1956 PGA Championship: Jack Burke Jr. wins at Blue Hill Country Club
Jack Burke Jr. won the 1956 PGA Championship at Blue Hill Country Club in Canton, Massachusetts, beating Ted Kroll 3 & 2 in the final.
Updated October 23, 2026
See 1956 in Wanamaker Avenue, the PGA Championship room, or every year on the PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- July 20, 1956 to July 24, 1956
- Course
- Blue Hill Country Club, Canton, Massachusetts
- Edition
- 38th PGA Championship
- Format
- match play
- Par
- 71
- Field
- 128
- Match-play field
- 128 · 18 (rounds of 128 to 16); 36 from quarterfinal
- Purse
- $40,000 · winner's share $5,000
- Champion
- Jack Burke Jr. · age 33 · United States · born Fort Worth, Texas
- Champion's title
- 1st PGA Championship
- Final
- 3 & 2 (36-hole final)
- Runner-up
- Ted Kroll
The draw as recorded: Round of 64 (1 of 32 matches) to final.
The final, 1956 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Burke Jr. | def. | Ted Kroll | 3 & 2 |
Semifinals, 1956 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Burke Jr. | def. | Ed Furgol | won on 37th hole |
| Ted Kroll | def. | Bill Johnston | 10 & 8 |
Quarterfinals, 1956 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Burke Jr. | def. | Fred Hawkins | 4 & 2 |
| Ed Furgol | def. | Jimmy Johnson | 1 up |
| Bill Johnston | def. | Henry Ransom | 3 & 2 |
| Ted Kroll | def. | Sam Snead | 2 & 1 |
Round of 16, 1956 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Burke Jr. | def. | Chandler Harper | 3 & 2 |
| Fred Hawkins | def. | Lionel Hebert | 4 & 2 |
| Jimmy Johnson | def. | Toby Lyons | won on 19th hole |
| Ed Furgol | def. | Robert Kay | 4 & 3 |
| Bill Johnston | def. | Walter Burkemo | 5 & 3 |
| Henry Ransom | def. | Lew Worsham | 2 up |
| Sam Snead | def. | Gene Sarazen | 5 & 4 |
| Ted Kroll | def. | Jim Turnesa | 1 up |
Round of 32, 1956 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Burkemo | def. | Doug Ford | unknown |
Round of 64, 1956 PGA Championship
| Winner | Beaten | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Ford | def. | Mike Dietz | won on 23rd hole |
What happened at the 1956 PGA Championship
In the second round Mike Dietz asked spectators near the 15th green how close Doug Ford's ball was before playing, and the hole was awarded to Ford.
In the final Kroll led 1 up after 19 holes, then Burke won five of the next seven holes; Burke played 173 holes over seven matches.
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).