1937 U.S. Open (golf)
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 10–12, 1937 |
| Location | Birmingham, Michigan |
| Course(s) |
Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course |
| Organized by | USGA |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play − 72 holes |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72[1] |
| Length | 7,037 yards (6,435 m) |
| Field | 166 players, 65 after cut |
| Cut | 152 (+8) |
| Winner's share | $1,000 |
| Champion | |
 Ralph Guldahl | |
| 281 (−7) | |
|
«1936 1938» | |
The 1937 U.S. Open was the 41st U.S. Open, held June 10–12 at the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Ralph Guldahl won the first of his two consecutive U.S. Opens,[2] two strokes ahead of runner-up Sam Snead, making his U.S. Open debut.[3]
Snead opened with a 69 to share the lead with Denny Shute.[3] Through 54 holes, Snead and Guldahl trailed Ed Dudley by a stroke. During the final round on Saturday afternoon, Dudley shot a 76 and fell out of contention, while Snead birdied the last to finish with a 71 and a 283 total. Guldahl, playing well behind Snead, holed a 65-foot (20 m) putt for eagle at 8, then a birdie from 25 feet (8 m) at 9. After bogeys at 10 and 11, he rallied with birdies on the next two holes. He then went even on his last five holes to finish with a 69 and a 281 total, two better than Snead and a stroke better than the previous tournament record, set the previous year by Tony Manero.[4][5]
Two years earlier, Guldahl had become so frustrated with the game that he quit to become a carpenter. After deciding to return to the game, he went through a period of dominance throughout the late-1930s. He won the Western Open, then considered on-par with the major championships, three years in a row; was runner-up in the Masters Tournament in 1937 and 1938 before winning in 1939; and he would defend his U.S. Open title in 1938. For Snead, age 25, this tournament was just the beginning of a hard-luck career in the U.S. Open; he finished runner-up four times at the only major he never won.
Guldahl won the title with 19 clubs in his bag.[6] The USGA rule (4-4) regarding a maximum of 14 clubs went into effect the following January.[7][8]
Set at 7,037 yards (6,435 m), Oakland Hills was the first U.S. Open venue to surpass 7,000 yards (6,400 m); its average elevation is approximately 800 feet (245 m) above sea level.
The South Course previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1924 and later hosted in 1951, 1961, 1985, and 1996. It also later hosted the PGA Championship in 1972, 1979, and 2008.
Past champions in the field
Made the cut
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Goodman (a) | United States | 1933 | 70 | 73 | 72 | 75 | 290 | +2 | 8 |
| Gene Sarazen | United States | 1922, 1932 | 78 | 69 | 71 | 74 | 292 | +4 | T10 |
| Billy Burke | United States | 1931 | 75 | 73 | 71 | 75 | 294 | +6 | T16 |
| Sam Parks, Jr. | United States | 1935 | 74 | 74 | 72 | 74 | 294 | +6 | T16 |
| Johnny Farrell | United States | 1928 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 300 | +12 | T40 |
| Tony Manero | United States | 1936 | 76 | 73 | 77 | 74 | 300 | +12 | T40 |
| Willie Macfarlane |  Scotland | 1925 | 73 | 78 | 75 | 76 | 302 | +14 | T47 |
| Olin Dutra | United States | 1934 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 75 | 304 | +16 | T55 |
Missed the cut
| Player | Country | Year won | R1 | R2 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Armour | Scotland United States | 1927 | 77 | 78 | 157 | +13 |
Final leaderboard
Saturday, June 12, 1937
| Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ralph Guldahl | United States | 71-69-72-69=281 | −7 | 1,000 |
| 2 | Sam Snead | United States | 69-73-70-71=283 | −5 | 800 |
| 3 | Bobby Cruickshank | Scotland | 73-73-67-72=285 | −3 | 700 |
| 4 | Harry Cooper |  England United States | 72-70-73-71=286 | −2 | 600 |
| 5 | Ed Dudley | United States | 70-70-71-76=287 | −1 | 450 |
| 6 | Al Brosch | United States | 74-73-68-73=288 | E | 375 |
| 7 | Clarence Clark | United States | 72-75-73-69=289 | +1 | 275 |
| 8 | Johnny Goodman (a) | United States | 70-73-72-75=290 | +2 | 0 |
| 9 | Frank Strafaci (a) | United States | 70-72-77-72=291 | +3 | |
| T10 | Charles Kocsis (a) | United States | 72-73-76-71=292 | +4 | |
| Henry Picard | United States | 71-75-72-74=292 | 175 | ||
| Gene Sarazen | United States | 78-69-71-74=292 | |||
| Denny Shute | United States | 69-76-75-72=292 |
References
- ↑ "Long course awaits National Open field". Milwaukee Journal. United Press. June 7, 1937. p. 3, part 2.
- ↑ Gould, Alan (June 13, 1937). "Guldahl's 281 wins National Open". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. D1.
- 1 2 "Snead and Shute shoot subpar 69's to take lead in Open". Palm Beach Post. Florida. Associated Press. June 11, 1937. p. 8.
- ↑ Sixty, Billy (June 13, 1937). "Ralph Guldahl wins Open title with record 281". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1, sports.
- 1 2 3 "Every strokes a problem with championship at stake". Chicago Sunday Tribune. June 13, 1937. p. 1, part 2.
- ↑ "Uses 19 clubs". Milwaukee Journal. June 13, 1937. p. 1, sports.
- ↑ "Golfers limited to 14 clubs in competition". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. United Press. January 1, 1937. p. 14.
- ↑ "Tournament golfers limited to 14 clubs". Tuscaloosa News. Alabama. Associated Press. January 1, 1937. p. 7.
- 1 2 "How they scored in National Open". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. Associated Press. June 13, 1937. p. 18.
- 1 2 "National Open golf scores". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 12, 1937. p. 21.
- 1 2 "Second day's U.S. Open scores". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. June 12, 1937. p. 13.
External links
Coordinates: 42°32′38″N 83°16′37″W / 42.544°N 83.277°W