Sam Snead won the match play championship, 7 and 6, over Walter Burkemo in the Tuesday final; the winner's share was $3,500, and the runner-up's was $1,500.

At age 39, he was the oldest at the time to win the PGA Championship, passing his old record of two years earlier.

Snead's win was the last by a former champion for twenty years until Jack Nicklaus won his second PGA Championship in 1971.

Claude Harmon, Lloyd Mangrum, and Pete Cooper tied for the lowest score in the stroke play qualifier at 142 (−2).

Its mandatory two-day qualifier was held on the same days as the PGA's semifinals and finals, which prevented participation in both events.