Hershey Open

Hershey Open
Tournament information
LocationHershey, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Established1933
Course(s)Hershey Country Club
Par73
Length7,000 yards (6,400 m)[1]
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Prize fund$5,000
Final year1941
Tournament record score
Aggregate275 Ben Hogan (1941)
To par−17 same
Final champion
United States Ben Hogan
Location map
Hershey is located in the United States
Hershey
Hershey
Location in United States
Hershey is located in Pennsylvania
Hershey
Hershey
Location in Pennsylvania

The Hershey Open was a golf tournament in Pennsylvania on the PGA Tour from 1933 to 1941. It was played at the Hershey Country Club in Hershey on what is now called the West Course.[2] It was played as a 72-hole stroke play event every year except 1938. That year, it was played as a 126-hole round-robin match play tournament with eight two-man teams and called the Hershey Four-Ball;[3] its format was identical to the one used by the Inverness Invitational Four-Ball. The event was not held in 1940, when the club hosted the PGA Championship.

Three times it was won by the resident golf pro—Henry Picard in 1936 and 1937 and Ben Hogan in his first year at Hershey in 1941.[1] His win in 1938 in the team event with Vic Ghezzi was Hogan's first as a professional;[3] his first win as an individual came in March 1940 in North Carolina.[4][5]

Winners

Year Player Country Score To par Margin
of victory		 Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)		 Ref
Hershey Open
1941 Ben Hogan  United States 275 −17 5 strokes United States Lloyd Mangrum 1,200 [1]
1940 No tournament – hosted PGA Championship
1939 Felix Serafin  United States 284 −8 2 strokes United States Jimmy Hines
United States Ben Hogan		 1,200 [6]
Hershey Four-Ball
1938 Vic Ghezzi and
Ben Hogan		  United States
 United States		 +17 15 points United States Paul Runyan and
United States Sam Snead		 550
(each)		 [7][3]
Hershey Open
1937 Henry Picard (2)  United States 280 −12 3 strokes United States Ralph Guldahl 1,200 [8]
1936 Henry Picard  United States 287 −5 1 stroke United States Jimmy Thomson 1,200 [9]
1935 Ted Luther  United States 290 −2 Playoff United States Felix Serafin 1,000 [10][11]
1934 Ky Laffoon  United States 286 −6 5 strokes United States Ed Dudley
United States Joe Turnesa		 [12]
1933 Ed Dudley  United States 288 −4 10 strokes United States Al Espinosa 500 [13]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Hogan's 275 routs field at Hershey". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). United Press. September 1, 1941. p. 7.
  2. ^ "Golf Course Review - Hershey Country Club (East/West Courses)". Golf News. The Sports Network. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Third money deadlock for Byron Nelson". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). September 5, 1938. p. 6.
  4. ^ Boni, Bill (March 22, 1940). "Hogan finally takes a title". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. p. 9.
  5. ^ "Hogan new threat to money golfers". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. March 22, 1940. p. 35.
  6. ^ "Serafin surprises in Hershey victory". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. September 4, 1939. p. 10.
  7. ^ "Ghezzi-Horan Golf Duo Wins". The Spokesman-Review. AP. September 5, 1938. p. 8.
  8. ^ "Picard Sets Record To Win Hershey Open". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press. September 6, 1937. p. 12.
  9. ^ "Henry Picard Triumphs In Hershey Open Event". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press. September 7, 1936. p. 12.
  10. ^ "Ted Luther, Serafin Tie". The Pittsburgh Press. August 25, 1935. p. 12.
  11. ^ "Luther Takes Hershey Golf". The Pittsburgh Press. August 26, 1935. p. 12.
  12. ^ "Ky Laffoon Winner". The Spokesman-Review. AP. September 2, 1934. p. Part Two 1.
  13. ^ "DudleyTakes Hershey Meet". Youngtown Vindicator. AP. September 3, 1933. p. C-1.

40°17′53″N 76°37′48″W / 40.298°N 76.63°W / 40.298; -76.63