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PGA Championship, 1953, , .

By Jack Berry ichigan’s rich history is high - lighted by six PGA Championships, three of them in a nine-year span, and tMhe post-World War II heritage of the Motor City Opens and the great players who lived, played and taught here. M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • L A T E F A L L 2 0 0 8 3 Think and Horton Then, as the war broke out and tained the 1940 Challengers, Smith, Walter Burkemo and Chick competition between the 1941 team which Harbert, the 11 Motor City Opens, the and Great Britain defeated Hagen’s team, and Craig ’s 9- over the wil - and Ireland went into mothballs, a captained the Challengers in lows, outputting Challenge Cup was devised. 1943. and , and Ireland over Hagen, who captained every played before going into military Spain, Padraig Harrington over American team since the first service. , appointed Sergio Garcia. Ryder Cup in 1927, captained a Oakland Hills professional in team of Americans against another 1944, also played in the matches. Hagen, Oakland Hills’ first pro - team of Americans to raise money fessional, was instrumental in put - for the USO and Red Cross. Hagen and Jones had retired ting on the map of big-time from competitive golf so they did - golf. He won a record five PGA Two matches were played at n’t renew some of their famous Championships (since tied by Jack Oakland Hills and one at Detroit duels of the 1920s, after one of Nicklaus with one and the final one at which Jones, the precisionist, said back) and settled in Detroit. Plum Hollow. cap - “When a man misses his ,

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Jim Ferrier, receiving Wanamaker trophy, PGA Championship 1947

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Walter Burkemo, 1953 PGA Champion

M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • L A T E F A L L 2 0 0 8 5 then misses his second shot and and before Tiger Woods, there was to live like one,” and “Stop and then wins the hole with a birdie, it The Haig, the great escape artist smell the roses along the way.” gets my goat.” with a deadly and show - man’s flair for big crowds and his “It was Walter who made pro - Before there was Arnold favorite words to live by: “I don’t fessional golf what it is,” Gene Palmer, before want to be a millionaire, I just want Sarazen said.

Hagen made Detroit his home, Watrous, a top internationalist of his day, was at Oakland Hills and , win - ner of the first and third Masters Tournaments, was appointed profes - sional at in 1946. 6 Detroit was home to three of the great players of the game and the war’s Arsenal of Democracy turned into a national golf center with the 1947 PGA Championship at Plum Hollow.

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P pro in 1942 before going into service, definitely was the Gary Player smiles as he looks at the PGA’s Wanamaker trophy after winning the PGA favorite. tournament in Birmingham, Michigan. Player finished the four rounds with 281 to win the tournament that he last won in 1962.

