Nine Philadelphia Section professionals were invited to the Masters Tournament in early April. Howard Pew, a member of Merion and president of the Sun Oil Company, paid Byrd’ssalary while he worked at Merion. McHale had been hired by Ed Dudley to replace Sam Byrd who had moved over to the Merion Cricket Club as George Sayers’ teaching and playing pro. Thomson was still a member of the Section but he was concentrating on playing exhibitions for the Spalding Sporting Goods Company. He replaced Jimmy Thomson, the longest driver on the PGA Tour, who had held the position from 1936 through 1939. In 1938 he won the Canadian Open and was the leading money winner on tour. One of the best young players on the PGA Tour, he had been on the Ryder Cup Team in 1937. The 27-year old Snead had been signed on by the Shawnee Inn & Country Club to represent them on the PGA Tour. Two new members of the Section were Sam Snead and Jimmy McHale. Leonard Dodson and Clayton Heafner tied for third with 207s. That put him in the clubhouse with a 205 total that won by one stroke. Everyone was congratulating Hogan on his victory but Oliver came in with a seven under par 64, which was a course record. Ben Hogan, who was still looking for his first official win on the PGA Tour, finished at 206. Oliver opened with a 69 the first day and then he posted a 72 in morning of the second day. This victory came at the Phoenix Country Club in the two-day $3,000 Phoenix Open. The next week, in early February, Ed Oliver won again. After the tournament Bing Crosby hosted all of the contestants, pros and amateurs, at his Del Mar Turf Club. Ben Hogan and Jug McSpaden tied for third with 139s. He won $500 as he finished three strokes in front of Vic Ghezzi (138). Oliver put together rounds of 68 and 67 on the 6,800-yard course for a nine under par 135. In late January Ed Oliver won the Crosby Pro-Am at the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club near San Diego. George Morris (151), the professional at the Colonial Country Club in Harrisburg, tied for seventh and Sunnybrook Golf Club professional, Frank Coltart (155) tied for 16th. Old York Road professional, Jack Campbell tied with Jim Barnes, the former Section member, for fifth place with 149s. Charlie Mayo and Fred Miley tied for third at 148. Hackbarth’s rounds were 76-70 and the 70 was the low round of the tournament. A second 18-hole playoff was held and Hackbarth came out on top by one stroke with a 74 against a 75 for Hutchison. An 18-hole playoff was held and the two pros were still tied after shooting 74s. A playoff was needed as Jock Hutchison and Otto Hackbarth were tied at the end of the 36 holes of regulation play with 146s. It was played at the Bobby Jones Golf Club in Sarasota, Florida in hopes of having better weather than they had had in Augusta, Georgia. The tournament was moved from December to January so there wasn’t a Senior PGA Championship in 1939. The third Senior PGA Championship was held in mid January. The British Open was canceled due to war in Europe. The first vice-president and tournament chairman, Marty Lyons, agreed to host the Section Championship for the fifth year in a row at the Llanerch Country Club. The 1940s began with Ed Dudley, Philadelphia Country Club professional, in his sixth year as the Section president. Openġ949In January Hogan won twice and then with a bus in west Texas almost ended his life “Dutch” Harrison won Reading Open, plus two more tour titlesġ948Marty Lyons elected secretary of the PGA. 1940Hershey CC hosted the PGA and Section member Sam Snead lost in the finals to Byron Nelsonġ941The Section hosted PGA of America 25th anniversary dinner and Dudley elected presidentġ942Sam Snead won the PGA at Seaview and nine Section members qualified for the 32-man fieldġ943The Section built a golf course for the WW II wounded vets at VF General Hospitalġ944The Section was now providing golf for five military medical hospitals in the Delaware Valleyġ945Hogan, Snead and Nelson, won 29 of the 37 tournaments held on the PGA Tour that yearġ946Ben Hogan won 12 events on the PGA Tour the PGA Championshipġ947CC of York pro E.J.
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