1923 PGA Championship: Gene Sarazen wins at Pelham Country Club
Gene Sarazen won the 1923 PGA Championship at Pelham Country Club in Pelham Manor, New York, beating Walter Hagen won on 38th hole in the final.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1923 in Wanamaker Avenue, the PGA Championship room, or every year on the PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- September 24, 1923 to September 29, 1923
- Course
- Pelham Country Club, Pelham Manor, New York
- Edition
- 6th PGA Championship
- Format
- match play
- Par
- 72
- Field
- 64
- Match-play field
- 64 · 36 every round
- Purse
- $3,600 · winner's share $500
- Champion
- Gene Sarazen · age 21 · United States · born Harrison, New York
- Champion's title
- 2nd PGA Championship
- Final
- won on 38th hole (36-hole final)
- Runner-up
- Walter Hagen
The draw as recorded: Round of 64 to final (complete).
The final, 1923 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Walter Hagen | won on 38th hole |
Semifinals, 1923 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Bobby Cruickshank | 6 & 5 |
| Walter Hagen | def. | George McLean | 12 & 11 |
Quarterfinals, 1923 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Jim Barnes | 1 up |
| Bobby Cruickshank | def. | Willie Macfarlane | won on 39th hole |
| Walter Hagen | def. | Fred McLeod | 5 & 4 |
| George McLean | def. | Joe Kirkwood | 5 & 4 |
Round of 16, 1923 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Cruickshank | def. | Ray Derr | 1 up |
| Willie Macfarlane | def. | Jack Stait | 9 & 8 |
| Jim Barnes | def. | Cyril Walker | 7 & 5 |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Alec Campbell | 3 & 2 |
| Fred McLeod | def. | Clarence Hackney | 1 up |
| Walter Hagen | def. | Johnny Golden | 4 & 3 |
| Joe Kirkwood | def. | Johnny Farrell | 1 up |
| George McLean | def. | Willie Ogg | won on 38th hole |
Round of 32, 1923 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Barnes | def. | John Cowan | 12 & 11 |
| Willie Ogg | def. | Carl Anderson | 12 & 11 |
| Bobby Cruickshank | def. | George Underwood | 7 & 5 |
| Ray Derr | def. | Frank Coltart | 5 & 4 |
| Willie MacFarlane | def. | Wilfred Reid | 3 & 2 |
| Jack Stait | def. | Jack Forrester | 1 up |
| Cyril Walker | def. | Harry Cooper | 2 & 1 |
| Alec Campbell | def. | Willie Klein | 4 & 3 |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | D.K. White | 11 & 10 |
| Clarence Hackney | def. | R.S. Minor | 7 & 6 |
| Fred McLeod | def. | James Meehan | 4 & 3 |
| Walter Hagen | def. | Jack Elplick | 10 & 9 |
| John Golden | def. | Robert Barnett | 1 up |
| Joe Kirkwood | def. | James West | 2 up |
| Johnny Farrell | def. | Willie Hunter | 4 & 3 |
| George McLean | def. | Jimmie Donaldson | 6 & 4 |
Round of 64, 1923 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Barnes | def. | George Denback | 12 & 11 |
| George Underwood | def. | Herbert Obendorf | 5 & 4 |
| Bobby Cruickshank | def. | Bill Leach | 2 & 1 |
| Frank Coltart | def. | John Edmundson | 1 up |
| Ray Derr | def. | Charles Hoffner | 2 & 1 |
| Willie MacFarlane | def. | George Stark | 6 & 5 |
| Wilfred Reid | def. | Louis Chiapetta | 4 & 2 |
| Jack Stait | def. | Harry Ellis | 7 & 6 |
| Jack Forrester | def. | Herbert Nicoll | 6 & 4 |
| John Cowan | def. | Herbert Meyering | 9 & 8 |
| Harry Cooper | def. | Alex Ellis Jr. | 7 & 6 |
| Cyril Walker | def. | Willie Maguire | 5 & 4 |
| Willie Klein | def. | Chas. Rowe | 4 & 3 |
| Alec Campbell | def. | Nick DeMane | 4 & 3 |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Lloyd Gullickson | 8 & 7 |
| D.K. White | def. | Carl Rocco | 9 & 8 |
| Clarence Hackney | def. | Al Hackbarth | 6 & 5 |
| R.S. Minor | def. | Jim Carberry | 4 & 2 |
| James Meehan | def. | Austie Claeyssens | 7 & 6 |
| Fred McLeod | def. | Wiffy Cox | 5 & 4 |
| Walter Hagen | def. | George Griffin | 4 & 3 |
| Jack Elplick | def. | Ralph Thomas | 4 & 2 |
| Robert Barnett | def. | Pat Doyle | 5 & 4 |
| John Golden | def. | Wilbur Jack | 5 & 4 |
| Joe Kirkwood | def. | Wm. Goebel | 6 & 4 |
| James West | def. | Alex Gerard | 5 & 3 |
| Willie Hunter | def. | Al Watrous | 2 & 1 |
| Johnny Farrell | def. | Dave McKay | 1 up |
| George McLean | def. | Dave Stevens | won by default |
| Jimmie Donaldson | def. | Eddie Loos | won by default |
| Carl Anderson | def. | Stuart Sanderson | won on 37th hole |
| Willie Ogg | def. | Fred Baroni | 2 & 1 |
What happened at the 1923 PGA Championship
Sarazen was 2 up with three holes to play but bogeyed two straight holes, and Hagen squared the match. It was the first PGA final to go to extra holes.
On the 38th hole Hagen needed two swings to escape a greenside bunker, and Sarazen made birdie to win.
How this was built
Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's PGA Championship data. A value no source confirmed is left out; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the organizer's own record is used.
Data: pga.json (the PGA Championship room's data: Tables 1A–1H and 2B, every recorded match).