1936 PGA Championship
The 1936 PGA Championship was the 19th PGA Championship, held November 16–22 at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Then a match play championship, Denny Shute won the first of his consecutive PGA Championships, defeating Jimmy Thomson 3 and 2 on the No. 2 Course.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | November 16–22, 1936 |
| Location | Pinehurst, North Carolina |
| Course(s) | Pinehurst Resort No. 2 Course |
| Organized by | PGA of America |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Match play - 6 rounds |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Field | 113 players, 64 to match play |
| Cut | 156 (+12), playoff |
| Prize fund | $9,200 |
| Winner's share | $1,000 |
| Champion | |
| Denny Shute | |
| def. Jimmy Thomson, 3 and 2 | |
It was Shute's second major title; his first was at the British Open in 1933 at St. Andrews. He previously made the finals at the PGA Championship in 1931.
Fay Coleman was the medalist in the stroke play qualifier at 143 (−1). Five-time champion Walter Hagen and two-time winner Leo Diegel both shot 157 (+13), one stroke out of the playoff. Defending champion Johnny Revolta lost in the second round to Harold "Jug" McSpaden in 19 holes.
Shute repeated as champion less than seven months later in May 1937. He was the last to successfully defend his title at the PGA Championship until Tiger Woods won consecutive titles twice, in 1999–2000 and 2006–2007.
This was the first major played at Pinehurst and Course No. 2, which had sand greens until 1935. While the PGA Championship has yet to return, the U.S. Open was held at the course in 1999, 2005, and 2014. It hosted the Ryder Cup in 1951 and the U.S. Women's Open was also here in 2014.