1929 PGA Championship: Leo Diegel wins at Hillcrest Country Club
Leo Diegel won the 1929 PGA Championship at Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles, California, beating Johnny Farrell 6 & 4 in the final.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1929 in Wanamaker Avenue, the PGA Championship room, or every year on the PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- December 2, 1929 to December 7, 1929
- Course
- Hillcrest Country Club, Los Angeles, California
- Edition
- 12th PGA Championship
- Format
- match play
- Par
- 71
- Field
- 32
- Match-play field
- 32 · 36 every round
- Stroke-play medalist
- Fred Morrison (136)
- Purse
- $5,000 · winner's share $1,000
- Champion
- Leo Diegel · age 30 · United States · born Gratiot Township, Michigan
- Champion's title
- 2nd PGA Championship
- Final
- 6 & 4 (36-hole final)
- Runner-up
- Johnny Farrell
The draw as recorded: Round of 32 to final (complete).
The final, 1929 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Diegel | def. | Johnny Farrell | 6 & 4 |
Semifinals, 1929 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Diegel | def. | Walter Hagen | 3 & 2 |
| Johnny Farrell | def. | Al Watrous | 6 & 5 |
Quarterfinals, 1929 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Diegel | def. | Gene Sarazen | 3 & 2 |
| Walter Hagen | def. | Tony Manero | 6 & 5 |
| Johnny Farrell | def. | Craig Wood | won on 37th hole |
| Al Watrous | def. | Al Espinosa | 2 up |
Round of 16, 1929 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Fred Morrison | 3 & 2 |
| Leo Diegel | def. | Herman Barron | 10 & 9 |
| Walter Hagen | def. | Charles Guest | 1 up |
| Tony Manero | def. | Eddie Schultz | 6 & 5 |
| Johnny Farrell | def. | Henry Ciuci | 2 & 1 |
| Craig Wood | def. | Neil Christian | 3 & 2 |
| Al Espinosa | def. | Bill Mehlhorn | won on 40th hole |
| Al Watrous | def. | Larry Nabholtz | 9 & 7 |
Round of 32, 1929 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Nabholtz | def. | Albert Alcroft | 1 up |
| Al Watrous | def. | Neal McIntyre | 4 & 3 |
| Al Espinosa | def. | David Hackney | 5 & 4 |
| Bill Mehlhorn | def. | Guy Paulsen | 7 & 6 |
| Neil Christian | def. | Frank Walsh | 7 & 6 |
| Craig Wood | def. | Horton Smith | won on 37th hole |
| Henry Ciuci | def. | Clarence Clark | 3 & 2 |
| Johnny Farrell | def. | John Golden | 1 up |
| Tony Manero | def. | Denny Shute | 6 & 5 |
| Eddie Schultz | def. | Wiffy Cox | 5 & 4 |
| Walter Hagen | def. | Bob Shave | 9 & 8 |
| Charles Guest | def. | Mortie Dutra | 1 up |
| Leo Diegel | def. | P.O. Hart | 10 & 9 |
| Herman Barron | def. | Clarence Doser | 5 & 4 |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Jock Hendry | 3 & 2 |
| Fred Morrison | def. | Joe Kirkwood | 5 & 4 |
What happened at the 1929 PGA Championship
Diegel beat Gene Sarazen 3 & 2 in the quarterfinals and Walter Hagen 3 & 2 in the semifinals, the same two he had eliminated in 1928.
Al Espinosa beat Bill Mehlhorn on the 40th hole in the round of 16, at the first major played in California.
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).