1941 PGA Championship: Vic Ghezzi wins at Cherry Hills Country Club
Vic Ghezzi won the 1941 PGA Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club in Englewood, Colorado, beating Byron Nelson won on 38th hole in the final.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1941 in Wanamaker Avenue, the PGA Championship room, or every year on the PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- July 7, 1941 to July 13, 1941
- Course
- Cherry Hills Country Club, Englewood, Colorado
- Edition
- 24th PGA Championship
- Format
- match play
- Par
- 71
- Field
- 64
- Match-play field
- 64 · 18 (rounds of 64 and 32); 36 from round of 16
- Stroke-play medalist
- Sam Snead (138)
- Purse
- $10,600 · winner's share $1,100
- Champion
- Vic Ghezzi · age 30 · United States · born Rumson, New Jersey
- Champion's title
- 1st PGA Championship
- Final
- won on 38th hole (36-hole final)
- Runner-up
- Byron Nelson
The draw as recorded: Round of 64 to final (complete).
The final, 1941 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vic Ghezzi | def. | Byron Nelson | won on 38th hole |
Semifinals, 1941 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vic Ghezzi | def. | Lloyd Mangrum | 1 up |
| Byron Nelson | def. | Gene Sarazen | 2 up |
Quarterfinals, 1941 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vic Ghezzi | def. | Jimmy Hines | 8 & 7 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | def. | Sam Snead | 6 & 4 |
| Byron Nelson | def. | Ben Hogan | 2 & 1 |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Denny Shute | 7 & 6 |
Round of 16, 1941 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Nelson | def. | Ralph Guldahl | 4 & 3 |
| Ben Hogan | def. | Horton Smith | 3 & 2 |
| Denny Shute | def. | Leonard Orr | 5 & 3 |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Bruce Coltart | 9 & 7 |
| Sam Snead | def. | Mike Turnesa | 1 up |
| Lloyd Mangrum | def. | Mark Fry | 1 up |
| Vic Ghezzi | def. | Jack Grout | 1 up |
| Jimmy Hines | def. | Jug McSpaden | 6 & 4 |
Round of 32, 1941 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Nelson | def. | William Heinlein | 1 up |
| Ralph Guldahl | def. | Gene Kunes | 2 & 1 |
| Ben Hogan | def. | Bud Oakley | 2 up |
| Horton Smith | def. | Ralph Stonehouse | 3 & 2 |
| Denny Shute | def. | Jim Foulis | 1 up |
| Leonard Ott | def. | Jack Ryan | won by default |
| Bruce Coltart | def. | George Fazio | won on 19th hole |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Toney Penna | won on 19th hole |
| Sam Snead | def. | Phil Greenwaldt | 7 & 6 |
| Mike Turnesa | def. | Harry Bassler | 4 & 2 |
| Mark Fry | def. | Craig Wood | 6 & 5 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | def. | Charles Sheppard | 3 & 1 |
| Jack Grout | def. | Fay Coleman | 1 up |
| Vic Ghezzi | def. | Augie Nordone | 1 up |
| Harold McSpaden | def. | George Schneiter | 3 & 2 |
| Jimmy Hines | def. | Ed Dudley | 3 & 2 |
Round of 64, 1941 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Nelson | def. | Bunny Torpey | 1 up |
| William Heinlein | def. | Frank Kringle | 1 up |
| Ralph Guldahl | def. | Jim Fogerty | 7 & 6 |
| Gene Kunes | def. | Frank Commisso | 2 up |
| Ben Hogan | def. | Frank Walsh | 5 & 3 |
| Bud Oakley | def. | Earl Fry | 1 up |
| Horton Smith | def. | Paul Runyan | 1 up |
| Ralph Stonehouse | def. | Frank Champ | 3 & 2 |
| Jim Foulis | def. | Dutch Harrison | 2 & 1 |
| Denny Shute | def. | Ray Mangrum | 1 up |
| Jack Ryan | def. | Bob Hunsick Jr. | 3 & 2 |
| Leonard Ott | def. | Dave O’Connell | 3 & 2 |
| George Fazio | def. | Charles Malloy | 1 up |
| Bruce Coltart | def. | Carl Beljan | 3 & 2 |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Joe Burch | 5 & 4 |
| Toney Penna | def. | William Francis | 5 & 4 |
| Sam Snead | def. | Earl Martin | won on 23rd hole |
| Phil Greenwaldt | def. | Henry Picard | 5 & 4 |
| Harry Bassler | def. | Rut Coffey | 4 & 3 |
| Mike Turnesa | def. | Lee Kosten | 2 & 1 |
| Mark Fry | def. | Henry Ransom | 2 & 1 |
| Craig Wood | def. | C. Norsworthy | 3 & 2 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | def. | Floyd Farley | 5 & 4 |
| Charles Sheppard | def. | Leo Mallory | 2 & 1 |
| Jack Grout | def. | Jimmy Demaret | 4 & 3 |
| Fay Coleman | def. | Joe Robinson | 1 up |
| Vic Ghezzi | def. | Joe Pezzullo | 3 & 2 |
| Augie Nordone | def. | Dick Metz | 4 & 2 |
| George Schneiter | def. | Herman Keiser | 4 & 2 |
| Harold McSpaden | def. | Jimmy Thomson | won on 21st hole |
| Ed Dudley | def. | Buddy Poteet | 2 & 1 |
| Jimmy Hines | def. | Al Nelson | 1 up |
What happened at the 1941 PGA Championship
Nelson was 3 up after 27 holes, but Ghezzi won the first three holes of the final nine to square the match and then missed a four-foot putt to win on the 36th.
On the 38th hole Nelson missed a three-foot putt and Ghezzi holed his three-footer for the title.
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).