1950 U.S. Open (golf)

1950 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates	June 8–11, 1950
Location	Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Course(s)	Merion Golf Club, East Course
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Statistics
Par	70
Length	6,694 yards (6,121 m)^[1]
Field	150 players, 52 after cut
Cut	149 (+9)
Prize fund	$15,000^[2]
Winner's share	$4,000
Champion
Ben Hogan
287 (+7), playoff
«1949 1951»

Merion GC

Location in the United States

The 1950 U.S. Open was the 50th U.S. Open, held June 8–11 at the East Course of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia. In what became known as the "Miracle at Merion," 1948 champion Ben Hogan won the second of his four U.S. Open titles in an 18-hole playoff over Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio, just 16 months after being severely injured in an automobile accident.^[3] It was the fourth of Hogan's nine major titles.^[4]

Lee Mackey established a new tournament record by shooting a 64 in the first round, but followed that up with an 81 and finished in 25th place. His score of 64 would not be bettered in any other major championship until Johnny Miller closed with a 63 at the 1973 U.S. Open. Tommy Armour, three-time major champion and winner in 1927, played in his final major and missed the cut.

This was the second U.S. Open played at Merion's East Course, which previously hosted sixteen years earlier in 1934, won by Olin Dutra. Opened in 1912, the course was the site of the U.S. Amateur in 1916, 1924, and 1930; the first was the debut of Bobby Jones at age 14 (quarterfinalist) and the latter two he won. The 1930 victory was the fourth and final leg of his grand slam.

Hogan made his U.S. Open debut at Merion in 1934 at age 21. He shot 79 (+9) twice^[5] and missed the 36-hole cut by three strokes. Hogan made his first cut at the U.S. Open 1939 and did not miss another; his last was in 1967 at age 54.

Course

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Player	Country	Year(s) won	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	To par	Finish
Ben Hogan	United States	1948	72	69	72	74	287	+7	1
Lloyd Mangrum	United States	1946	72	70	69	76	287	+7	2
Cary Middlecoff	United States	1949	71	71	71	79	292	+12	T10
Gene Sarazen	United States	1922, 1932	72	72	82	76	302	+22	T35

Missed the cut

Player	Country	Year won	R1	R2	Total	To par
Tommy Armour	United States	1927	75	75	150	+10
Tony Manero	United States	1936	77	75	152	+12
Lawson Little	United States	1940	79	74	153	+13
Craig Wood	United States	1941	77	76	153	+13
Billy Burke	United States	1931	78	79	157	+17
Lew Worsham	United States	1947	82	76	158	+18
Johnny Farrell	United States	1928	79	81	160	+20

Source:^[6]^[7]

Final round

Saturday, June 10, 1950
Mangrum began the final round in the afternoon with a two-stroke lead over Hogan. Fazio was the first to post 287 (+7) after an even-par 70. Mangrum struggled early in his round, carding six bogeys on the first seven holes and shot 76 (+6), which also left him at 287. Hogan had a chance to win the tournament but missed a short putt for par at 15 and then bogeyed the par-3 17th. In a three-way tie for the lead going to the difficult 18th, Hogan hit one of his most famous shots, a 1-iron approach to 40 feet (12 m).^[8] He two-putted for par to get into the three-way Sunday playoff.^[9]

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par	Money ($)
T1	Ben Hogan	United States	72-69-72-74=287	+7	Playoff
	Lloyd Mangrum	United States	72-70-69-76=287
	George Fazio	United States	73-72-72-70=287
4	Dutch Harrison	United States	72-67-73-76=288	+8	800
T5	Jim Ferrier	Australia	71-69-74-75=289	+9	500
	Joe Kirkwood, Jr.	United States	71-74-74-70=289
	Henry Ransom	United States	72-71-73-73=289
8	Bill Nary	United States	73-70-74-73=290	+10	350
9	Julius Boros	United States	68-72-77-74=291	+11	300
T10	Cary Middlecoff	United States	71-71-71-79=292	+12	225
T10	Johnny Palmer	United States	73-70-70-79=292	+12	225

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	5	3	5	4	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	4
Hogan	+3	+3	+4	+4	+4	+4	+4	+4	+4	+4	+4	+5	+5	+5	+6	+6	+7	+7
Mangrum	+2	+3	+2	+3	+4	+5	+6	+6	+6	+6	+6	+6	+6	+6	+7	+7	+7	+7
Fazio	+7	+6	+7	+7	+7	+7	+8	+8	+8	+8	+8	+8	+7	+8	+7	+7	+7	+7
Harrison	+3	+2	+4	+5	+5	+5	+5	+6	+7	+7	+7	+8	+8	+8	+8	+8	+8	+8
Ferrier	+7	+6	+7	+7	+7	+7	+8	+8	+8	+8	+9	+9	+9	+9	+10	+9	+9	+9
Middlecoff	+3	+4	+4	+5	+7	+7	+7	+6	+6	+8	+8	+8	+8	+8	+9	+11	+12	+12
Palmer	+4	+4	+5	+5	+7	+8	+8	+8	+8	+8	+9	+10	+11	+11	+11	+11	+11	+12

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par
Source:^[6]

Playoff

Sunday, June 11, 1950
The three players were within one stroke of each other as late as the 13th hole. Fazio bogied four of the last five holes to fall out of contention, while Hogan led Mangrum by a single stroke through 15. As Mangrum prepared to putt on the 16th, he picked up his ball to remove a bug that had landed on it, a violation of the rules. Assessed a two-stroke penalty, Mangrum made a double-bogey 6 which allowed Hogan to cruise to a four-stroke victory.^[1]

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Ben Hogan	United States	36-33=69	−1	4,000
2	Lloyd Mangrum	United States	36-37=73	+3	2,500
3	George Fazio	United States	37-38=75	+5	1,000

This was the final three-way playoff at the U.S. Open that determined a third place finisher; at the next in 1963, non-winners tied for second.

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	5	3	5	4	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	4
Hogan	E	E	E	E	E	E	−1	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	−1	−1
Mangrum	E	−1	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	+1	E	+1	+1	+2	+1	+3	+3	+3
Fazio	+1	E	E	E	E	+1	+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+1	+2	+3	+4	+4	+5

Source:^[1]

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Hogan shoots 69, one under, to win Open golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 12, 1950. p. 19. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
↑ "U.S. Open history: 1950". USGA. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
↑ Trostel, Michael (May 28, 2013). "Looking Back...1950 U.S. Open at Merion". USGA. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
↑ "Defining Moment". Golf Digest. June 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
↑ Cavagnaro, Bob (June 9, 1934). "Bobby Cruickshank has three-stroke lead as 64 golfers battle for Open title". Youngstown Vindicator. Associated Press. p. 6.
↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "1950 U.S. Open news, cards, pairings, scores" (PDF). Trenham Golf History. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
↑ "National Open tourney scores". Youngtown Vindicator. Associated Press. June 10, 1950. p. 7.
↑ Balicki, Ron (September 11, 2009). "Remembering the 1-iron at Merion". Golfweek. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
↑ Talbot, Gayle (June 11, 1950). "Hogan, Mangrum, Fazio tie; Ben's legs give out". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 1-B.

External links

1950 Men's Major Golf Championships

The Masters U.S. Open The Open Championship PGA Championship

U.S. Open Championships

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Coordinates: 40°00′04″N 75°18′43″W / 40.001°N 75.312°W / 40.001; -75.312

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Yards	360	555	195	595	425	435	360	367	185	3,477	335	378	400	133	443	395	445	230	458	3,217	6,694
Par	4	5	3	5	4	4	4	4	3	36	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	4	34	70