1954 U.S. Open (golf)

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]

1954 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 17–19, 1954
LocationSpringfield, New Jersey
Course(s)Baltusrol Golf Club
Lower Course
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length7,027 yards (6,425 m)[1][2]
Field159 players, 50 after cut
Cut151 (+11)
Prize fund$23,280[3]
Winner's share$6,000
Champion
Ed Furgol
284 (+4)
Baltusrol 
Location in the United States
Baltusrol 
Location in New Jersey
Baltusrol
Location in
Union County

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

Lower Course

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4653794441833914674683722043,3734504211903914094272016205453,6547,027
Par444344443344434443553670

Source:[1]

Lengths of the courses for previous major championships at Baltusrol:

  • 6,866 yards (6,278 m), par 72 - 1936 U.S. Open (Upper Course)
  • 6,212 yards (5,680 m), par 74 - 1915 U.S. Open (Old Course)   The Old Course was plowed under in 1918
  • 6,003 yards (5,489 m), par      - 1903 U.S. Open (Old Course)

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Lloyd Mangrum United States194672717271286+6T3
Ben Hogan United States1948, 1950,
1951, 1953
71707672289+9T6
Cary Middlecoff United States194972717275290+10T11
Julius Boros United States195278717870297+17T23
Lew Worsham United States194772777771297+17T23
Lawson Little United States194078737377301+21T35

Missed the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2TotalTo par
Tony Manero United States19367780157+17
Johnny Farrell United States19287979158+18
Billy Burke United States19318286168+28
Chick Evans (a) United States19168885173+33
Gene Sarazen United States1922, 193279WD

Source:[7]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 17, 1954

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Billy Joe Patton (a) United States69−1
T2Ted Kroll United States70E
Gene Littler United States
Bob Toski United States
T5Ed Furgol United States71+1
Ben Hogan United States
Al Mengert United States
T8Tommy Bolt United States72+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
1Gene Littler United States70-69=139−1
T2Ed Furgol United States71-70=141+1
Ben Hogan United States71-70=141
T4Lloyd Mangrum United States72-71=143+3
Dick Mayer United States72-71=143
Al Mengert United States71-72=143
Cary Middlecoff United States72-71=143
T8Tommy Bolt United States72-72=144+4
Dick Chapman (a) United States77-67=143
Bobby Locke South Africa74-70=144
Bob Toski United States70-74=144

Source:[7]

Third round

Ed Furgol in 1954

Saturday, June 19, 1954 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Ed Furgol United States71-70-71=212+2
2Dick Mayer United States72-71-70=213+3
T3Gene Littler United States70-69-76=215+5
Lloyd Mangrum United States72-71-72=215
Cary Middlecoff United States72-71-72=215
T6Al Mengert United States71-72-73=216+6
Billy Joe Patton (a) United States69-76-71=216
T8Tommy Bolt United States72-72-73=217+7
Fred Haas United States73-73-71=217
Jay Hebert United States77-70-70=217
Ben Hogan United States71-70-76=217
Sam Snead United States72-73-72=217

Source:[2][4][5]

Final round

Saturday, June 19, 1954 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Ed Furgol United States71-70-71-72=284+46,000
2Gene Littler United States70-69-76-70=285+53,600
T3Lloyd Mangrum United States72-71-72-71=286+61,500
Dick Mayer United States72-71-70-73=286
5Bobby Locke South Africa74-70-74-70=288+8960
T6Tommy Bolt United States72-72-73-72=289+9570
Fred Haas United States73-73-71-72=289
Ben Hogan United States71-70-76-72=289
Shelley Mayfield United States73-75-72-69=289
Billy Joe Patton (a) United States69-76-71-73=2890

Source:[2][4][5]

(a) denotes amateur

References

  1. "54th U.S. Open Championship: Baltusrol, Lower Course". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. June 17, 1954. p. 1D.
  2. Grimsley, Will (June 20, 1954). "Furgol wins Open in dramatic finish". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. p. 1-sports.
  3. "U.S. Open history:1954". USGA. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  4. "Furgol wins Open, Mayer ties for third". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. June 20, 1954. p. 1C.
  5. 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. "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.

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