1955 PGA Championship Winner and Scores
Winner: Doug Ford
Where it was played: Meadowbrook Country Club in Northville Township, Michigan
Tournament dates: July 20-26, 1955
What Happened at the 1955 PGA Championship
A 36-hole stroke-play qualifier preceded match play at the 1955 PGA Championship, and Doug Ford was the medalist. A sign of things to come? In this case, yes: Ford went on to win the tournament, beating Cary Middlecoff in the final. He was the last of four golfers who both earned medalist honors and then went on to win the PGA Championship in its match play era. The other three were Walter Hagen (1926 and 1927), Olin Dutra (1932), and Byron Nelson (1945).It was Ford's third win of 1955, and he earned Player of the Year honors when the season ended. Ford was also the 1957 Masters champion and won 19 times on the PGA Tour in his career. Ford's win came in his first appearance in the PGA Championship, and he was the first player to win the tournament in his initial appearance since 1931. Ford was also the second son of a PGA Professional to win the PGA of America's major championship.
Ford played great in the morning 18 of the championship match, but his opponent, did, too, and Middlecoff led 1-up after 18. Four times Ford rallied to square the match, only to go back down. After Ford squared it on the 26th hole, however, he had a stretch of three wins in six holes to go 3-up. Ford closed it out on the 33rd hole.
En route to the finals, Ford beat George Fazio, Ted Kroll, Wally Ulrich, Fred Hawkins and Shelley Mayfield; while Middlecoff dispatched Walter Burkemo, Bill Nary, Mike Pavella, Jack Burke Jr. and Tommy Bolt. Ford's win over Ulrich in the third round was by a 12-and-10 score, which is tied for the second-largest margin of victory of any match in the PGA's match-play era.
The defending champion, Chick Harbert, plus Sam Snead were both eliminated on the first day of match play. First-round matches were played in the morning, and second-round matches in the afternoon; Harbert and Snead both lost in the afternoon session. Snead was beaten by Bolt, who holed out from a bunker on the 16th to finish a 3-and-2 victory. No former winners advanced beyond the second round.
1955 PGA Championship Match Scores
These are the scores from matches played in the later rounds, leading up to the championship match:
Round of 16 (36 holes)
Don Fairfield def. Brien Charter, 2 and 1
Shelley Mayfield def. Claude Harmon, 2 and 1
Fred Hawkins def., Ed Furgol, 6 and 5
Doug Ford def. Wally Ulrich, 12 and 10
Lew Worsham def. Johnny Palmer, 6 and 5
Tommy Bolt def. Jack Fleck, 3 and 1
Cary Middlecoff def. Mike Pavella, 8 and 6
Jack Burke Jr. def. Marty Furgol, 2 and 1
Quarterfinals (36 holes)
Doug Ford def. Fred Hawkins, 5 and 4
Shelley Mayfield def. Don Fairfield, 3 and 2
Tommy Bolt def. Lew Worsham, 8 and 7
Cary Middlecoff def. Jack Burke Jr., 1-up (40 holes)
Semifinals (36 holes)
Doug Ford def. Shelley Mayfield, 4 and 3
Cary Middlecoff def. Tommy Bolt, 4 and 3
Championship Match (36 holes)
Doug Ford def. Cary Middlecoff 4 and 3
