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1946 U.S. Open (golf)

Coordinates: 41°28′08″N 81°31′16″W / 41.469°N 81.521°W / 41.469; -81.521
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1946 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 12–16, 1946
LocationBeachwood, Ohio
Course(s)Canterbury Golf Club
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par72
Length6,921 yards (6,329 m)[1]
Field168 players, 62 after cut
Cut151 (+7)
Prize fund$8,000[2]
Winner's share$1,833 [3]
Champion
United States Lloyd Mangrum
284 (−4), playoff
← 1941
1947 →
Canterbury Golf Club is located in the United States
Canterbury Golf Club
Canterbury
Golf Club
Canterbury Golf Club is located in Ohio
Canterbury Golf Club
Canterbury
Golf Club

The 1946 U.S. Open was the 46th U.S. Open, held June 12–16 at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb east of Cleveland. In the first U.S. Open since 1941, Lloyd Mangrum, a World War II veteran and recipient of two Purple Hearts, defeated Byron Nelson and Vic Ghezzi in 36 playoff holes to win his only major title.[4]

Nelson's caddie possibly cost Nelson the championship in the third round when he accidentally kicked Nelson's ball; Nelson was assessed a one stroke penalty.[5] Two months after the championship, Nelson announced his retirement from the tour at age 34, though he continued to play at the Masters through 1966. He also played twice again at the U.S. Open (1949 and 1955), and once at the British Open in 1955.

The purse was $8,000 with a winner's share of $1,500.[2] The three participants received a playoff bonus of $333 each.[3]

This was the last playoff at the U.S. Open that ended in a tie without sudden-death. The next dozen 18-hole full round playoffs determined a winner without the need for extra holes. The first time sudden-death was used for the 91st hole was in 1990, Hale Irwin's third title. It was needed again in 1994 and 2008.

This was the second U.S. Open at Canterbury in six years; the 1940 edition was won by Lawson Little. It later hosted the PGA Championship in 1973, won by Jack Nicklaus.

Round summaries

[edit]

First round

[edit]

Thursday, June 13, 1946

Place Player Score To par
T1 United States Toney Penna 69 −3
United States Sam Snead
T3 United States Bob Hamilton 70 −2
United States Mike Turnesa
T5 United States Skip Alexander 71 −1
United States Jimmy Demaret
United States Vic Ghezzi
United States Scudday Horner
United States Steve Kovach
United States Byron Nelson
United States Ed Oliver
United States Henry Picard
United States Henry Ransom

Source:[6]

Second round

[edit]

Friday, June 14, 1946

Place Player Score To par
T1 United States Vic Ghezzi 71-69=140 −4
United States Ben Hogan 72-68=140
3 United States Lawson Little 72-69=141 −3
T4 United States Ed Oliver 71-71=142 −2
United States Byron Nelson 71-71=142
6 United States Steve Kovach 71-72=143 −1
T7 United States Herman Barron 72-72=144 E
United States Lloyd Mangrum 74-70=144
United States Henry Picard 71-73=144
United States Henry Ransom 71-73=144
United States Sam Snead 69-75=144

Source:[7]

Third round

[edit]

Saturday, June 15, 1946 (morning)

Place Player Score To par
1 United States Byron Nelson 71-71-69=211 −5
T2 United States Vic Ghezzi 71-69-72=212 −4
United States Lloyd Mangrum 74-70-68=212
4 United States Ben Hogan 72-68-73=213 −3
5 United States Henry Picard 71-73-71=215 −1
T6 United States Herman Barron 72-72-72=216 E
United States Steve Kovach 71-72-73=216
United States Ed Oliver 71-71-74=216
T9 United States Chick Harbert 72-78-67=217 +1
United States Chandler Harper 76-74-67=217
United States Henry Ransom 71-73-73=217

Source:[8]

Final round

[edit]

Saturday, June 15, 1946 (afternoon)

Nelson began the final round with a one-stroke lead over Mangrum and Ghezzi. Ghezzi was the first to finish and carded a 72 and a 284 total. Nelson and Mangrum were playing together, and Nelson had a two-stroke advantage with three holes remaining. But after bogeys at his final two holes, combined with two pars by Mangrum, Nelson fell back into a tie and forced a three-way playoff.[8][9]

