Walter Burkemo
Encyclopedia
Walter E. Burkemo was an American
professional golfer
, best known for winning the 1953 PGA Championship
.
Burkemo was born in Detroit
, the youngest of 13 children of Norwegian immigrants who settled there. He began in golf
at the age of 8 by caddying at Lochmoor Country Club in Detroit. Burkemo won his first event at the 1938 Southern Florida Open; however, World War II
intervened soon thereafter and he found himself drafted into the Army
. Burkemo served as an infantry sergeant in the European Theater
. He was seriously wounded twice during the war; the second time during the Battle of the Bulge
.
Burkemo resumed his PGA Tour
career after recovering from his injuries. He had little success in the late 1940s; but in 1951, his luck began to change when he won his first of four Michigan Open
s. His best years in professional golf
were in the early 1950s; he won the 1953 PGA Championship
and finished as runner-up in 1951 and 1954. Although he was one of the most consistent top-10 finishers on the Tour, he would go on to win one only more PGA Tour event, the 1957 Mayfair Inn Open
. He was a member of the 1953 Ryder Cup
team.
The 1953 PGA Championship was played at Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan
, only six miles from the Franklin Hills Country Club where Burkemo was club pro. He benefitted from a so-called "home field advantage" because during the matchplay era, the PGA Championship was a marathon 36 holes of qualifying followed by six matches – the last four at 36 holes. He also benefitted from the fact that Ben Hogan
, who was to win that year's first three Majors, was still in England finishing-up in the British Open
when the PGA Championship started. Burkemo's toughest match en route to the final against Felice Torza
was in the semifinals against 1948 Masters champion Claude Harmon
, who was up 3 after 11 holes. Burkemo rallied to win.
After the 1954 season, Burkemo returned to life as a club pro because the grind of the PGA Tour was proving too difficult for him to maintain with a wife and four children. He continued to play the tour part-time for the rest of his career. He and his brother Vic opened Burkemo's driving range in Detroit, for years it was a favorite in the area, grandson David Marsh (son of Janet Burkemo) recalls.
Burkemo was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
and the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. He died in Fenton, Michigan
, a day before his 68th birthday.
Major championship
is shown in bold.
Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958
Note: Burkemo never played in the British Open
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
, best known for winning the 1953 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...
.
Burkemo was born in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, the youngest of 13 children of Norwegian immigrants who settled there. He began in golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
at the age of 8 by caddying at Lochmoor Country Club in Detroit. Burkemo won his first event at the 1938 Southern Florida Open; however, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
intervened soon thereafter and he found himself drafted into the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Burkemo served as an infantry sergeant in the European Theater
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
. He was seriously wounded twice during the war; the second time during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
.
Burkemo resumed his PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
career after recovering from his injuries. He had little success in the late 1940s; but in 1951, his luck began to change when he won his first of four Michigan Open
Michigan Open
The Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America...
s. His best years in professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
were in the early 1950s; he won the 1953 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...
and finished as runner-up in 1951 and 1954. Although he was one of the most consistent top-10 finishers on the Tour, he would go on to win one only more PGA Tour event, the 1957 Mayfair Inn Open
Mayfair Inn Open
The Mayfair Inn Open was a PGA Tour event that was played for four years in the 1950s. The Mayfair Inn was a 155-room resort hotel on the shores of Lake Monroe in Sanford, Florida known for its opulence and isolation. The PGA Tour event was played from 1955–1958 at the Mayfair Country Club...
. He was a member of the 1953 Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
team.
The 1953 PGA Championship was played at Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
, only six miles from the Franklin Hills Country Club where Burkemo was club pro. He benefitted from a so-called "home field advantage" because during the matchplay era, the PGA Championship was a marathon 36 holes of qualifying followed by six matches – the last four at 36 holes. He also benefitted from the fact that Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan
William Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
, who was to win that year's first three Majors, was still in England finishing-up in the British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
when the PGA Championship started. Burkemo's toughest match en route to the final against Felice Torza
Felice Torza
Felice Joseph Torza was an American professional golfer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.Torza was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Like most of the golfers of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club professional during his regular career years...
was in the semifinals against 1948 Masters champion Claude Harmon
Claude Harmon
Eugene Claude Harmon, Sr. was an American golfer.Harmon was born in Savannah, Georgia, and spent much of his boyhood in the Orlando area. A youthful prodigy, Harmon qualified for the U.S. Amateur at age 15 in 1931...
, who was up 3 after 11 holes. Burkemo rallied to win.
After the 1954 season, Burkemo returned to life as a club pro because the grind of the PGA Tour was proving too difficult for him to maintain with a wife and four children. He continued to play the tour part-time for the rest of his career. He and his brother Vic opened Burkemo's driving range in Detroit, for years it was a favorite in the area, grandson David Marsh (son of Janet Burkemo) recalls.
Burkemo was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports people. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, president of the Greater Michigan Foundation Donald Weeks, general manager of the...
and the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. He died in Fenton, Michigan
Fenton, Michigan
Fenton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan that lies mostly in Genesee County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,756. The city was incorporated from Fenton Township in Genesee County, and the city and township are administratively autonomous.-History:In the 1970s, the city...
, a day before his 68th birthday.
PGA Tour wins (2)
- 1953 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...
- 1957 Mayfair Inn OpenMayfair Inn OpenThe Mayfair Inn Open was a PGA Tour event that was played for four years in the 1950s. The Mayfair Inn was a 155-room resort hotel on the shores of Lake Monroe in Sanford, Florida known for its opulence and isolation. The PGA Tour event was played from 1955–1958 at the Mayfair Country Club...
Major championship
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
is shown in bold.
Other wins (6)
this list is probably incomplete- 1938 Southern Florida Open
- 1951 Michigan OpenMichigan OpenThe Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America...
- 1955 Michigan OpenMichigan OpenThe Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America...
, Michigan PGA ChampionshipMichigan PGA ChampionshipThe Michigan PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the Michigan section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1922 at a variety of courses around the state.-Winners:*2011 Scott Hebert*2010 Ron Beurman... - 1957 Michigan OpenMichigan OpenThe Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America...
- 1970 Michigan OpenMichigan OpenThe Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America...
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 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... |
2 & 1 |  Felice TorzaFelice Torza Felice Joseph Torza was an American professional golfer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.Torza was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Like most of the golfers of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club professional during his regular career years... |
Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
CUT | DNP | DNP |
| 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | T42 | DNP | T22 | T15 | T17 | CUT | CUT | T22 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T36 | CUT | DNP | T40 | CUT | CUT | T29 | T4 | T5 | WD |
| 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... |
DNP | 2 | R16 | 1 | 2 | R64 | R16 | SF | T16 | T17 |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T6 | T11 | CUT | T43 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T49 | CUT | DNP | T8 | CUT | DNP | T22 | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 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... |
T24 | 14 | T39 | CUT | T17 | T41 | CUT | CUT | CUT | DNP |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP |
| 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... |
CUT | CUT |
Note: Burkemo never played in the British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.