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M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E • L A T E F A L L 2 0 0 8 7 Photo courtesy of PGA of America There weren’t gallery ropes the July 6-10 British Open so there Motor City pros when Harbert then and the fans followed right was no chance for a professional defeated Burkemo, 4-3, in the 1954 out in the fairway and crowded , not that Hogan would final at Keller Golf Club in St. around the greens. It’s said that have tried. Paul, Minn. Ferrier and his wife thought fans might step on his ball so that they Despite not liking the food, his Harbert, who was to captain hired “protection” to make sure no accommodation or the the 1955 Ryder Cup team, was the fan got too zealous. True or not, (), Hogan won the Open host professional when the cham - Ferrier defeated Harbert, 2-1, in just as he had won the Masters and pionship was awarded to the 36 hole match. the United States Open earlier that Meadowbrook that summer. But year. Hogan’s legs were severely after winning his first round The success of the PGA led to injured in a 1949 head-on crash on morning match, 3-1, over Eric the birth of the in a foggy west highway with a Monti, Harbert lost in the after - 1948 at Meadowbrook Country Greyhound bus. noon to , 1-up. Club. Ben Hogan beat Dutch Burkemo also was a first day vic - Harrison, 73-74, in a – no The PGA format then was two tim, losing to Middlecoff, 2-1, and in those days. Harbert rounds of every day Snead and Sarazen went down and Horton Smith tied for eighth and Hogan’s legs couldn’t take that before the sun set. with Al Watrous tied for 12 th . so he didn’t play the PGA again until after it went to in Middlecoff, who’d found the Meadowbrook, now Harbert’s 1958. He’d won the PGA twice Northville course to his liking with 9 home club, hosted the Motor City before the accident including 1948. his 1948 Motor City Open victory again in 1949 and and shared 1949 title, reached the and set a record The 1953 PGA at Birmingham final although he had to go 40 that still stands. Tied at the end of was a killer for favorites. Gene holes to beat Jack Burke in the the fourth round, they began a Sarazen, , Porky Oliver, quarterfinal. He then beat Tommy playoff that lasted 11 holes and , and 1952 finalist Bolt, 4-3, who had four very com - was halted by darkness. So they Harbert were first round morning fortable victories. split first and second money, victims and the afternoon saw $2,250 each. defending champion , , playing in his first Sam Snead, and PGA Championship, was a differ - Horton Smith was elected PGA Middlecoff eliminated. ent matter. Ford, who was medalist of America president in 1952. The in the 36-hole qualifier, beat practice then was that the PGA Burkemo, who rose from East and by 2-1 Championship would be played in Side Detroit ranks to margins in his first day matches the president’s city so the 1953 become one of the best match and then rolled, 12-10, over Wally Championship was set at players of his day, cruised. He did - Ulrich, then 5-4 over Fred Birmingham Country Club. At the n’t reach the 36 th hole until his Hawkins and 4-3 over Shelly time, American pros didn’t enter quarterfinal and then he beat Dave Mayfield. the British Open in large numbers Douglas, 2-up. He then went 36 and little thought was given to again in the semifinal for a 1-up Ford, one of golf’s fastest play - scheduling. Consequently the PGA victory over . ers, opened the final with a 66 but was played July 1-7, (it was all a couple bogeys left him 1-down to match play then) and it overlapped A hometown gallery of 10,000 the rather deliberate Middlecoff’s followed Burkemo in the final as 67. Ford evened it at the 26 th with he defeated Felice Torza, 2-1, in a birdie and shot ahead with Photo left: David Graham wins the 35 holes. birdies on the 29 th , 30 th and 32 nd 1979 PGA Championship at Oakland holes for a 3-up lead and finished a Hills The PGA crown stayed with the

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Champion Padraig Harrington with the trophy at the awards ceremony on the 18th green fol - lowing the final round of play at the 90th PGA Fhampionship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, USA, on Sunday, August 10, 2008.

4-3 victory with a on the 33 rd And British Opens as 72 hole The Motor City Opens kept hole. stroke play events. Television Detroit in the top echelon of tour - abhors match play and TV was nament golf with events at Red The PGA dropped the 36-hole beginning to be a serious factor Run, Plum Hollow, Western and, stroke play qualifier in 1956 and although it still took some years over the 11 tournament run, the field expanded to 128 players. before the U.S. And British Opens Meadowbrook hosted four Motor That lasted just two years before did away with their 36-hole Cities. Champions were led by the PGA joined the Masters, U.S. Saturday finishes and stretched to Middlecoff’s three with two of four days. them overtime. Hogan, Mangrum,

