1951 PGA Championship: Sam Snead wins at Oakmont Country Club
Sam Snead won the 1951 PGA Championship at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, beating Walter Burkemo 7 & 6 in the final.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1951 in Wanamaker Avenue, the PGA Championship room, or every year on the PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- June 27, 1951 to July 3, 1951
- Course
- Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pennsylvania
- Edition
- 33rd PGA Championship
- Format
- match play
- Par
- 72
- Field
- 64
- Match-play field
- 64 · 18 (rounds of 64 and 32); 36 from round of 16
- Stroke-play medalist
- Claude Harmon, Lloyd Mangrum and Pete Cooper (tie) (142)
- Purse
- $17,700 · winner's share $3,500
- Champion
- Sam Snead · age 39 · United States · born Ashwood, Virginia
- Champion's title
- 3rd PGA Championship
- Final
- 7 & 6 (36-hole final)
- Runner-up
- Walter Burkemo
The draw as recorded: Round of 64 to final (complete).
The final, 1951 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Snead | def. | Walter Burkemo | 7 & 6 |
Semifinals, 1951 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Snead | def. | Charles Bassler | 9 & 8 |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Ellsworth Vines | won on 37th hole |
Quarterfinals, 1951 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Snead | def. | Jack Burke Jr. | 2 & 1 |
| Charles Bassler | def. | Al Brosch | 1 up |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Reggie Myles | 1 up |
| Ellsworth Vines | def. | Johnny Bulla | 1 up |
Round of 16, 1951 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Snead | def. | Lloyd Mangrum | 3 & 2 |
| Jack Burke Jr. | def. | Gene Kunes | 4 & 3 |
| Charles Bassler | def. | George Balestra | won on 37th hole |
| Al Brosch | def. | Jack Harden | 6 & 5 |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Dick Shoemaker | 2 & 1 |
| Reggie Myles | def. | Vic Ghezzi | 1 up |
| Ellsworth Vines | def. | Jackson Bradley | 2 & 1 |
| Johnny Bulla | def. | Jim Ferrier | 9 & 8 |
Round of 32, 1951 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Bassler | def. | Jim Turnesa | 5 & 4 |
| George Bolesta | def. | Ed Oliver | 2 & 1 |
| Al Brosch | def. | Lew Worsham | 5 & 4 |
| Jack Harden | def. | Toney Penna | 5 & 3 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | def. | Buck White | 2 & 1 |
| Sam Snead | def. | Marty Furgol | won on 21st hole |
| Jack Burke Jr. | def. | Gene Sarazen | 5 & 3 |
| Gene Kunes | def. | Ray Gafford | 2 & 1 |
| Dick Shoemaker | def. | Lawson Little | 2 & 1 |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Chick Harbert | won on 19th hole |
| Vic Ghezzi | def. | Rod Munday | 4 & 3 |
| Reggie Myles | def. | Mike Pavella | won on 20th hole |
| Jackson Bradley | def. | Denny Shute | 2 & 1 |
| Ellsworth Vines | def. | Henry Picard | 1 up |
| Jim Ferrier | def. | Milon Marusic | 3 & 2 |
| Johnny Bulla | def. | Bob Hamilton | 5 & 3 |
Round of 64, 1951 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Turnesa | def. | Chandler Harper | won on 23rd hole |
| Charles Bassler | def. | Ed Furgol | 1 up |
| Ed Oliver | def. | Herman Keiser | 5 & 4 |
| George Bolesta | def. | Willie Goggin | 2 & 1 |
| Lew Worsham | def. | Harold Williams | 4 & 3 |
| Al Brosch | def. | Frank Kiraly | 1 up |
| Toney Penna | def. | George Fazio | 4 & 2 |
| Jack Harden | def. | Sherman Elworthy | 3 & 2 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | def. | Henry Ransom | 4 & 3 |
| Buck White | def. | Dave Douglas | 2 & 1 |
| Sam Snead | def. | Fred Haas Jr. | 1 up |
| Marty Furgol | def. | Harold Oatman | 2 & 1 |
| Jack Burke Jr. | def. | Chuck Klein | won on 21st hole |
| Gene Sarazen | def. | Charles Harter | 2 & 1 |
| Ray Gafford | def. | Ted Kroll | won on 19th hole |
| Gene Kunes | def. | Henry Williams Jr. | 4 & 2 |
| Dick Shoemaker | def. | Claude Harmon | 3 & 1 |
| Lawson Little | def. | Johnny Weitzel | 3 & 2 |
| Chick Harbert | def. | Clayton Heafner | won on 22nd hole |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Toby Lyons | won on 20th hole |
| Vic Ghezzi | def. | Eddie Burke | 3 & 2 |
| Rod Munday | def. | Bob Toski | 5 & 3 |
| Mike Pavella | def. | Johnny Palmer | 2 & 1 |
| Reggie Myles | def. | Andy Gaspar | won on 20th hole |
| Denny Shute | def. | Pete Cooper | 3 & 2 |
| Jackson Bradley | def. | Bobby Cruickshank | 4 & 3 |
| Henry Picard | def. | Frank Commisso | 4 & 2 |
| Ellsworth Vines | def. | Phil Friel | 3 & 2 |
| Jim Ferrier | def. | Sam Bernardi | 3 & 2 |
| Milon Marusic | def. | Ray Hill | 2 & 1 |
| Bob Hamilton | def. | Max Evans | 1 up |
| Johnny Bulla | def. | Walter Ambo | 5 & 4 |
What happened at the 1951 PGA Championship
Burkemo beat former Wimbledon and U.S. tennis champion Ellsworth Vines on the 37th hole of their semifinal.
Snead overwhelmed Charles Bassler 9 & 8 in the other semifinal, then beat Burkemo 7 & 6 for his third PGA 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).