1947 U.S. Open (golf)

The 1947 U.S. Open was the 47th U.S. Open, held June 12–15 at St. Louis Country Club in Ladue, Missouri, a suburb west of St. Louis. Lew Worsham denied Sam Snead his elusive U.S. Open title by prevailing in an 18-hole playoff. For Snead, it was his second of four career runner-up finishes at the Open.

1947 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 12–15, 1947
LocationLadue, Missouri
Course(s)St. Louis Country Club
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par71
Length6,532 yards (5,973 m)[1]
Field146 players, 75 after cut
Cut151 (+9)
Prize fund$10,000[2]
Winner's share$2,500
Champion
Lew Worsham
282 (−2), playoff
St. Louis CC
Location in the United States
St. Louis CC 
Location in Missouri

In the third round, amateur Jim McHale Jr. tied the tournament record with a 65, and he established a new nine-hole record with a 30 on the front nine.[3] That mark was equaled fifteen times before it was broken in 1995 by Neal Lancaster, who carded a 29 on the back nine in the final round.[4]

Worsham's win marked the 17th consecutive victory in a major championship for an American-born golfer. This remains the longest stretch ever for American golfers. A significant reason this occurred is because the British Open, which is usually won by international golfers, was cancelled for most of the 1940s due to World War II.

The purse was $10,000 with a winner's share of $2,000 and $1,500 for the runner-up.[2] In addition, both playoff participants received a $500 bonus.[5]

Course layout
Main article: St. Louis Country Club
Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards3952331874215453251503475373,1403493991805764165001883654193,3926,532
Par433454345354435453443671

Source:[1]

Past champions in the field

Made the cut
PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Lloyd Mangrum United States194677726975293+9T23
Billy Burke United States193174757174294+10T27
Lawson Little United States194072697671296+12T23
Gene Sarazen United States1922, 193272757479300+16T39
Ralph Guldahl United States1937, 193874777677304+20T55
Tony Manero United States19367475WD

Source:[3]

Missed the cut
PlayerCountryYear wonR1R2TotalTo par
Tommy Armour Scotland
 United States		19277878156+14
Sam Parks, Jr. United States19357883161+19

Source:[6]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 12, 1947

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Chick Harbert United States67−4
Henry Ransom United States
Harry Todd United States
4Bobby Locke South Africa68−3
T5Leland Gibson United States69−2
Otto Greiner United States
Dick Metz United States
Bud Ward (a) United States
T9Ed Furgol United States70−1
Ben Hogan United States
Al Smith United States
Horton Smith United States
Lew Worsham United States

Source:[7]

Second round

Friday, June 13, 1947

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Chick Harbert United States67-72=139−3
Dick Metz United States69-70=139
3Lew Worsham United States70-70=140−2
T4Jim Ferrier Australia
 United States		71-70=141−1
Henry Ransom United States67-74=141
Bud Ward (a) United States69-72=141
T7Bobby Locke South Africa68-74=142E
Johnny Palmer United States72-70=142
Sam Snead United States72-70=142
Harry Todd United States67-75=142

Source:[6]

Third round

Saturday, June 14, 1947 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Lew Worsham United States70-70-71=211−2
T2Bobby Locke South Africa68-74-70=212−1
Sam Snead United States72-70-70=212
T4Ed Oliver United States73-70-71=214+1
Bud Ward (a) United States69-72-73=214
T6Jim Ferrier Australia
 United States		71-70-74=215+2
Ben Hogan United States70-75-70=215
Joe Kirkwood, Sr. Australia72-73-70=215
9Sammy Byrd United States72-74-70=216+3
T10Ed Furgol United States70-75-72=217+4
Dick Metz United States69-70-78=217
Johnny Palmer United States72-70-75=217
Paul Runyan United States71-74-72=217

Source:[3]

Final round

Saturday, June 14, 1947

Worsham began the final round with a stroke lead over Snead and Bobby Locke. A front-nine 33 kept him in the lead, but after three bogeys on the back he had to settle for a 71 and a 282 total. Snead overcame two early bogeys with birdies at 5, 6, and 15. After a bogey at 17, Snead needed a birdie on the 72nd hole to tie Worsham and force a playoff the next day. His approach shot left him 18 feet (5.5 m) away, which he rolled in for final-round 70. Locke shot 73 to finish three strokes back, in a tie for third place.[8]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
T1Lew Worsham United States70-70-71-71=282−2Playoff
Sam Snead United States72-70-70-70=282
T3Bobby Locke South Africa68-74-70-73=285+1900
Ed Oliver United States73-70-71-71=285
5Bud Ward (a) United States69-72-73-73=287+30
T6Jim Ferrier Australia
 United States		71-70-74-74=289+5400
Vic Ghezzi United States74-73-73-69=289
Leland Gibson United States69-76-73-71=289
Ben Hogan United States70-75-70-74=289
Johnny Palmer United States72-70-75-72=289
Paul Runyan United States71-74-72-72=289

Source:[3]

(a) denotes amateur

Playoff

Sunday, June 15, 1947

In the 18-hole playoff on Sunday morning, Snead led Worsham by two strokes with just three holes remaining. Worsham birdied the par-3 16th with a 28-foot (8.5 m) putt and Snead bogeyed 17 after he missed the fairway and overshot the green from the rough. The match was all-even at the tee of the 90th hole, a par-4 of 419 yards (383 m). Both put lengthy drives in the fairway, and Snead's approach shot stopped pin-high and 15 feet (5 m) left of the hole. Worsham was long and lay 40 feet (12 m) feet past the cup on the apron of the green. His downhill chip hit the hole without dropping, and ended up 29 inches (74 cm) away, leaving Snead his birdie putt for the win. Snead left it well short and as he prepared to hole out in continuation, Worsham called for an official to determine who was further away. With a tape measure, it was determined that it remained Snead's turn, who was visibly flustered with the unnecessary interruption and delay. Snead missed the 30.5-inch (77 cm) putt. Worsham then rolled in his par-saving putt for a 69 and the title, which averted an additional 18-hole playoff in the afternoon.[5][9][10]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Lew Worsham United States69−22,500
2Sam Snead United States70−12,000
  • Prize money includes $500 playoff bonus for each.[5]

Scorecard
Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par433454345443545344
WorshamEEEEEEE+1E−1−1−2−2−2−1−2−2−2
Snead−1−1−1−1−2EE−1−1−2−2−2−3−3−3−3−2−1
Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[5][10]

References
  1. Liska, Jerry (June 16, 1947). "Worsham captures national open title". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 7.
  2. "U.S. Open history: 1947". USGA. Archived from the original on July 6, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  3. Bartlett, Charles (June 15, 1947). "Worsham, Snead play-off open tie today". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  4. O'Connell, Jim (June 19, 1995). "Lancaster grabs record". Herald-Journal. Spartanburg, South Carolina. Associated Press. p. D4.
  5. "Lew Worsham wins U.S. Open golf: beats Snead by one shot in playoff". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 16, 1947. p. 14.
  6. Bartlett, Charles (June 14, 1947). "Harbert ties Metz for lead in National Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 19.
  7. "National Open golf results". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 13, 1947. p. 18.
  8. Mockler, Stan (June 15, 1947). "Sammy Snead, Lew Worsham end in dead heat for golfdom's top prize". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. United Press. p. 22.
  9. McGeorge, Dick (June 16, 1947). "Worsham outsmarts Snead and wins national open". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 34.
  10. "Worsham wins U.S. Open as Sam Snead misses short putt on last hole". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. June 16, 1947. p. 8.

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