10 L A T E F A L L 2 0 0 8 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E 11 Ford, , , signed on for the 1972 PGA 72 nd on a brilliant, warm , and Championship. The purse was Sunday afternoon. were the other $224,087 and it was a hit. winners. Michigan’s golf honor was Nerves got to Graham and he restored, everyone was paid and drove in the rough, his next was in The teed off in Orlick presented the huge silver the rough and he made double 1958 and offered double the purse, Wanamaker Trophy to Gary bogey, forcing a sudden death $52,000, the Motor City Open was Player. Perfect. playoff with Ben Crenshaw. This able to raise and the final MCO was before the PGA went to a was played at Knollwood in 1962. The superstars were in con - three hole total score playoff for - tention — , who had mat. As it was, it did go three And in the late 1960s a move - won the Masters and U.S. Open holes . ment began by touring players to earlier in 1972; who’d form their own association, sepa - won the British Open; Arnold Crenshaw, one of the purest rate from the club pro-dominated Palmer and – and ever to play the game, was PGA of America. Money was get - they finished in the top 16. favored by the huge gallery as it ting better on the circuit and play - Amazing Sam Snead, 60 years old, streamed to line the first hole. ers didn’t also need a club job to tied for fourth. Graham looked dead, in mind and make a living. form, after blowing the lead on the The champion, though, was the 18 th . He came up 50 yards short of During that period a tournament 12 smallest man in the field, Player, the green on the first hole but was scheduled for Shenandoah, the who hit one of the greatest shots of pulled himself together and sank 1969 Michigan Golf Classic. The his career on the 70th hole, the an 18-foot par putt to match big name players didn’t enter and water-guarded dogleg right, par 4 Crenshaw’s par. without major financial support – 16th. the lone sponsor owned a trophy Then, on the par 5 second, shop – crowds didn’t show either. Player’s drive landed in the Graham again “out-bladed” the beat right rough and, because of a tall, master putter, making a 10-footer in a playoff but the sponsor van - bushy willow, he couldn’t see the for birdie to match Crenshaw’s ished and not only took the trophy flag. But he ripped a 9-iron that bird. Crenshaw, twice seeming the with him, but left an empty pot. soared over the tree, over the water winner, lost it on the par 3 third and finished four feet from the when he bunkered his tee shot, It took a little time but the cup. The little South African holed came out short of the hole and fledgling PGA Tour paid the play - the birdie putt and finished two missed the putt. Graham, a fine ers and henceforth tournaments shots ahead of and iron player, had a birdie putt, made were required to have the money in . it and Oakland Hills had its second the bank before a ball was struck. straight champion from the bottom Oakland Hills and the PGA of the globe. Warren Orlick, the longtime enjoyed that show so much that head professional at Tam the PGA returned in 1979 and It seems foreign players are O’Shanter Country Club, was after some heavy rains, the very comfortable on Oakland elected president of the PGA of greens were vulnerable and it Hills’ roller coaster greens. Europe America in 1971, and Oakland seemed everyone was breaking crushed the United States by a Hills, Michigan’s premier champi - par on the suddenly tamed record 18-1/2 to 9-1/2 in the 2006 onship course, designed by Donald “Monster.” David Graham, the Ryder Cup and Ireland’s Padraig Ross and updated by Robert Trent fastidious Australian, appeared Harrington and Spain’s Sergio Jones who turned it into Hogan’s headed for a PGA record seven- Garcia, both Ryder Cup mates, “Monster” in the 1951 U.S. Open, under-par 63 as he stood on the dueled for the 2008 PGA title.

12 L A T E F A L L 2 0 0 8 • M I C H I G A N G O L F E R M A G A Z I N E It wasn’t quite the benign Heavy rain Saturday prevented and you get the idea, and was back course as it was during the weath - the third round from completing at his brilliant-play self. er-perfect Ryder Cup. Rees Jones and made it a long day Sunday. had lengthened it, moved some There was some rain in the morn - “I love the idea of the back nine bunkers, deepened some, and ing and then that wind but the of a major on a Sunday,” removed a number of trees includ - Saturday rain softened the greens Harrington said after his third ing the willows Player’s 9-iron and Harrington, who was six shots major title in 13 months. He made flew over in 1972. The changes back after 36 holes, finished 66-66 a tricky downhill 12-foot par putt gave the course a big airy look, to beat Garcia and Ohio native Ben on 16, a 10-foot birdie on 17 more like the way it was when Curtis by two shots at 277, three and16-foot par putt on the 18 th . Ross designed it nearly a century under par, and Oakland Hills mem - before. bers were very satisfied with that. Meanwhile, Garcia, beaten in the 2007 British Open playoff by Blue sky and 25 mile an hour Harrington, who nearly with - Harrington, started the final round winds from the west made the huge drew before the start of the British birdie-eagle. But down the stretch American flag stand out as though it Open because of a sore wrist, felt he was snakebit. His approach on was starched. And it never let up the lethargic in his first two rounds at the 15 th hit the flagstick and spun first two rounds, hardening the Oakland Hills. He telephoned his out. Instead of a tap-in birdie, he greens and turning the into-the-wind trainer back in Ireland who said he took two from 10 feet for par. On 257-yard par 3 ninth and 498-yard probably was dehydrated so 16 his second shot hit grass but th Harrington hydrated and hydrated 13 18 into bogey holes. caromed into the lake and he made bogey. After Harrington drew a tremendous roar for his shot to 10 feet on the uphill par 3 17 th , Garcia bettered him with a shot to four feet.

But, as it so often happens, the player who is outside sinks his putt and the cup shrinks for the near player. He misses. Then, after Harrington drove into a bunker on 18 it appeared Garcia had an opening. It closed. He missed the green, Harrington made another improbable par and Garcia missed again and bogeyed.

However it turned, a foreigner was to win the PGA at Oakland Hills for the third straight time and Harrington was the first European winner since in 1930. And he matched the Haig who was the first to win the British Open and PGA in the same year. That seemed just about right. A full circle. MG

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