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1912 U.S. Open (golf)

Coordinates:42°57′29″N78°48′40″W/ 42.958°N 78.811°W/42.958; -78.811
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1912 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesAugust 1–2, 1912
LocationAmherst, New York
Course(s)Country Club of Buffalo
Organized byUSGA
FormatStroke play− 72 holes
Statistics
Par74
Length6,326 yards (5,784 m)[1]
Field120, 78 after cut
Cut166 (+18)
Winner's share$300
Champion
United StatesJohn McDermott
294 (−2)
1911
1913
Country Club of Buffalo is located in the United States
Country Club of Buffalo
Country Club
of Buffalo
Country Club of Buffalo is located in New York
Country Club of Buffalo
Country Club
of Buffalo

The1912 U.S. Openwas the 18thU.S. Open,held August 1–2 at theCountry Club of BuffaloinAmherst, New York,a suburb east ofBuffalo.(The course is nowGrover Cleveland Golf Course,owned byErie County.The Country Club of Buffalo relocated several miles east in 1926 toWilliamsville(42°58′19″N78°43′37″W/ 42.972°N 78.727°W/42.972; -78.727).) Twenty-year-oldJohn McDermottsuccessfully defended his U.S. Open title, two strokes ahead of runner-upTom McNamara.[2]

At the end of the second round on Thursday,Mike Brady,Percy Barrett,andAlex Smithwere tied for the lead, with defending champion McDermott two back.[3]

In the third round on Friday morning, played in rainy conditions with thunderstorms threatening to disrupt play, McDermott managed to card a 74 despite hitting two drives out of bounds. He still trailed Brady by three going into the final round in the afternoon, but Brady struggled on his way to a 79 and 299 total. McNamara, seven back at the start of the round, fired a course-record 69 to post 296; his 142 over the last two rounds was a new tournament record, but not enough to catch McDermott. Despite a bogey on the last hole, McDermott carded a 71 for a 294 total, two shots ahead of McNamara.[2]

McDermott, age 20, was already a two-time U.S. Open champion, but by 1914 his golf career was over. After a series of personal setbacks, he began suffering from mental illness and spent most of the rest of his life in a mental institution.

Jim Barnes,a future champion in1921,tied for 18th in his first U.S. Open.Horace Rawlins,the winner of the inaugural Open in1895,made his final appearance and missed the cut.

The par-6 tenth hole measured 606 yards (554 m), the longest hole in U.S. Open history up to that point and the only time a hole was given a par more than five.

Course[edit]

(present-dayGrover Cleveland Golf Course)

Hole Yards Par Hole Yards Par
1 345 4 10 606 6
2 315 4 11 400 4
3 406 4 12 340 4
4 380 4 13 210 3
5 455 5 14 170 3
6 300 4 15 516 5
7 125 3 16 155 3
8 430 5 17 540 5
9 300 4 18 333 4
Out 3,056 37 In 3,270 37
Source:[1] Total 6,326 74

Round summaries[edit]

First round[edit]

Thursday, August 1, 1912 (morning)

Place Player Score To par
T1 United StatesMike Brady 72 −2
CanadaDan Kenny
EnglandGeorge Sargent
T4 ScotlandFrank Peebles 73 −1
United StatesWalter Travis(a)
T6 ScotlandGrange Alves 74 E
EnglandPercy Barrett
Canada
ScotlandAlex Campbell
ScotlandJack Campbell
United StatesJack Croke
United StatesJohn McDermott
United StatesTom McNamara
ScotlandDavid Ogilvie

Source:[3]

Second round[edit]

Thursday, August 1, 1912 (afternoon)

Place Player Score To par
T1 EnglandPercy Barrett
Canada
74-73=147 −1
United StatesMike Brady 72-75=147
ScotlandAlex Smith 77-70=147
T4 ScotlandJack Campbell 74-75=149 +1
United StatesJohn McDermott 74-75=149
ScotlandFrank Peebles 73-76=149
T7 EnglandJim Barnes 77-73=150 +2
EnglandGeorge Sargent 72-78=150
T10 ScotlandTom Anderson, Jr. 75-76=151 +3
ScotlandAlex Campbell 74-77=151

Source:[3]

Third round[edit]

Friday, August 2, 1912 (morning)

Place Player Score To par
1 United StatesMike Brady 72-75-73=220 −2
2 United StatesJohn McDermott 74-75-74=223 +1
3 ScotlandAlex Smith 77-70-77=224 +2
4 EnglandGeorge Sargent 72-78-76=226 +4
5 United StatesTom McNamara 74-80-73=227 +5
6 United StatesOtto Hackbarth 77-77-75=229 +7
T7 CanadaCharlie Murray 75-78-77=230 +8
United StatesWalter Travis(a) 73-79-78=230
T9 ScotlandAlex Campbell 74-77-80=231 +9
United StatesJack Dowling 76-79-76=231

Source:[2]

Final round[edit]

Friday, August 2, 1912 (afternoon)

Place Player Score To par Money ($)
1 United StatesJohn McDermott 74-75-74-71=294 −2 300
2 United StatesTom McNamara 74-80-73-69=296 E 150
T3 United StatesMike Brady 72-75-73-79=299 +3 90
ScotlandAlex Smith 77-70-77-75=299
5 ScotlandAlex Campbell 74-77-80-71=302 +6 70
6 EnglandGeorge Sargent 72-78-76-77=303 +7 60
T7 United StatesJack Dowling 76-79-76-74=305 +9 45
United StatesOtto Hackbarth 77-77-75-76=305
9 CanadaCharlie Murray 75-78-77-76=306 +10 40
T10 ScotlandTom Anderson, Jr. 75-76-81-75=307 +11 25
ScotlandFrank Peebles 73-76-83-75=307
United StatesWalter Travis(a) 73-79-78-77=307 0

Source:[2]

Amateurs:Travis(+11), J. Anderson (+14), Gardner (+23), Lee (+29).

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"Start Open golf play today".Chicago Daily Tribune.August 1, 1912. p. 14.
  2. ^abcd"M'Dermott tops Open golf field".Chicago Daily Tribune.August 3, 1912. p. 10.
  3. ^abc"Three tie in golf tourney".Chicago Daily Tribune.August 2, 1912. p. 12.

External links[edit]

42°57′29″N78°48′40″W/ 42.958°N 78.811°W/42.958; -78.811