defending champion Chick Harbert and the 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

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Tuesday, July 26, 1955

Place Player Money ($)
1   Doug Ford 5,000
2   Cary Middlecoff 3,000
T3   Tommy Bolt 750
  Shelley Mayfield
T5   Jack Burke Jr. 500
  Don Fairfield
  Fred Hawkins
  Lew Worsham

Results

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Top half

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Last 64
July 22
Last 32
July 22
Last 16
July 23
Quarter-finals
July 24
Semi-finals
July 25
                  
Brien Charter 2&1
Jimmy Johnson
Brien Charter 1up
Lionel Hebert
Jerry Barber
Lionel Hebert 2&1
Brien Charter
Don Fairfield 2&1
Don Fairfield 3&1
Walter Romans
Don Fairfield 23h
Vic Ghezzi
Pete Cooper
Vic Ghezzi 4&3
Don Fairfield
Shelley Mayfield 3&2
Gene Sarazen 6&4
Clarence Doser
Gene Sarazen
Shelley Mayfield 4&3
Shelley Mayfield 6&5
Ted Neist
Shelley Mayfield 1up
Claude Harmon
Claude Harmon 5&4
Mike Turnesa
Claude Harmon 2&1
Eldon Briggs
Errie Ball
Eldon Briggs 1up
Shelley Mayfield
Doug Ford 4&3
Gus Salerno 2&1
Gunnard Johnson
Gus Salerno
Ed Furgol 20h
Ed Furgol 20h
Jimmy Gauntt
Ed Furgol
Fred Hawkins 6&5
Fred Hawkins 3&2
Eddie Joseph
Fred Hawkins 2up
Fred Haas
Skee Riegel
Fred Haas 3&2
Fred Hawkins
Doug Ford 5&4
Mike Dietz
Leonard Wagner 1up
Leonard Wagner
Wally Ulrich 2up
Wally Ulrich 19h
Dutch Harrison
Wally Ulrich
Doug Ford 12&10
Ted Kroll 3&2
Buck White
Ted Kroll
Doug Ford 2&1
Doug Ford 2&1
George Fazio

Bottom half

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Last 64
July 22
Last 32
July 22
Last 16
July 23
Quarter-finals
July 24
Semi-finals
July 25
                  
Chick Harbert 3&1
Eric Monti
Chick Harbert
Johnny Palmer 1up
Johnny Palmer 5&4
Roy Wallin
Johnny Palmer
Lew Worsham 6&5
Lew Worsham 2&1
Dick Lundahl
Lew Worsham 2&1
Ray Hill
Jackson Bradley
Ray Hill 2&1
Lew Worsham
Tommy Bolt 8&7
Sam Snead 2&1
Al Feminelli
Sam Snead
Tommy Bolt 3&2
Tommy Bolt w/o
Al Watrous
Tommy Bolt 3&1
Jack Fleck
Jack Fleck 4&2
Joe Zarhardt
Jack Fleck 2&1
Jay Hebert
Jay Hebert 4&3
Alex Redl
Tommy Bolt
Cary Middlecoff 4&3
Cary Middlecoff 2&1
Walter Burkemo
Cary Middlecoff 3&2
Bill Nary
Bill Nary 2&1
Darwin White
Cary Middlecoff 8&6
Mike Pavella
Ed Oliver
Jim Browning 3&2
Jim Browning
Mike Pavella 4&3
Mike Pavella 3&2
Bob Kay
Cary Middlecoff 40h
Jack Burke Jr.
Marty Furgol 3&2
Jack Igoe
Marty Furgol 1up
Tony Holguin
Tony Holguin 1up
Joe Greer
Marty Furgol
Jack Burke Jr. 2&1
Jack Burke Jr. 4&2
Guy Paulsen
Jack Burke Jr. 8&6
Dave Douglas
Dave Douglas 4&3
Herman Scharlau

w/o = won by walkover

Source:[9]

Final

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July 26, Morning

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 4 5 4
  Ford 4 5 4 4 4 2 4 3 4 4 3 4 2 4 5 4 4 4
  Middlecoff 3 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 5 3 3 4 4 5 4
Leader M1 M1 M1 M1 M1 M1 M1 M2 M2 M2 M1 M1 M2 M2 M1 M1

Afternoon

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 4 5 4
  Ford 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 2 4 4 2 4 4 3 4 Ford wins
4 and 3
  Middlecoff 5 4 4 5 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 3 4 5
Leader M1 M1 F1 F1 F1 F2 F3 F2 F3 F4

Source:[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Snead putts well, posts 66 to lead PGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 21, 1955. p. 17.
  2. ^ a b "Tournament Info for: 1955 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  3. ^ "National PGA tourney opens". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. July 20, 1955. p. 4B.
  4. ^ "Doug Ford wins PGA title in his first try". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 27, 1955. p. 15.
  5. ^ a b Bartlett, Charles (July 27, 1955). "P.G.A. title won 4 and 3 by Doug Ford". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
  6. ^ Wind, Herbert Warren (August 15, 1955). "In the PGA, Doug Ford, the summer's hottest golfer, proved speed and hunger are a winning combination". Sports Illustrated. p. 54.
  7. ^ Bartlett, Charles (July 22, 1955). "P.G.A. medal won with 135 by Doug Ford". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
  8. ^ "Doug Ford shoots 135 to win PGA medal". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 22, 1955. p. 19.
  9. ^ "2012 PGA Championship Media Guide" (PDF). PGA Media Guide. PGA of America. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
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42°26′13″N 83°26′49″W / 42.437°N 83.447°W / 42.437; -83.447