1954 PGA Championship: Chick Harbert wins at Keller Golf Club
Chick Harbert won the 1954 PGA Championship at Keller Golf Club in Maplewood, Minnesota, beating Walter Burkemo 4 & 3 in the final.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1954 in Wanamaker Avenue, the PGA Championship room, or every year on the PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- July 21, 1954 to July 27, 1954
- Course
- Keller Golf Club, Maplewood, Minnesota
- Edition
- 36th 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
- Ed Oliver (136)
- Purse
- $20,700 · winner's share $5,000
- Champion
- Chick Harbert · age 39 · United States · born Dayton, Ohio
- Champion's title
- 1st PGA Championship
- Final
- 4 & 3 (36-hole final)
- Runner-up
- Walter Burkemo
The draw as recorded: Round of 64 to final (complete).
The final, 1954 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chick Harbert | def. | Walter Burkemo | 4 & 3 |
Semifinals, 1954 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chick Harbert | def. | Tommy Bolt | 1 up |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Cary Middlecoff | won on 37th hole |
Quarterfinals, 1954 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chick Harbert | def. | Jerry Barber | 1 up |
| Tommy Bolt | def. | Sam Snead | won on 39th hole |
| Cary Middlecoff | def. | Shelley Mayfield | 3 & 1 |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Roberto De Vicenzo | 5 & 4 |
Round of 16, 1954 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Bolt | def. | Jim Browning | 2 & 1 |
| Sam Snead | def. | Dutch Harrison | 7 & 6 |
| Jerry Barber | def. | Charles Bassler | won on 38th hole |
| Chick Harbert | def. | Ed Oliver | 3 & 1 |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Johnny Revolta | 5 & 4 |
| Roberto De Vicenzo | def. | Elroy Marti | 8 & 6 |
| Cary Middlecoff | def. | Ted Kroll | 5 & 4 |
| Shelley Mayfield | def. | Horton Smith | 3 & 2 |
Round of 32, 1954 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Bolt | def. | Arthur Doering | 2 & 1 |
| Jim Browning | def. | Ed Furgol | 1 up |
| Sam Snead | def. | Jim Milward | 4 & 3 |
| Dutch Harrison | def. | Johnny Palmer | 4 & 3 |
| Charles Bassler | def. | Bill Trombley | 5 & 4 |
| Jerry Barber | def. | Fred Haas Jr. | won on 19th hole |
| Chick Harbert | def. | John O’Donnell | 3 & 1 |
| Ed Oliver | def. | Bill Nary | 1 up |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Claude Harmon | 2 & 1 |
| Johnny Revolta | def. | Toby Lyons | 5 & 4 |
| Roberto De Vicenzo | def. | Henry Ransom | 4 & 3 |
| Elroy Marti | def. | Henry Williams Jr. | 2 up |
| Cary Middlecoff | def. | Bob Toski | 2 & 1 |
| Ted Kroll | def. | Max Evans | won on 24th hole |
| Shelley Mayfield | def. | Wally Ulrich | 5 & 4 |
| Horton Smith | def. | Jack Isaacs | 3 & 2 |
Round of 64, 1954 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Bolt | def. | Mike Turnesa | 2 & 1 |
| Arthur Doering | def. | Bob Kay | 1 up |
| Jim Browning | def. | Pat Circelli | 2 & 1 |
| Ed Furgol | def. | Johnny Weitzel | 3 & 2 |
| Jim Milward | def. | Mike Homa | 2 & 1 |
| Sam Snead | def. | Tony Holguin | 1 up |
| Johnny Palmer | def. | Labron Harris | 3 & 2 |
| Dutch Harrison | def. | Jack Burke Jr. | 1 up |
| Bill Trombley | def. | Joe Greer | 3 & 2 |
| Charles Bassler | def. | Toney Penna | 3 & 1 |
| Jerry Barber | def. | Bob Gajda | 2 & 1 |
| Fred Haas Jr. | def. | Lou Barbaro | won on 19th hole |
| Chick Harbert | def. | Mike Krak | 5 & 3 |
| John O’Donnell | def. | Phil Friel | 3 & 2 |
| Bill Nary | def. | Clarence Doser | 3 & 1 |
| Ed Oliver | def. | Jackson Bradley | 4 & 3 |
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Dave Douglas | 4 & 2 |
| Claude Harmon | def. | Eric Monti | 6 & 5 |
| Johnny Revolta | def. | Ellsworth Vines | 3 & 2 |
| Toby Lyons | def. | Jimmy Clark | 1 up |
| Roberto De Vicenzo | def. | Gene Webb | 5 & 4 |
| Henry Ransom | def. | Herman Keiser | 2 & 1 |
| Elroy Marti | def. | Marty Furgol | 4 & 3 |
| Henry Williams Jr. | def. | Frank Commisso | 3 & 2 |
| Cary Middlecoff | def. | Joe Brown | 1 up |
| Bob Toski | def. | Jim Turnesa | 5 & 4 |
| Ted Kroll | def. | Leonard Wagner | 3 & 2 |
| Max Evans | def. | Orville White | 2 & 1 |
| Shelley Mayfield | def. | Jimmy Hines | 4 & 3 |
| Wally Ulrich | def. | Pat Abbott | 2 & 1 |
| Horton Smith | def. | James Scott | 5 & 4 |
| Jack Isaacs | def. | Milon Marusic | 3 & 2 |
What happened at the 1954 PGA Championship
Harbert sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 36th green to beat Tommy Bolt 1 up in the semifinal.
Three down to Burkemo after four holes of the final, Harbert lost only one more hole and closed it out on the 33rd.
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).