The 1939 PGA Championship was the 22nd PGA Championship, held July 9–15 at Pomonok Country Club in Queens, New York. Then a match play championship, Henry Picard won his only PGA Championship, defeating Byron Nelson with a birdie at the 37th hole. It was the second of his two major titles; he won the Masters in 1938. Nelson won the U.S. Open three months earlier and the next PGA Championship in 1940. Beginning in 1939, he made five finals in six PGA Championships, and won his second title in 1945.

Picard had not trailed and led by two as late as the 26th hole, but the match was squared on the 29th green and Nelson led by one after 32 holes. Both birdied the par-5 33rd and Picard sank a curling putt from over twenty feet (6 m) for par to halve the 34th hole and stay one back. They halved the par-3 35th at par and both had birdie putts on the 36th green. Nelson missed his from ten feet (3 m) feet while Picard sank his from three to square up the match. On the extra hole, both again had birdie putts: Picard made his from ten feet while Nelson missed his from six.

Defending champion Paul Runyan lost in the quarterfinals to Dick Metz.

This PGA Championship was held during the 1939 New York World's Fair. The golf course no longer exists; Pomonok Country Club disbanded in 1949 and the property was developed for residences.

Format

The match play format at the PGA Championship in 1939 called for 12 rounds (216 holes) in seven days:

• Sunday and Monday – 36-hole stroke play qualifier, 18 holes per day;
  • defending champion and top 63 professionals advanced to match play
• Tuesday – first two rounds, 18 holes each
• Wednesday – third round – 36 holes
• Thursday – quarterfinals – 36 holes
• Friday – semifinals – 36 holes
• Saturday – final – 36 holes

Final results

Saturday. July 15, 1939

Place	Player	Money ($)
1	Henry Picard	1,100
2	Byron Nelson	600
T3	Dutch Harrison	350
	Dick Metz
T5	Emerick Kocsis	250
	Rod Munday
	Paul Runyan
	Horton Smith

Source:

Final eight bracket

Quarter-finals July 13

Semi-finals July 14

Finals July 15

Henry Picard

2&1

Rod Munday

Henry Picard

1up

Dick Metz

Dick Metz

2&1

Paul Runyan

Henry Picard

37h

Byron Nelson

Byron Nelson

10&9

Emerick Kocsis

Byron Nelson

9&8

Dutch Harrison

Dutch Harrison

4&3

Horton Smith

Final match scorecards

Morning

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	4	3	5	4	3	4	4	4	3	5	5	4	4	5	4	3	4
Picard	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	3	5	4	3	5	4	2	4
Nelson	5	3	4	5	4	4	4	4	2	3	4	4	4	3	4	4	3	3
Leader	P1	–	P1	P2	P2	P3	P3	P3	P2	P2	P3	P2	P2	P2	P1	P1	P2	P1

Afternoon

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	4	3	5	4	3	4	4	4	3	5	5	4	4	5	4	3	4
Picard	4	3	3	4	3	3	4	4	4	3	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3
Nelson	3	5	3	5	3	3	4	4	3	3	4	5	4	3	4	4	3	4
Leader	–	P1	P1	P2	P2	P2	P2	P2	P1	P1	–	–	–	N1	N1	N1	N1	–

Extra hole

Hole	1
Par	4
Picard	3
Nelson	4
Leader	P1

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