1949 U.S. Open (golf)

1949 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 9–11, 1949
Location Medinah, Illinois
Course(s) Medinah Country Club
Course No. 3
Organized by USGA
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Statistics
Par 71
Length 6,981 yards (6,383 m)[1]
Field 159 players, 51 after cut
Cut 150 (+8)
Prize fund $10,000[2]
Winner's share $2,000
Champion
United States Cary Middlecoff
286 (+2)
«1948
1950»
Medinah CC
Location in the United States
Medinah CC
Location in Illinois

The 1949 U.S. Open was the 49th U.S. Open, held June 9–11 at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago. Cary Middlecoff won the first of his two U.S. Open titles, one stroke ahead of runners-up Clayton Heafner and Sam Snead. For Snead, it was the third of four second-place finishes at the only major championship he never won. Middlecoff, a dentist, won his second U.S. Open in 1956.

Middlecoff began the championship with a 75, but rebounded with scores of 67-69 in the next two rounds to take a one-shot lead over Buck White after 54 holes. In the final round, Middlecoff was paired with Heafner, and the two exchanged the lead several times during the round. Heafner went ahead by one after the 11th, then double-bogeyed 12 to give Middlecoff the lead. After a Heafner birdie at 13, the two were tied again. Heafner then bogeyed 14 to fall one behind, a deficit he would not be able to overcome after missing a 6-footer for birdie at 18 that would have forced a Sunday playoff. Snead also had a chance to force a playoff with a birdie at the last, but his approach shot missed the green and he could only save par.[1]

Byron Nelson, the 1939 champion, came out of retirement but missed the cut. He played the U.S. Open six years later in 1955, then retired for good. Two-time champion Ralph Guldahl played in his final U.S. Open. Defending champion Ben Hogan missed the tournament after being severely injured in an automobile accident in February. He returned the following year and won three of the next four U.S. Opens.

This was the first U.S. Open at Medinah, which returned in 1975 and 1990, both ending in 18-hole playoffs. It later hosted the PGA Championship in 1999 and 2006, both won by Tiger Woods, and the Ryder Cup in 2012.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Lloyd Mangrum  United States 1946 74 74 70 76 294 +10 T14
Ralph Guldahl  United States 1937, 1938 71 75 73 77 296 +12 22
Craig Wood  United States 1941 76 73 76 73 298 +14 T27
Lew Worsham  United States 1947 71 76 71 80 298 +14 T27

Missed the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
Byron Nelson  United States 1939 74 77 151 +9
Lawson Little  United States 1940 77 76 153 +11
Gene Sarazen  United States 1922, 1932 75 79 154 +12
Billy Burke  United States 1931 76 80 156 +14
Tony Manero  United States 1936 79 78 157 +15
Chick Evans (a)  United States 1916 80 81 161 +19

Source:[3]

Round summaries

First round

Friday, June 9, 1949

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1 Les Kennedy  United States 69 −2
T2 Herman Barron  United States 70 −1
Al Brosch  United States
Charles Farlow  United States
Chick Harbert  United States
T6 Pete Cooper  United States 71 E
Bobby Cruickshank  Scotland
Ralph Guldahl  United States
Claude Harmon  United States
Johnny Palmer  United States
Bus Peele  United States
Lew Worsham  United States

Source:[4]

Second round

Saturday, June 10, 1949

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1 Al Brosch  United States 70-71=141 −1
T2 Cary Middlecoff  United States 75-67=142 E
Buck White  United States 74-68=142
T4 Claude Harmon  United States 71-72=143 +1
Clayton Heafner  United States 72-71=143
Les Kennedy  United States 69-74=143
7 Pete Cooper  United States 71-73=144 +2
T8 Bob Harris  United States 76-69=145 +3
Bobby Locke  South Africa 74-71=145
Ellsworth Vines  United States 73-72=145

Source:[3]

Third round

Saturday, June 11, 1949 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1 Cary Middlecoff  United States 75-67-69=211 −2
2 Buck White  United States 74-68-70=212 −1
T3 Al Brosch  United States 70-71-73=214 +1
Clayton Heafner  United States 72-71-71=214
5 Ellsworth Vines  United States 73-72-71=216 +3
T6 Dave Douglas  United States 74-73-70=217 +6
Claude Harmon  United States 71-72-74=217
Eric Monti  United States 75-72-70=217
Sam Snead  United States 73-73-71=217
Jim Turnesa  United States 78-69-70=217

Source:[1][2]

Final round

Saturday, June 11, 1949 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1 Cary Middlecoff  United States 75-67-69-75=286 +2 2,000
T2 Clayton Heafner  United States 72-71-71-73=287 +3 1,250
Sam Snead  United States 73-73-71-70=287
T4 Bobby Locke  South Africa 74-71-73-71=289 +5 700
Jim Turnesa  United States 78-69-70-72=289
T6 Dave Douglas  United States 74-73-70-73=290 +6 450
Buck White  United States 74-68-70-78=290
T8 Pete Cooper  United States 71-73-74-73=291 +7 300
Claude Harmon  United States 71-72-74-74=291
Johnny Palmer  United States 71-75-72-73=291

Source:[1][2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Middlecoff captures 49th National Open shootout". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. June 12, 1949. p. 14A.
  2. 1 2 3 "PGA scores, money winners". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 12, 1949. p. 27.
  3. 1 2 "National Open qualifiers". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 11, 1949. p. 11.
  4. ↑ "National Open golf scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 10, 1949. p. 19.

External links

Coordinates: 41°57′58″N 88°02′53″W / 41.966°N 88.048°W / 41.966; -88.048

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