1950 U.S. Open (golf)
Tournament information | |
---|---|
Dates | June 8–11, 1950 |
Location | Ardmore, Pennsylvania |
Course(s) | Merion Golf Club, East Course |
Organized by | USGA |
Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
Statistics | |
Par | 70 |
Length | 6,694 yards (6,121 m)[1] |
Field | 150 players, 52 after cut |
Cut | 149 (+9) |
Prize fund | $15,000[2] |
Winner's share | $4,000 |
Champion | |
Ben Hogan | |
287 (+7), playoff | |
The 1950 U.S. Open was the 50th U.S. Open, held June 8–11 at the East Course of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia. In what became known as the "Miracle at Merion," 1948 champion Ben Hogan won the second of his four U.S. Open titles in an 18-hole playoff over 1946 champion Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio, just 16 months after being severely injured in an automobile accident.[3][4] It was the fourth of Hogan's nine major titles.[5]
Lee Mackey established a new tournament record by shooting a 64 in the first round,[6][7][8] but followed that up with an 81 and finished in 25th place.[9] His score of 64 was not bettered in any other major championship for 23 years, until Johnny Miller closed with a 63 at the U.S. Open in 1973 to win at Oakmont. Tommy Armour, three-time major champion and winner in 1927, played in his final major and missed the cut.
This was the second U.S. Open played at Merion's East Course, which previously hosted sixteen years earlier in 1934, won by Olin Dutra. Opened in 1912, the course was the site of the U.S. Amateur in 1916, 1924, and 1930; the first was the debut of Bobby Jones at age 14 (quarterfinalist) and the latter two he won. The 1930 victory was the fourth and final leg of his grand slam.
Hogan made his U.S. Open debut at Merion in 1934 at age 21. He shot 79 (+9) twice[10] and missed the 36-hole cut by three strokes. He made his first cut at the U.S. Open in 1939 and did not miss another; his last was in 1967 at age 54.
Course
East Course
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yards | 360 | 555 | 195 | 595 | 425 | 435 | 360 | 367 | 185 | 3,477 | 335 | 378 | 400 | 133 | 443 | 395 | 445 | 230 | 458 | 3,217 | 6,694 |
Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 70 |
Source:[11]
Past champions in the field
Made the cut
Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ben Hogan | United States | 1948 | 72 | 69 | 72 | 74 | 287 | +7 | 1 |
Lloyd Mangrum | United States | 1946 | 72 | 70 | 69 | 76 | 287 | +7 | 2 |
Cary Middlecoff | United States | 1949 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 79 | 292 | +12 | T10 |
Gene Sarazen | United States | 1922, 1932 | 72 | 72 | 82 | 76 | 302 | +22 | T38 |
Source:[9]
Missed the cut
Player | Country | Year won | R1 | R2 | Total | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tommy Armour | Scotland United States |
1927 | 75 | 75 | 150 | +10 |
Tony Manero | United States | 1936 | 77 | 75 | 152 | +12 |
Lawson Little | United States | 1940 | 79 | 74 | 153 | +13 |
Craig Wood | United States | 1941 | 77 | 76 | 153 | +13 |
Billy Burke | United States | 1931 | 78 | 79 | 157 | +17 |
Lew Worsham | United States | 1947 | 82 | 76 | 158 | +18 |
Johnny Farrell | United States | 1928 | 79 | 81 | 160 | +20 |
Round summaries
First round
Thursday, June 8, 1950
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lee Mackey | United States | 64 | –6 |
2 | Al Brosch | United States | 67 | –3 |
T3 | Skip Alexander | United States | 68 | –2 |
Julius Boros | United States | |||
T5 | Harold Williams | United States | 69 | –1 |
Henry Williams, Jr. | United States | |||
T7 | Pat Abbott | United States | 71 | +1 |
John Barnum | United States | |||
Al Besselink | United States | |||
Jim Ferrier | Australia | |||
Claude Harmon | United States | |||
Loddie Kempa | United States | |||
Joe Kirkwood, Jr. | United States | |||
Jack Mallon | United States | |||
Cary Middlecoff | United States | |||
Henry Picard | United States | |||
Denny Shute | United States |
Scorecard
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Mackey | E | E | E | −1 | −1 | −1 | −2 | −3 | −3 | −3 | −4 | −4 | −5 | −5 | −6 | −6 | −5 | −6 |
Source:[8]
Second round
Friday, June 9, 1950
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dutch Harrison | United States | 72-67=139 | –1 |
T2 | Julius Boros | United States | 68-72=140 | E |
Johnny Bulla | United States | 74-66=140 | ||
Jim Ferrier | Australia | 71-69=140 | ||
5 | Ben Hogan | United States | 72-69=141 | +1 |
T6 | Skip Alexander | United States | 68-74=142 | +2 |
Lloyd Mangrum | United States | 72-70=142 | ||
Cary Middlecoff | United States | 71-71=142 | ||
Henry Picard | United States | 71-71=142 | ||
Skee Riegel | United States | 73-69=142 | ||
Bob Toski | United States | 73-69=142 |
Third round
Saturday, June 10, 1950 (morning)
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lloyd Mangrum | United States | 72-70-69=211 | +1 |
2 | Dutch Harrison | United States | 72-67-73=212 | +2 |
T3 | Ben Hogan | United States | 72-69-72=213 | +3 |
Cary Middlecoff | United States | 71-71-71=213 | ||
Johnny Palmer | United States | 73-70-70=213 | ||
6 | Jim Ferrier | Australia | 71-69-74=214 | +4 |
7 | Henry Ransom | United States | 72-71-73=216 | +6 |
T8 | Julius Boros | United States | 68-72-77=217 | +7 |
George Fazio | United States | 73-72-72=217 | ||
Bill Nary | United States | 73-70-74=217 |
Source:
Final round
Saturday, June 10, 1950 (afternoon)
Mangrum began the final round with a one-shot lead over Dutch Harrison and a two-stroke lead over Hogan, defending champion Cary Middlecoff, and Johnny Palmer. Fazio was the first to post 287 (+7) after an even-par 70. Mangrum struggled early in his round, carding six bogeys on the first seven holes and shot 76 (+6), which also left him at 287. Hogan had a chance to win the tournament in regulation but missed a short putt for par at 15 and then bogeyed the par-3 17th. In a three-way tie for the lead going to the difficult 18th, Hogan hit one of his most famous shots, a 1-iron approach to 40 feet (12 m).[14] He two-putted for par to join Mangrum and Fazio in the Sunday playoff.[15][16] Middlecoff and Palmer both shot 79 and fell to tenth place.
