Michigan’s Six PGA Championships a c i r e m A f o A G P f o y s e t r u o c o t o h P PGA Championship, 1953, Walter Burkemo, Felice Torza. By Jack Berry ichigan’s rich golf 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 Walter Hagen and Horton Then, as the war broke out and tained the 1940 Challengers, Smith, Walter Burkemo and Chick Ryder Cup competition between Bobby Jones the 1941 team which Harbert, the 11 Motor City Opens, the United States and Great Britain defeated Hagen’s team, and Craig Gary Player’s 9-iron over the wil - and Ireland went into mothballs, a Wood captained the Challengers in lows, David Graham outputting Challenge Cup was devised. 1943. Sam Snead and Ben Hogan Ben Crenshaw, and Ireland over Hagen, who captained every played before going into military Spain, Padraig Harrington over American team since the first service. Al Watrous, 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 Detroit 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 Tiger Woods one Golf Club and the final one at which Jones, the precisionist, said back) and settled in Detroit. Plum Hollow. Gene Sarazen cap - “When a man misses his drive, 4 a c i r e m A f o A G P f o y s e t r u o c o t o h P Jim Ferrier, receiving Wanamaker trophy, PGA Championship 1947 4 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 5 a c i r e m A f o A G P f o y s e t r u o c o t o h P 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 putter 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 Seve Ballesteros 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 Horton Smith, win - ner of the first and third Masters Tournaments, was appointed profes - sional at Detroit Golf Club 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. Australian Jim Ferrier met home - town favorite Chick Harbert in the final and Harbert, one of the a c i r e biggest hitters in m A f the game, winner o A G of the 1937 P f o y Michigan Open as s e t r u an amateur and o c winner again as a o t o h 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. 6 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 7 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 grand slam, 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 golf course the 1955 Ryder Cup team, was the fan got too zealous. True or not, (Carnoustie), 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 Motor City Open in a foggy west Texas highway with a Monti, Harbert lost in the after - 1948 at Meadowbrook Country Greyhound bus. noon to Johnny Palmer, 1-up. Club. Ben Hogan beat Dutch Burkemo also was a first day vic - Harrison, 73-74, in a playoff – no The PGA format then was two tim, losing to Middlecoff, 2-1, and sudden death in those days. Harbert rounds of match play 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 stroke play 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 Cary Middlecoff and shared 1949 title, reached the and Lloyd Mangrum 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, Vic Ghezzi, Porky Oliver, quarterfinal. He then beat Tommy playoff that lasted 11 holes and Lew Worsham, 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 Jim Turnesa, Doug Ford, playing in his first Sam Snead, Tommy Bolt 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 George Fazio and Ted Kroll by 2-1 Championship would be played in Side Detroit caddie 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 Claude Harmon. 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 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 9 a c i r e m A f o A G P e h T 10 / d r a h c t i r P a n a t n o M y b o t o h P Champion Padraig Harrington with the Rodman Wanamaker 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.