Hershey Open
Encyclopedia
The Hershey Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour
from 1933 to 1941. It was played at the Hershey Country Club
in Hershey, Pennsylvania
on what is now called the West Course. It was played as a 72-hole stroke play
event every year except 1938. That year, it was played as an 126-hole round-robin match play
tournament with eight two-man teams and called the Hershey Four-Ball. The 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.
Hershey Four-Ball
Hershey Open
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
from 1933 to 1941. It was played at the Hershey Country Club
Hershey Country Club
Hershey Country Club is a country club located just outside the eastern city limits of Hershey, Pennsylvania, which was founded in 1930 by Milton S. Hershey....
in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
on what is now called the West Course. It was played as a 72-hole stroke play
Stroke play
Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in the sport of golf. It involves counting the total number of strokes taken on each hole during a given round, or series of rounds...
event every year except 1938. That year, it was played as an 126-hole round-robin match play
Match play
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; this is as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes...
tournament with eight two-man teams and called the Hershey Four-Ball. The format was identical to the one used by the Inverness Invitational Four-Ball
Inverness Invitational Four-Ball
The Inverness Invitational Four-Ball was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1935 to 1953. It was played at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.-Format:...
. The event was not held in 1940
1940 PGA Championship
The 1940 PGA Championship was a golf competition held at Hershey Country Club. Byron Nelson won the competition....
when the club hosted the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
.
Three times it was won by the resident golf pro—Henry Picard
Henry Picard
Henry Gilford Picard was an American professional golfer.Picard was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and learned to play golf while caddying at the Plymouth Country Club. Picard, already a talented player by his early 20s, came to prominence after coaching from the leading instructor Alex Morrison...
in 1936 and 1937 and Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan
William Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
in his first year at Hershey in 1941.
Winners
Hershey Open- 1941 Ben HoganBen HoganWilliam Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
- 1940 No tournament - hosted PGA ChampionshipPGA ChampionshipThe PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
- 1939 Felix SerafinFelix SerafinFelix Serafin was an American professional golfer.Serafin was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He made his living as a club professional while occasionally playing on the early PGA Tour...
Hershey Four-Ball
- 1938 Vic GhezziVic GhezziVictor J. Ghezzi was an American golfer. He won 11 times on the PGA Tour including one major championship, the 1941 PGA Championship. He was selected for three Ryder Cup teams, 1939, 1941, and 1943 but each was canceled due to World War II...
and Ben HoganBen HoganWilliam Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
Hershey Open
- 1937 Henry PicardHenry PicardHenry Gilford Picard was an American professional golfer.Picard was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and learned to play golf while caddying at the Plymouth Country Club. Picard, already a talented player by his early 20s, came to prominence after coaching from the leading instructor Alex Morrison...
- 1936 Henry PicardHenry PicardHenry Gilford Picard was an American professional golfer.Picard was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and learned to play golf while caddying at the Plymouth Country Club. Picard, already a talented player by his early 20s, came to prominence after coaching from the leading instructor Alex Morrison...
- 1935 Ted Luther
- 1934 Ky LaffoonKy LaffoonKy Laffoon was an American golfer. He won 10 times on the PGA Tour, with four of the victories coming in 1934. He played on the 1935 Ryder Cup team. In 1939 his wife Irene Laffoon threatened to leave him if he could not control his temper on golf course...
- 1933 Ed Dudley