Place Player Score To par Money ($)
T1 United States Lloyd Mangrum 74-70-68-72=284 −4 Playoff
United States Vic Ghezzi 71-69-72-72=284
United States Byron Nelson 71-71-69-73=284
T4 United States Herman Barron 72-72-72-69=285 −3 550
United States Ben Hogan 72-68-73-72=285
T6 United States Jimmy Demaret 71-74-73-68=286 −2 350
United States Ed Oliver 71-71-74-70=286
T8 United States Chick Harbert 72-78-67-70=287 −1 225
United States Dick Metz 76-70-72-69=287
T10 United States Dutch Harrison 75-71-72-70=288 E 175
United States Lawson Little 72-69-76-71=288

Source:[8]

Playoff

[edit]

Sunday, June 16, 1946

All three players shot even-par 72 during the first 18 holes on Sunday morning, which forced another 18-hole playoff in the afternoon, as there was no sudden-death playoff at the time. At the 9th, Mangrum nearly shot himself out of contention with an out of bounds tee shot, but a 70-foot (20 m) putt for bogey allowed him to minimize the damage. Nelson and Ghezzi were tied at the turn, with Mangrum two back. But Mangrum then collected two birdies, while Nelson bogeyed 13 and Ghezzi recorded bogeys at 14 and 15. Mangrum took a two-stroke lead with a birdie at 16, and despite a bogey-bogey finish, his 72 was good enough to hold off Nelson and Ghezzi by a stroke.[1][4]

Place Player Score To par Money ($)
1 United States Lloyd Mangrum 72-72=144 E 1,833
T2 United States Byron Nelson 72-73=145 +1 1,208
United States Vic Ghezzi 72-73=145
  • Prize money includes $333 playoff bonus for each.

Scorecards

[edit]

Morning round

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 5 4 3 4 5 4 4 5 3 4
United States Mangrum E E −1 E −1 −1 −2 −2 −2 −2 −2 −3 −2 −1 −1 −1 E E
United States Nelson E −1 −1 −1 −1 E E E E +1 +1 +1 E E E E E E
United States Ghezzi E E −1 −1 −2 −2 −1 −1 −2 −2 −2 −1 −2 −2 −1 E E E

Afternoon round

Hole  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Par 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 5 4 3 4 5 4 4 5 3 4
United States Mangrum −1 E E E −1 −1 −1 −1 E E E +1 E E −1 −2 −1 E
United States Nelson E E E E E −1 −2 −2 −2 −2 −1 −1 E E E E +1 +1
United States Ghezzi E E E E E −1 −1 −1 −2 −2 −1 −2 −2 −1 E E E +1

Cumulative playoff scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey

Source:[1][3][4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Sixty, Billy (June 17, 1946). "Mangrum wins 'Open' title in play-off in heavy storm". Milwaukee Journal. p. 4-L.
  2. ^ a b "U.S. Open history: 1946". USGA. Archived from the original on July 6, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Cavagnaro, Bob (June 17, 1946). "Lloyd Mangrum captures national open; beats Nelson, Ghezzi in 36-hole playoff". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. 10.
  4. ^ a b c Bartlett, Charles (June 17, 1946). "Mangrum, war veteran, wins U.S. Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 25.
  5. ^ Fraley, Oscar (June 16, 1946). "Nelson, Mangrum, Ghezzi tie for National Open title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. p. 10.
  6. ^ Bartlett, Charles (June 14, 1946). "Snead, Penna lead Open golf with 69s". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 29.
  7. ^ "National Open golf scores". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 15, 1946. p. 18.
  8. ^ a b c Bartlett, Charles (June 16, 1946). "Nelson plays off today for Open title". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  9. ^ Sixty, Billy (June 16, 1946). "Nelson, Mangrum and Ghezzi tie in U.S. Open". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1-sec. III.
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41°28′08″N 81°31′16″W / 41.469°N 81.521°W / 41.469; -81.521