1954 U.S. Open (golf)

1954 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 17–19, 1954
Location Springfield, New Jersey
Course(s) Baltusrol Golf Club
Lower Course
Organized by USGA
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Statistics
Par 70
Length 7,027 yards (6,425 m)[1][2]
Field 159 players, 50 after cut
Cut 151 (+11)
Prize fund $23,280[3]
Winner's share $6,000
Champion
United States Ed Furgol
284 (+4)
«1953
1955»
Baltusrol 
Location in the United States
Baltusrol 
Location in New Jersey
Baltusrol
Location in
Union County

The 1954 U.S. Open was the 54th U.S. Open, held June 17–19 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. On the Lower Course, Ed Furgol won his only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Gene Littler.[2]

Littler owned the 36-hole lead by two strokes over defending champion Ben Hogan and Furgol. After a 76 in the third round, Littler fell three strokes back of Furgol, who shot a 71 to take a one-stroke lead over Dick Mayer. Hogan made four bogeys at the first six holes and fell out of contention with a 76.

In the final round on Saturday afternoon, Littler rebounded with a 70, but it was not enough. Furgol was helped by a great recovery on the 18th. After hitting his drive into the trees, he played his escape shot onto the 18th fairway of Baltusrol's other course. From there he managed to make par, carding a 72 for a 284 total. Mayer was tied with Furgol as he played 18, but he double-bogeyed the hole to fall into third.[4][5]

This U.S. Open was the first to be nationally televised, one hour of the final round,[6] carried by NBC. It was also the first in which ropes were used to control the gallery, and prize money was increased by 20% over the previous year.[3] This was the fourth U.S. Open at Baltusrol, but the first on the Lower Course, which later hosted in 1967, 1980, and 1993.

Course layout

Main article: Baltusrol Golf Club

Lower Course

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4653794441833914674683722043,3734504211903914094272016205453,6547,027
Par444344443344434443553670

Source:[1]

Lengths of the courses for previous major championships at Baltusrol:

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 72 71 72 71 286 +6 T3
Ben Hogan  United States 1948, 1950,
1951, 1953
71 70 76 72 289 +9 T6
Cary Middlecoff  United States 1949 72 71 72 75 290 +10 T11
Julius Boros  United States 1952 78 71 78 70 297 +17 T23
Lew Worsham  United States 1947 72 77 77 71 297 +17 T23
Lawson Little  United States 1940 78 73 73 77 301 +21 T35

Missed the cut

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 Total To par
Tony Manero  United States 1936 77 80 157 +17
Johnny Farrell  United States 1928 79 79 158 +18
Billy Burke  United States 1931 82 86 168 +28
Chick Evans (a)  United States 1916 88 85 173 +33
Gene Sarazen  United States 1922, 1932 79 WD

Source:[7]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 17, 1954

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1 Billy Joe Patton (a)  United States 69 −1
T2 Ted Kroll  United States 70 E
Gene Littler  United States
Bob Toski  United States
T5 Ed Furgol  United States 71 +1
Ben Hogan  United States
Al Mengert  United States
T8 Tommy Bolt  United States 72 +2
Leland Gibson  United States
Lloyd Mangrum  United States
Dick Mayer  United States
Cary Middlecoff  United States
Johnny Revolta  United States
Sam Snead  United States
Robert Watson  United States
Lew Worsham  United States

Source:[8]

Second round

Friday, June 18, 1954

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1 Gene Littler  United States 70-69=139 −1
T2 Ed Furgol  United States 71-70=141 +1
Ben Hogan  United States 71-70=141
T4 Lloyd Mangrum  United States 72-71=143 +3
Dick Mayer  United States 72-71=143
Al Mengert  United States 71-72=143
Cary Middlecoff  United States 72-71=143
T8 Tommy Bolt  United States 72-72=144 +4
Dick Chapman (a)  United States 77-67=143
Bobby Locke  South Africa 74-70=144
Bob Toski  United States 70-74=144

Source:[7]

Third round

1954 US Open Champion Ed Furgol
Ed Furgol in 1954

Saturday, June 19, 1954 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1 Ed Furgol  United States 71-70-71=212 +2
2 Dick Mayer  United States 72-71-70=213 +3
T3 Gene Littler  United States 70-69-76=215 +5
Lloyd Mangrum  United States 72-71-72=215
Cary Middlecoff  United States 72-71-72=215
T6 Al Mengert  United States 71-72-73=216 +6
Billy Joe Patton (a)  United States 69-76-71=216
T8 Tommy Bolt  United States 72-72-73=217 +7
Fred Haas  United States 73-73-71=217
Jay Hebert  United States 77-70-70=217
Ben Hogan  United States 71-70-76=217
Sam Snead  United States 72-73-72=217

Source:[2][4][5]

Final round

Saturday, June 19, 1954 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1 Ed Furgol  United States 71-70-71-72=284 +4 6,000
2 Gene Littler  United States 70-69-76-70=285 +5 3,600
T3 Lloyd Mangrum  United States 72-71-72-71=286 +6 1,500
Dick Mayer  United States 72-71-70-73=286
5 Bobby Locke  South Africa 74-70-74-70=288 +8 960
T6 Tommy Bolt  United States 72-72-73-72=289 +9 570
Fred Haas  United States 73-73-71-72=289
Ben Hogan  United States 71-70-76-72=289
Shelley Mayfield  United States 73-75-72-69=289
Billy Joe Patton (a)  United States 69-76-71-73=289 0

Source:[2][4][5]

(a) denotes amateur

References

  1. 1 2 "54th U.S. Open Championship: Baltusrol, Lower Course". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. June 17, 1954. p. 1D.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Grimsley, Will (June 20, 1954). "Furgol wins Open in dramatic finish". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. p. 1-sports.
  3. 1 2 "U.S. Open history:1954". USGA. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "Furgol wins Open, Mayer ties for third". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. June 20, 1954. p. 1C.
  5. 1 2 3 Fraley, Oscar (June 20, 1954). "Ed Furgol wins US Open". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. United Press. p. 1C.
  6. "Open on TV". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. June 18, 1954. p. 4, part 2.
  7. 1 2 "National Open golf scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 19, 1954. p. 11.
  8. "Amateur Patton fires 1-under 69 to lead Open". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. June 18, 1954. p. 4, part 2.

External links

Coordinates: 40°42′18″N 74°19′41″W / 40.705°N 74.328°W / 40.705; -74.328

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