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
T1 | Ben Hogan | United States | 72-69-72-74=287 | +7 | Playoff |
Lloyd Mangrum | United States | 72-70-69-76=287 | |||
George Fazio | United States | 73-72-72-70=287 | |||
4 | Dutch Harrison | United States | 72-67-73-76=288 | +8 | 800 |
T5 | Jim Ferrier | Australia | 71-69-74-75=289 | +9 | 500 |
Joe Kirkwood, Jr. | United States | 71-74-74-70=289 | |||
Henry Ransom | United States | 72-71-73-73=289 | |||
8 | Bill Nary | United States | 73-70-74-73=290 | +10 | 350 |
9 | Julius Boros | United States | 68-72-77-74=291 | +11 | 300 |
T10 | Cary Middlecoff | United States | 71-71-71-79=292 | +12 | 225 |
Johnny Palmer | United States | 73-70-70-79=292 |
Scorecard
Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
Source:[11]
Playoff
Sunday, June 11, 1950
The three players were within one stroke of each other as late as the 13th hole, with Hogan at even par and Fazio and Mangrum at one-over. Fazio bogeyed four of the last five holes to fall out of contention, while Hogan led Mangrum by a single stroke through 15. Mangrum's tee shot at 16 went into heavy rough but his third shot stopped 15 feet (4.6 m) from the hole. As he putted to save par, he picked up his ball to remove a bug that had landed on it, a violation of the rules (then rule 10, paragraph 2).[3] Mangrum rolled it in, but was assessed a two-stroke penalty at the next tee; the double-bogey allowed Hogan to cruise to a four-stroke victory.[1][3] Hogan had just one bogey, while Fazio had seven and Mangrum four, plus the double-bogey for the rules violation.
Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ben Hogan | United States | 69 | −1 | 4,000 |
2 | Lloyd Mangrum | United States | 73 | +3 | 2,500 |
3 | George Fazio | United States | 75 | +5 | 1,000 |
- This was the final three-way playoff at the U.S. Open that determined a third-place finisher; at the next in 1963, non-winners tied for second.
Scorecard
Birdie Bogey Double bogey
References
- ^ a b c d "Hogan shoots 69, one under, to win Open golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 12, 1950. p. 19.
- ^ "U.S. Open history: 1950". USGA. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Bartlett, Charles (June 12, 1950). "Hogan wins Open title on 69 in playoff". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 6.
- ^ Trostel, Michael (May 28, 2013). "Looking Back...1950 U.S. Open at Merion". USGA. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
- ^ "Defining Moment". Golf Digest. June 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ Bernstein, Ralph (June 9, 1950). "Harold Williams has good chance to win Open". Tuscaloosa News. Alabama. Associated Press. p. 11.
- ^ a b "Lee Mackey, Jr., shoots 64 to lead National Open". Wilmington Morning Star. North Carolina. Associated Press. June 9, 1950. p. 12.
- ^ a b c Bartlett, Charles (June 9, 1950). "Record 64 by golf unknown leads Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 4.
- ^ a b c "Top U.S. Open scorers". Milwaukee Sentinel. June 11, 1950. p. 2-B.
- ^ Cavagnaro, Bob (June 9, 1934). "Bobby Cruickshank has three-stroke lead as 64 golfers battle for Open title". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 6.
- ^ a b c d "1950 U.S. Open news, cards, pairings, scores" (PDF). Trenham Golf History. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
- ^ a b Bartlett, Charles (June 10, 1950). "Harrison shoots 67; leads Open with 139". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
- ^ a b "National Open tourney scores". Youngtown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. June 10, 1950. p. 7.
- ^ Balicki, Ron (September 11, 2009). "Remembering the 1-iron at Merion". Golfweek. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
- ^ Talbot, Gayle (June 11, 1950). "Hogan, Mangrum, Fazio tie; Ben's legs give out". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 1-B.
- ^ a b Bartlett, Charles (June 11, 1950). "Hogan limps into U.S. Open tie with 287". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
External links
- About.com – 1950 U.S. Open
- USGA Championship Database
- USOpen.com – 1950
- Trenham Golf History – 1950 U.S. Open