1950 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 8–11, 1950
LocationArdmore, Pennsylvania
Course(s)Merion Golf Club,
East Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length6,694 yards (6,121 m)[1]
Field150 players, 52 after cut
Cut149 (+9)
Prize fund$15,000[2]
Winner's share$4,000
Champion
United States Ben Hogan
287 (+7), playoff
Merion GC is located in the United States
Merion GC
Merion GC
Location in the United States
Merion GC  is located in Pennsylvania
Merion GC 
Merion GC 
Location in Pennsylvania

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

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards3605551955954254353603671853,4773353784001334433954452304583,2176,694
Par453544443364443444343470

Source:[11]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 8, 1950

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Lee Mackey64−6
2United States Al Brosch67−3
T3United States Skip Alexander68−2
United States Julius Boros
T5United States Harold Williams69−1
United States Henry Williams, Jr.
T7United States Pat Abbott71+1
United States John Barnum
United States Al Besselink
Australia Jim Ferrier
United States 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

Source:[7][8]

Scorecard

Hole 1  2  3 456789101112131415161718
Par453544443444344434
United States MackeyEEE−1−1−1−2−3−3−3−4−4−5−5−6−6−5−6

Source:[8]

Second round

Friday, June 9, 1950

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Dutch Harrison72-67=139−1
T2United States Julius Boros68-72=140E
United States Johnny Bulla74-66=140
Australia Jim Ferrier71-69=140
5United States Ben Hogan72-69=141+1
T6United States Skip Alexander68-74=142+2
United States Lloyd Mangrum72-70=142
United States Cary Middlecoff71-71=142
United States Henry Picard71-71=142
United States Skee Riegel73-69=142
United States Bob Toski73-69=142

Source:[11][12][13]

Third round

Saturday, June 10, 1950   (morning)

PlacePlayerScoreTo par
1United States Lloyd Mangrum72-70-69=211+1
2United States Dutch Harrison72-67-73=212+2
T3United States Ben Hogan72-69-72=213+3
United States Cary Middlecoff71-71-71=213
United States Johnny Palmer73-70-70=213
6Australia Jim Ferrier71-69-74=214+4
7United States Henry Ransom72-71-73=216+6
T8United States Julius Boros68-72-77=217+7
United States George Fazio73-72-72=217
United States Bill Nary73-70-74=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.

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
T1United States Ben Hogan72-69-72-74=287+7Playoff
United States Lloyd Mangrum72-70-69-76=287
United States George Fazio73-72-72-70=287
4United States Dutch Harrison72-67-73-76=288+8800
T5Australia Jim Ferrier71-69-74-75=289+9500
United States Joe Kirkwood, Jr.71-74-74-70=289
United States Henry Ransom72-71-73-73=289
8United States Bill Nary73-70-74-73=290+10350
9United States Julius Boros68-72-77-74=291+11300
T10United States Cary Middlecoff71-71-71-79=292+12225
United States Johnny Palmer73-70-70-79=292

Source:[9][16]

Scorecard

Hole  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18 
Par453544443444344434
United States Hogan+3+3+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4+5+5+5+6+6+7+7
United States Mangrum+2+3+2+3+4+5+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+6+7+7+7+7
United States Fazio+7+6+7+7+7+7+8+8+8+8+8+8+7+8+7+7+7+7
United States Harrison+3+2+4+5+5+5+5+6+7+7+7+8+8+8+8+8+8+8
Australia Ferrier+7+6+7+7+7+7+8+8+8+8+9+9+9+9+10+9+9+9
United States Middlecoff+3+4+4+5+7+7+7+6+6+8+8+8+8+8+9+11+12+12
United States Palmer+4+4+5+5+7+8+8+8+8+8+9+10+11+11+11+11+11+12

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.

PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)
1United States Ben Hogan69−14,000
2United States Lloyd Mangrum73+32,500
3United States George Fazio75+51,000

Source:[1][3]

  • 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

Hole  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18 
Par453544443444344434
United States HoganEEEEEE−1EEEEEEEEE−1−1
United States MangrumE−1EEEEEEE+1E+1+1+2+1+3+3+3
United States Fazio+1EEEE+1+2+1+1+1+1+1+1+2+3+4+4+5
Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[1][3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Hogan shoots 69, one under, to win Open golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 12, 1950. p. 19.
  2. "U.S. Open history: 1950". USGA. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Bartlett, Charles (June 12, 1950). "Hogan wins Open title on 69 in playoff". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 6.
  4. 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.
  5. "Defining Moment". Golf Digest. June 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  6. Bernstein, Ralph (June 9, 1950). "Harold Williams has good chance to win Open". Tuscaloosa News. Alabama. Associated Press. p. 11.
  7. 1 2 "Lee Mackey, Jr., shoots 64 to lead National Open". Wilmington Morning Star. North Carolina. Associated Press. June 9, 1950. p. 12.
  8. 1 2 3 Bartlett, Charles (June 9, 1950). "Record 64 by golf unknown leads Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 4.
  9. 1 2 "Top U.S. Open scorers". Milwaukee Sentinel. June 11, 1950. p. 2-B.
  10. 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.
  11. 1 2 3 "1950 U.S. Open news, cards, pairings, scores" (PDF). Trenham Golf History. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  12. Bartlett, Charles (June 10, 1950). "Harrison shoots 67; leads Open with 139". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  13. "National Open tourney scores". Youngtown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. June 10, 1950. p. 7.
  14. Balicki, Ron (September 11, 2009). "Remembering the 1-iron at Merion". Golfweek. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  15. Talbot, Gayle (June 11, 1950). "Hogan, Mangrum, Fazio tie; Ben's legs give out". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 1-B.
  16. 1 2 Bartlett, Charles (June 11, 1950). "Hogan limps into U.S. Open tie with 287". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.

40°00′04″N 75°18′43″W / 40.001°N 75.312°W / 40.001; -75.312

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.