| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | May 25–31, 1942 |
| Location | Galloway Twp., New Jersey |
| Course | Seaview Country Club |
| Organized by | PGA of America |
| Tour | PGA Tour |
| Format | Match play - 5 rounds |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72[1] |
| Length | 6,750 yards (6,172 m)[1] |
| Field | 102 players,[3] 32 to match play |
| Cut | 147 (+3), playoff |
| Prize fund | $7,550[2] |
| Winner's share | $2,000 |
| Champion | |
 Sam Snead | |
| def.Jim Turnesa, 2 and 1 | |
The1942 PGA Championship was the 25thPGA Championship, held May 25–31 atSeaview Country Club inGalloway Township, New Jersey, just north ofAtlantic City. Then amatch play championship,Sam Snead won 2 and 1 in the final overJim Turnesa.[4]
It was the first of Snead's sevenmajor titles, and he began his service in theU.S. Navy immediately after the event.[5] Turnesa, from a large family of professional golfers, won the PGA Championship in1952. He was serving in theU.S. Army and had defeated the other pre-tournament favorites,Ben Hogan andByron Nelson, in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Due toWorld War II, this was the second and final major of the year, following theMasters. None of the majors were played in 1943; the PGA Championship returned in1944 and the other three in 1946. The field for this PGA Championship was reduced from prior years, with 32 advancing to match play, and all five rounds at 36 holes per match. This format was continued for 1944 and 1945, then returned to the pre-war match play field of 64 in 1946.
In the three previous years, Nelson had advanced to the finals, but was defeated in the 1942 semifinals by Turnesa in 37 holes. Nelson returned to the finals at the next two editions for five finals in six PGA Championships; he won two, in1940 and1945. Prior to his match with Nelson, Turnesa defeated Hogan 2 and 1 in the quarterfinals;[1] after the war, Hogan won the title in1946 and1948.
Defending championVic Ghezzi, aNew Jersey native, lost 4 and 3 in the first round toJimmy Demaret, who fell 3 & 2 to Snead in the semifinals.Harry Cooper was the medalist in the stroke play qualifier at 138 (−6), but lost to Nelson in the quarterfinals on the third extra hole.
The golf course, now known as the Bay Course of theStockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, was designed in 1914 byDonald Ross. It hosts an annual event on theLPGA Tour, theShopRite LPGA Classic.
Thematch play format at the PGA Championship in 1942 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:[2]
Sunday, May 31, 1942
| Place | Player | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Snead | 2,000 |
| 2 | Jim Turnesa | 750 |
| T3 | Jimmy Demaret | 450 |
| Byron Nelson | ||
| T5 | Harry Cooper | 300 |
| Ed Dudley | ||
| Ben Hogan | ||
| Craig Wood |
Source:[5]
| Quarter-finals May 29 | Semi-finals May 30 | Finals May 31 | ||||||||||||
| Sam Snead | 1up | |||||||||||||
| Ed Dudley | ||||||||||||||
| Sam Snead | 3&2 | |||||||||||||
| Jimmy Demaret | ||||||||||||||
| Jimmy Demaret | 7&6 | |||||||||||||
| Craig Wood | ||||||||||||||
| Sam Snead | 2&1 | |||||||||||||
| Jim Turnesa | ||||||||||||||
| Jim Turnesa | 2&1 | |||||||||||||
| Ben Hogan | ||||||||||||||
| Jim Turnesa | 37h | |||||||||||||
| Byron Nelson | ||||||||||||||
| Byron Nelson | 39h | |||||||||||||
| Harry Cooper | ||||||||||||||
Morning
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Snead | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Turnesa | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Leader | – | T1 | – | S1 | – | – | – | T1 | T1 | T2 | T1 | T2 | T3 | T3 | T2 | T3 | T3 | T3 |
Afternoon
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Snead | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| Turnesa | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| Leader | T2 | T3 | T3 | T3 | T3 | T2 | T2 | T1 | – | S1 | S1 | S2 | S2 | S2 | S2 | S2 | S2 |
39°26′56″N74°28′26″W / 39.449°N 74.474°W /39.449; -74.474