1946 U.S. Open (golf)

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]

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
Lloyd Mangrum
284 (−4), playoff
Canterbury
Golf Club
Location in United States
Canterbury
Golf Club
Location in Ohio

Nelson possibly cost himself the championship in the third round when his caddie accidentally kicked his ball and he was assessed a 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.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

PlayerCountryYear wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Byron Nelson United States193971716973284−4T2
Lawson Little United States194072697671288ET10
Billy Burke United States193176757675302+14T45

Source:[6]

Missed the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2TotalTo par
Gene Sarazen United States1922, 19327973152+8
Tommy Armour Scotland
 United States
19277875153+9
Johnny Farrell United States19287875153+9
Tony Manero United States19367677153+9
Sam Parks, Jr. United States19357974153+9
Craig Wood United States19417875153+9
Ralph Guldahl United States1937, 19387879157+13
Johnny Goodman (a) United States19338379162+18
Willie Macfarlane Scotland192576WD

Source:[7]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 13, 1946

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Toney Penna Italy
 United States
69−3
Sam Snead United States
T3Bob Hamilton United States70−2
Mike Turnesa United States
T5Skip Alexander United States71−1
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 United States

Source:[8]

Second round

Friday, June 14, 1946

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Vic Ghezzi United States71-69=140−4
Ben Hogan United States72-68=140
3Lawson Little United States72-69=141−3
T4Ed Oliver United States71-71=142−2
Byron Nelson United States71-71=142
6Steve Kovach United States71-72=143−1
T7Herman Barron United States72-72=144E
Lloyd Mangrum United States74-70=144
Henry Picard United States71-73=144
Henry Ransom United States71-73=144
Sam Snead United States69-75=144

Source:[7]

Third round

Saturday, June 15, 1946 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Byron Nelson United States71-71-69=211−5
T2Vic Ghezzi United States71-69-72=212−4
Lloyd Mangrum United States74-70-68=212
4Ben Hogan United States72-68-73=213−3
5Henry Picard United States71-73-71=215−1
T6Herman Barron United States72-72-72=216E
Steve Kovach United States71-72-73=216
Ed Oliver United States71-71-74=216
T9Chick Harbert United States72-78-67=217+1
Chandler Harper United States76-74-67=217
Henry Ransom United States71-73-73=217

Source:[6]

Final round

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.[6][9]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
T1Lloyd Mangrum United States74-70-68-72=284−4Playoff
Vic Ghezzi United States71-69-72-72=284
Byron Nelson United States71-71-69-73=284
T4Herman Barron United States72-72-72-69=285−3550
Ben Hogan United States72-68-73-72=285
T6Jimmy Demaret United States71-74-73-68=286−2350
Ed Oliver United States71-71-74-70=286
T8Chick Harbert United States72-78-67-70=287−1225
Dick Metz United States76-70-72-69=287
T10Dutch Harrison United States75-71-72-70=288E175
Lawson Little United States72-69-76-71=288

Source:[6]

Playoff

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]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Lloyd Mangrum United States72-72=144E1,833
T2Byron Nelson United States72-73=145+11,208
Vic Ghezzi United States72-73=145
  • Prize money includes $333 playoff bonus for each.

Scorecards

Morning round

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par443445345434544534
MangrumEE−1E−1−1−2−2−2−2−2−3−2−1−1−1EE
NelsonE−1−1−1−1EEEE+1+1+1EEEEEE
GhezziEE−1−1−2−2−1−1−2−2−2−1−2−2−1EEE

Afternoon round

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par443445345434544534
Mangrum−1EEE−1−1−1−1EEE+1EE−1−2−1E
NelsonEEEEE−1−2−2−2−2−1−1EEEE+1+1
GhezziEEEEE−1−1−1−2−2−1−2−2−1EEE+1

Cumulative playoff scores, relative to par

Birdie Bogey

Source:[1][3][4]

References

  1. Sixty, Billy (June 17, 1946). "Mangrum wins 'Open' title in play-off in heavy storm". Milwaukee Journal. p. 4-L.
  2. "U.S. Open history: 1946". USGA. Archived from the original on July 6, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  3. 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. 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 16, 1946). "Nelson plays off today for Open title". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  7. "National Open golf scores". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 15, 1946. p. 18.
  8. Bartlett, Charles (June 14, 1946). "Snead, Penna lead Open golf with 69s". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 29.
  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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