1916
Champion: Jim Barnes
Site: Siwanoy C.C., Bronxville, N.Y.
The first championship was an all-foreign affair, with Barnes, an Englishman, edging Jock Hutchinson, a Scot, 1-up in the finals. Barnes never led until the 25th hole, lost his advantage on the 31st hole, and got it back on the 33d to win a final scheduled for 36 holes.
1919
Champion: Jim Barnes
Site: Engineers C.C., Roslyn, N.Y.
After the tournament`s resumption following World War I, Barnes defeated 1908 U.S. Open champ Fred McLeod, another Scot. This time Barnes was down one after nine holes, lost the 10th and then rallied for five straight holes to eventually breeze to win 6 and 5.
1920
Champion: Jock Hutchinson
Site: Flossmoor C.C., Flossmoor, Ill.
Hutchinson failed to qualify, but got in as an alternate and eventually beat J. Douglas Edgar 1-up. This time the Scot was 3-up after 27 holes, added the 28th with a birdie, and then held on against the charging Edgar, who had won the 1919 Canadian Open in a record 278.
1921
Champion: Walter Hagen
Site: Inwood C.C., Far Rockaway, N.Y.
The great Walter Hagen won the first of his five PGA Championships, defeating Jim Barnes 3 and 2 in the final. He shot a 69 for the morning round and opened with a 33 in the afternoon, going 4-up, to breeze home as the first American winner.
1922
Champion: Gene Sarazen
Site: Oakmont C.C., Oakmont, Pa.
Sarazen, at age 20 just three years removed from caddying, won the first of his three PGA titles with the help of Hagen`s decision not to play. He defeated Emmet French in the final, breaking away from a deadlocked match after 26 holes for the 4 and 3 victory.
1923
Champion: Gene Sarazen
Site: Pelham G.C., Pelham Manor, N.Y.
Hagen returned, but fell to the young Sarazen in an exciting finish that saw the defending champ square the match on the 35th hole and recover from a trap on the 36th to set up an overtime, which he won on the second hole playing out of the rough.
1924
Champion: Walter Hagen
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Site: French Springs G.C., French Lick, Ind.
This was the first of four straight titles for The Haig, but Jim Barnes made a fight of it before losing 2-up. Four down after the morning round, Barnes trailed by only one hole by the time they reached the 29th before failing to overhaul Hagen.
1925
Champion: Walter Hagen
Site: Olympia Fields C.C., Olympia Fields, Ill.
Hagen had to go 39 holes against one early opponent, plus 40 against another, before beating Bill Mehlhorn 6 and 5 in the finals. He opened with an eagle on the 515-yard No. 1 hole against Mehlhorn and never trailed in the match.
1926
Champion: Walter Hagen
Site: Salisbury Golf Links, Westbury, N.Y.
Everything went wrong for runner-up Leo Diegel, who lost the final 5 and 3. On one hole, Diegel hit an approach that went over the green and under Hagen`s nearby parked car. When the car was moved, his ball was in a rut and it took him three whacks to get it out.
1927
Champion: Walter Hagen
Site: Cedar Crest C.C., Dallas
Hagen beat Joe Turnesa 1-up. On the 36th hole, Turnesa, who had led much of the day, had a putt that would have sent the match into overtime hang at the lip. Hagen squared the match at the 29th hole and went 1-up to stay on the 31st.
1928
Champion: Leo Diegel
Site: Five Farms C.C., Baltimore
Diegel played brilliantly, taking out defending champion Walter Hagen 2 and 1 in the quarterfinals and then eliminating Gene Sarazen 9 and 8 in the semifinals. Then he crushed Al Espinosa 6 and 5 in the finals for the first of two consecutive titles.
1929
Champion: Leo Diegel
Site: Hillcrest C.C., Los Angeles
Diegel beat Johnny Farrell 6 and 4 in a bizarre final. On the 27th hole, Farrell, trailing by a hole, knocked Diegel`s ball into the cup with a putt. To the amazement of everyone, he did it again on the next hole and never recovered.
1930
Champion: Tommy Armour
Site: Fresh Meadows C.C., Flushing, N.Y.
Armour defeated Gene Sarazen 1-up with the help of excellent putting. Sarazen led by one hole after nine, Armour led by one after 18, and they were square after 27. On the 36th, Armour drilled a 14-footer and Sarazen missed a putt that would have forced an extra hole.
1931
Champion: Tom Creavy
Site: Wannamoisett C.C., Rumford, R.I.
Creavy, a longshot 20-year-old pro playing in his first national championship, put together a string of brilliant upsets. He beat Jock Collins, Peter O`Hara, Cyril Walker and Gene Sarazen before defeating Denny Shute for the title, 2 and 1.
1932
Champion: Olin Dutra
Site: Keller G.C., St. Paul
Dutra, a 31-year-old Californian, was 19-under-par for the 196 holes required in his championship. He defeated Frank Walsh 4 and 3 in the finals. They were even after 18 before Dutra started a birdie blitz to win his only PGA Championship.
1933
Champion: Gene Sarazen
Site: Blue Mound C.C., Milwaukee
Ten years after winning his first PGA title, Sarazen captured his second with a 5 and 4 victory over Willie Goggin in the final. The surprising Goggin held Sarazen to only a 1-up lead after 18 holes before falling apart against his legendary opponent.
