Wikipedia

1966 PGA Championship

The 1966 PGA Championship was the 48th PGA Championship, played July 21–24 at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Al Geiberger won his only major championship, four strokes ahead of runner-up Dudley Wysong.[2][3]

1966 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJuly 21–24, 1966
LocationAkron, Ohio
Course(s)Firestone Country Club
South Course
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length7,180 yards (6,565 m)
Field162 players, 77 after cut
Cut151 (+11)
Prize fund$149,360[1]
Winner's share$25,000
Champion
United States Al Geiberger
280 (Even)
← 1965
1967 →
Firestone CC is located in the United States
Firestone CC
Firestone CC
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Location in the United States
Firestone CC is located in Ohio
Firestone CC
Firestone CC
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Location in Ohio

Sam Snead, age 54, was co-leader and leader after the first two days, but shot 75 in the third round on Saturday. Geiberger carded a two-under 68 to lead by four strokes over Wysong, who shot a 66.[4] Both shot two-over 72 on Sunday as both bogeyed the first two holes. The lead shrunk to two as Wysong birdied the third while Geiberger bogeyed the fourth, but then birdied the fifth and ninth holes to regain the four-stroke advantage.[5]

The 1966 championship was originally scheduled to be held at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver. A flash flood of the adjacent South Platte River in June 1965 caused significant damage to the course and forced a postponement. Firestone was scheduled to host in 1967, so the venues swapped years.[6]

This was the second of three PGA Championships at the South Course, which previously hosted in 1960 and later in 1975. It is the current venue for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which began in 1976 as the "World Series of Golf" on the PGA Tour, preceded by the American Golf Classic, which debuted in 1961.

Course layout edit

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 400 500 450 465 230 465 225 450 465 3,650 405 365 180 460 410 230 625 390 465 3,530 7,180
Par 4 5 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 35 4 4 3 4 4 3 5 4 4 35 70

Round summaries edit

First round edit

Thursday, July 21, 1966

Place Player Score To par
T1   Al Geiberger 68 −2
  Sam Snead
T3   Julius Boros 69 −1
  Don January
  Doug Sanders
6   Jacky Cupit 70 E
T7   Tommy Aaron 71 +1
  Larry Beck
  Jim Ferrier
  United States
  Jack Fleck
  Walker Inman

Source:[7]

Second round edit

Friday, July 22, 1966

Place Player Score To par
1   Sam Snead 68-71=139 −1
T2   Al Geiberger 68-72=140 E
  Don January 69-71=140
4   Julius Boros 69-72=141 +1
T5   Tommy Aaron 71-72=143 +3
  Jacky Cupit 70-73=143
  Billy Farrell 73-70=143
  Gary Player 73-70=143
  Doug Sanders 69-74=143
10   Dow Finsterwald 74-70=144 +4

Source:[8]

Third round edit

Saturday, July 23, 1966

Place Player Score To par
1   Al Geiberger 68-72-68=208 −2
2   Dudley Wysong 74-72-66=212 +2
T3   Don January 69-71-73=213 +3
  Gary Player 73-70-70=213
T5   Frank Beard 73-72-69=214 +4
  Billy Farrell 73-70-71=214
  Sam Snead 68-71-75=214
T8   Julius Boros 69-72-75=216 +6
  Billy Casper 73-73-70=216
  Jacky Cupit 70-73-73=216

Source:[9]

Final round edit

Sunday, July 24, 1966

Place Player Score To par Money ($)
1   Al Geiberger 68-72-68-72=280 E 25,000
2   Dudley Wysong 74-72-66-72=284 +4 15,000
T3   Billy Casper 73-73-70-70=286 +6 8,334
  Gene Littler 75-71-71-69=286
  Gary Player 73-70-70-73=286
T6   Julius Boros 69-72-75-71=287 +7 5,000
  Jacky Cupit 70-73-73-71=287
  Arnold Palmer 75-73-71-68=287
  Doug Sanders 69-74-73-71=287
  Sam Snead 68-71-75-73=287

Source:[3]

Lema and wife killed edit

Hours after the championship's conclusion on Sunday, Tony Lema and his wife Betty were among four fatalities in a chartered private plane crash near the Indiana-Illinois border. Lema, age 32, had finished tied for 34th and was heading west to a Monday tournament in the Chicago area. Both pilots of the twin-engine Beechcraft Bonanza were also killed as they attempted an emergency landing on a golf course in Lansing, Illinois, near the destination airport.[10][11][12][13]

References edit

  1. ^ "Tournament Info for: 1966 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  2. ^ Jenkins, Dan (August 1, 1966). "A happy stroll for golf's smiling Gei". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
  3. ^ a b Mooshil, Joe (July 25, 1966). "Geiberger's par-matching 280 captures PGA title at Akron Firestone". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 20.
  4. ^ "Geiberger grabs lead from Sam". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 24, 1966. p. 1B.
  5. ^ "Lema's death shocks golf world, we were like brothers, says Ken". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. wire services. July 25, 1966. p. 2B.
  6. ^ Wright, Alfred (July 31, 1967). "Two Dons in quest of a title". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
  7. ^ "Snead, Geiberger lead PGA with 68s". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. July 22, 1966. p. 2, part 2.
  8. ^ "Swinging, not slamming Sammy holds PGA lead". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 23, 1966. p. 1B.
  9. ^ "Geiberger grabs lead from Sam". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 24, 1966. p. 1B.
  10. ^ "Lema plane crash probed". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. July 26, 1966. p. 2, part 2.
  11. ^ "Lema crash probed by aviation group". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 26, 1966. p. 19.
  12. ^ Fimrite, Ron (July 31, 1995). "The Toast Of Golf". Sports Illustrated: G14.
  13. ^ "Muncie, Ind., crash probed". Eugene Register-Guard. wire reports. July 26, 1966. p. 3B.

External links edit

41°00′29″N 81°30′29″W / 41.008°N 81.508°W / 41.008; -81.508

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