Exactly 100 years ago this week, French Lick was the center of the golf universe.
It looked just a little different then with no TV coverage, no live scoring in the app, no selfie-snapping spectators on the course. But make no mistake, this was still major. The 1924 PGA Championship brought the world’s best to French Lick, including the man who squeezed out a victory on the final day to bolster his legacy as one of the best to ever play the game.
The Venue
The field of 32 golfers got rolling on September 15, 1924 at French Lick Springs Golf Club — known today as The Donald Ross Course at French Lick Resort. It was the 7th PGA Championship played, and the 8th year of the course designed by Ross in 1917. Ross himself rode this area on horseback alongside French Lick Springs Hotel owner Thomas Taggart while scouting a location to build the course. More than 100 years later, this Ross course maintains several elements of its classic design.
The Format
Want to win a major title in 1924? It required 3 times the work as it does in today’s 72-hole stroke-play format.
This was a grueling test of golf, with 216 holes (12 rounds) played over six days. It began with a 36-hole qualifier on Monday with the top 32 pros advancing into the tournament bracket. From there it was a head-to-head match play format with the field narrowed by half each day.
Scenes from the 18th green during the 1924 PGA Championship.
The Contenders
By the final round Saturday, September 20, two golfers were left standing: Walter Hagen and Jim Barnes.
This a clash of champions was a good one between Barnes (who won the first PGA Championship played in 1916) and Hagen (the 1921 PGA Championship winner and runner-up the prior year in ’23).
The Buffalo (N.Y.) Courier, September 21, 1924
The Account
Newspaper articles about the final round noted it was “played on soggy field under leaden skies.” More of the dramatic accounts of the back-and-forth between Hagen and Barnes in the final 36 holes:
“(Hagen) had a narrow escape today at the hands of the tall Englishman who although he was four down at the end of the morning round, got his putter going for a half dozen holes this afternoon and managed to cut Hagen’s lead to 2 up at the twenty-seventh hole and had him 1 up at the twenty-ninth.”
“A large gallery followed the match through the entire 36 holes and at times saw machine-like golf. There were a number of occasions, however, when Barnes missed putts that the ordinary dub could hole handily.”
The Winner
Hagen closed out a 2-up victory, and his triumph at French Lick ignited a dynasty of this era. Hagen's match record at the PGA Championship in the 1920s was an impressive 15-1, with the only blemish coming to Gene Sarazen in 38 holes at the 1923 finals.
Winning will put you in good spirits, as Hagen usually was. He was known as a bit of a jokester. And he shows it in this group photo from the tournament (shown below). Look closely, and Hagen appears on the far left on the back row — and again on the far right of the back row with a sly grin. During that era of slow-moving panoramic photography, he ran behind the back row while the photo was being taken to create the illusion of being pictured twice.
The Purse
The total purse in 1924? $5,000, which was donated by Taggart.
(The 2024 PGA Championship purse, for comparison: $18.5 million.)
For his victory, Hagen earned a $500 share along with a gold medal. Barnes received $300 and a silver medal. The remaining $4,200 was divided among other competitors.
The Legacy
Hagen’s win in French Lick ignited an run of four straight PGA Championship titles from 1924-27. He’s the only golfer in history to capture the PGA Championship more than two consecutive years, and he still shares the record with Jack Nicklaus for the most PGA Championships with five. To this day, Hagen stands only behind Nicklaus (18) and Tiger Woods (15) on the all-time majors list.
Of course, his name still graces the course today as he’s the namesake of our Hagen’s Club House Restaurant just off the Donald Ross golf shop.
The Scores
Final results from the last four rounds of the 1924 PGA Championship:
Round of 16 (36 holes)
Johnny Farrell def. Willie Macfarlane, 2 and 1
Walter Hagen def. Al Watrous, 4 and 3
Al Espinosa def. Francis Gallett, 4 and 3
Ray Derr def. Bobby Cruickshank, 2 and 1
Emmet French def. Mortie Dutra, 3 and 1
Jim Barnes def. Eddie Towns, 10 and 9
Henry Ciuci def. Dan Williams, 4 and 3
Larry Nabholtz def. Gene Sarazen, 2 and 1
Quarterfinals (36 holes)
Walter Hagen def. Johnny Farrell, 3 and 2
Ray Derr def. Al Espinosa, 2 and 1
Jim Barnes def. Emmet French, 6 and 4
Larry Nabholtz def. Henry Ciuci, 5 and 4
Semifinals (36 holes)
Walter Hagen def. Ray Derr, 8 and 7
Jim Barnes def. Larry Nabholtz, 1-up
Championship Match (36 holes)
Walter Hagen def. Jim Barnes, 2-up