1934
Champion: Paul Runyan
Site: Park Club of Buffalo, Williamsville, N.Y.
Runyan, an excellent putter, beat his old teacher, Craig Wood, noted for his power hitting, 1-up in 38 holes. Runyan won when he blasted from a trap on the second extra hole to within 8 feet and holed out for his only championship.
1935
Champion: Johnny Revolta
Site: Twin Hills C.C., Oklahoma City
Revolta rolled in a 15-foot putt for a birdie on the opening hole in the final against Tommy Armour. He went on to shoot a morning-round 70 to go 4-up and never faltered in beating Armour 5 and 4. Revolta defeated Walter Hagen in the first round 1-up.
1936
Champion: Denny Shute
Site: Pinehurst C.C., Pinehurst, N.C.
Shute, in what was billed as a David and Goliath final, defeated Jimmy Thomson 3 and 2. Shute, who would win consecutive championships, was outdriven by as much as 60 yards on some holes.
1937
Champion: Denny Shute
Site: Pittsburgh Field Club, Aspinwall, Pa.
Shute beat Harold ”Jug” McSpaden 1-up in 37 holes after McSpaden blew a 4-foot putt on the 36th hole that would have given him the championship. No player has won back-to-back titles since Shute`s pair.
1938
Champion: Paul Runyan
Site: Shawnee C.C., Shawnee-on-Delaware, Pa.
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Runyan never gave Sam Snead a chance in winning 8 and 7. His short game propelled him to a morning-round 67 to go 5-up and, following lunch, was 7-up by the time they made the turn in the afternoon round. In all, he was 24-under for the 196 holes he played.
1939
Champion: Henry Picard
Site: Pomonok C.C., Flushing, N.Y.
Picard sank a 10-foot birdie putt to beat Byron Nelson in 37 holes. he also birdied the 36th hole to force the extra hole, as Nelson was just a stroke from winning at one point. Picard helped himself immensely by saving a half on the 34th hole, where he got out of a trap and sank a 25-foot putt.
1940
Champion: Byron Nelson
Site: Hershey C.C., Hershey, Pa.
Nelson broke through for his first PGA title by beating Sam Snead in the finals 1-up. Snead took a one-hole lead on the 32d hole with a birdie, but Nelson then squared the match on the 34th by pitching from a bad lie to within 1 foot. He won the next hole and they halved the 36th.
1941
Champion: Vic Ghezzi
Site: Cherry Hills C.C., Englewood, Colo.
Byron Nelson failed to win back-to-back titles in losing to Ghezzi 1-up in 38 holes. Ghezzi showed great character in coming back from a three-hole deficit with nine remaining. He eventually won on a wobbly 30-inch putt.
1942
Champion: Sam Snead
Site: Seaview C.C., Atlantic City
After two runner-up finishes, Snead finally captured his first PGA title by beating Jim Turnesa 2 and 1. Turnesa, an Army corporal, was a big fan favorite after eliminating Dutch Harrison, Harold McSpaden, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson to get to the finals.
1944
Champion: Bob Hamilton
Site: Manito C.C., Spokane
After a year off for World War II, longshot Hamilton beat Byron Nelson 1- up in an exciting finish on the 36th hole. Nelson birdied the last hole, but the 28-year-old Hamilton equaled his effort to close the match.
1945
Champion: Byron Nelson
Site: Morraine C.C., Dayton
Nelson rolled to this championship, which was his last in the PGA. He beat Sam Byrd 4 and 3 in the final match after ousting Gene Sarazen, Mike Turnesa, Denny Shute and Claude Harmon to reach the final for the fifth time in six consecutive PGAs.
1946
Champion: Ben Hogan
Site: Portland G.C. Portland, Ore.
Hogan, No. 1 money-winner for the year, captured his first PGA by defeating Ed Oliver 6 and 4. The match was closer than it sounded, as Oliver was 3-up after the morning round before Hogan closed out with a 30 on the front nine in the afternoon and took four of the opening five holes of the back nine.
1947
Champion: Jim Ferrier
Site: Plum Hollow C.C., Detroit
Ferrier beat Chick Harbert 2 and 1 in an unusual final that saw him bounce balls off seven spectators at different times. The tourney saw numerous upsets, with past champions Ben Hogan, Bob Hamilton and Johnny Revolta falling in earlier matches.
1948
Champion: Ben Hogan
Site: Norwood Hills C.C., St. Louis
Hogan`s irons were never better. Outdriven by Mike Turnesa on every hole, Hogan still won his second PGA tournament 7 and 6 in the final. For the 213 holes he played in the tourney, Hogan was 35 strokes under par.
1949
Champion: Sam Snead
Site: Hermitage C.C., Richmond, Va.
After coming from behind to beat Dave Douglas in the third round 1-up and Jim Ferrier in the semifinals 3 and 2, Snead won the event by topping Johnny Palmer 3 and 2. The tournament was played in Snead`s home territory, making him a big crowd favorite.
1950
Champion: Chandler Harper
Site: Scioto C.C., Columbus, Ohio
Harper, a 36-year-old Virginian, beat Henry Williams 4 and 3 in the finals. He won the first hole and never trailed. Harper, who later would be Curtis Strange`s teacher, shot 68s to beat Lloyd Mangrum and Jimmy Demaret in earlier matches.