Long before Valhalla Golf Club ever existed, The PGA Championship was played in Louisville Ky. at a Country Club called Big Spring. In December of 1951 the PGA announced approval of their 1952 Championship to be held at Big Spring June 18-24 1952. The tournament was sponsored by The Kentucky Press Fund and the Louisville Optimist Club, A far stretch from todays cooperate sponsors but hey back then there wasn’t much TV and the tournament was still match play. Qualifying for the tournament began in all 30 districts on May 14th.
Talk of bringing the PGA Championship to Louisville’s Big Spring began in April of 1951. with the endorsement of the Falls Cities Golf Association. A group of interested persons heard Estill Lehman of Big Spring outline the requirements for securing the tournament. a Guarantee of Aprox $50,000 was required to bring the tournament to Louisville. This money was to be used for the mileage allowances and prizes for the players and expenses of the P.G.A officers.
George Happell and Bill Kaiser took on the roll of finding creative ways to generate funds to help bring the tournament to Big Spring they went as far as asking a few caddies at Audubon CC for a few bucks. They were determined to make the 1952 PGA Happen.
Golf in Louisville especially tournament golf wouldn’t be complete without mentioning George Happell. Geo. was the chairman of Big Spring CC at the time and he abecame the 1952 PGA tournament chairman. He was was also the chairman of the PubLinks finance committee. He later went on to promote several other tournaments in the Louisville area including the Kentucky Derby Open.
As far as the tournament excitement it was match play and as we all know match play can have some pitfalls. Especially if there are a few not so well known players in the finals.
First there was the Julius Boros situation. Julius was not a member of the PGA but was invited on a special invitation and then on the first day of qualifying he withdrew. Also on the first day of match play defending champion Sam Snead complaining of a side injury was beaten by Lew Worsham the match went 1 extra hole. Other well know golfers Dutch Harrison. Jackie Burke and Lloyd Mangrum were also eliminated. All in all it was the biggest massacre of well known golfers on the first day in the history of the PGA Championship Match play.
Jim Turnesa defeated Chick Harbert. In total Jim Turnesa played a total 208 holes in aprox 800 strokes and walked away the winner of the $3,500. Harbert walked away with $1,500.
Admission to the tournament. Practice rounds were $1.50. Wed and Thur Qualifying rounds and Friday Match play rounds were $2.00. Sundays quarter finals and Mondays semi finals were $2.50 and the final round was $3.00 you could get a season pass for the whole week for $14.00. Parking was free at Bowman field and buses ran by the 1/2 hour from downtown.
The tournament barely broke even and it wasn’t until 1996 at Valhalla Golf Club when the golf starved city of Louisville seen another P.G.A Championship.
Lloyd Mangrum tied the Big Spring course record of 64 during the 1952 qualifying. The course has since been renovated due to the expansion of I64. There were a total of 142 players in the 1952 P.G.A Championship at Big Spring CC.
Pappy Stokes
