1951 U.S. Open (golf)

1951 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates	June 14–16, 1951
Location	Birmingham, Michigan
Course(s)	Oakland Hills Country Club South Course
Organized by	USGA
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Statistics
Par	70
Length	6,927 yards (6,334 m)^[1]
Field	160 players, 55 after cut
Cut	152 (+12)
Winner's share	$4,000
Champion
Ben Hogan
287 (+7)
«1950 1952»

Oakland Hills Country Club

Location in the United States

The 1951 U.S. Open was the 51st U.S. Open, held June 14–16 at the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Ben Hogan won his second consecutive U.S. Open title, two strokes ahead of runner-up Clayton Heafner. Hogan missed the 1949 U.S. Open due to an automobile accident; this was his third title in his last three attempts.^[1]

The South Course, dubbed "The Monster," played exceptionally tough for the first three rounds. No player shot had broke par, and Jimmy Demaret's 70 in the third round was the only score to equal par. Sam Snead owned the first round lead at 71 (+1), while Bobby Locke led after the second round at 144 (+4) and shared the lead with Demaret after the third at 218 (+8).

Two strokes back after a 71 in the third round on Saturday morning, Hogan played one of the finest rounds in U.S. Open history that afternoon. Even-par on the front nine, he birdied the 10th and 13th holes. After a bogey at 14, he responded with another birdie at 15. At the 72nd hole, Hogan hit his approach shot on the par-4 to 15 feet (5 m) and sank the birdie putt to post a 67 (–3), the lowest round of the week, one of two sub-par rounds for the round (and championship).^[2] His 287 (+7) was two ahead of Heafner, who shot 69, the only other round under 70. At the trophy presentation, Hogan uttered the famous quote: "I'm glad I brought this course—this monster—to its knees."

This was the first U.S. Open that was notably toughened up by the USGA with narrow fairways and deep rough, attributing to "The Monster" nickname. The course also underwent a redesign by Robert Trent Jones prior to the championship, modifying the original Donald Ross design.^[3]

The South Course previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1924 and 1937; the winning score in 1937 was 281, sixteen strokes less than in 1924.^[3] It later hosted in 1961, 1985, and 1996, and the PGA Championship in 1972, 1979, and 2008.

Since Hogan repeated as champion in 1951, only Curtis Strange has won consecutive U.S. Open titles, in 1988 and 1989.

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, 1950	76	73	71	67	287	+7	1
Lloyd Mangrum	United States	1946	75	74	74	70	293	+13	T4
Lew Worsham	United States	1947	76	71	76	73	296	+16	T14
Cary Middlecoff	United States	1949	76	73	79	73	301	+21	T24
Gene Sarazen	United States	1922, 1932	74	76	76	77	303	+23	T35
Craig Wood	United States	1941	76	72	82	77	307	+27	T47

Missed the cut

Player	Country	Year won	R1	R2	Total	To par
Billy Burke	United States	1931	77	77	154	+14
Lawson Little	United States	1940	76	79	155	+15
Tony Manero	United States	1936	77	79	156	+16
Sam Parks, Jr.	United States	1935	79	79	158	+18

Source:^[4]^[5]

Final leaderboard

Saturday, June 16, 1951

Place	Player	Country	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Ben Hogan	United States	76-73-71-67=287	+7	4,000
2	Clayton Heafner	United States	72-75-73-69=289	+9	2,000
3	Bobby Locke	South Africa	73-71-74-73=291	+11	1,500
T4	Julius Boros	United States	74-74-71-74=293	+13	700
T4	Lloyd Mangrum	United States	75-74-74-70=293	+13	700
T6	Al Besselink	United States	72-77-72-73=294	+14	387
	Dave Douglas	United States	75-70-75-74=294
	Fred Hawkins	United States	76-72-75-71=294
	Paul Runyan	United States	73-74-72-75=294
T10	Al Brosch	United States	73-74-76-72=295	+15	187
	Smiley Quick	United States	73-76-74-72=295
	Skee Riegel	United States	75-76-71-73=295
	Sam Snead	United States	71-78-72-74=295

References

1 2 "Hogan fires 3-under 67 to win third Open crown". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. June 17, 1951. p. 1B.
↑ "Mighty Hogan baffles par to cop Open". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. June 17, 1951. p. 14.
1 2 Garrity, John (June 10, 1996). "Making the Monster". Sports Illustrated. p. G32.
↑ "National Open tourney scores". Youngtown Vindicator. Associated Press. June 16, 1951. p. 7.
↑ "National Open tourney scores". Youngtown Vindicator. Associated Press. June 17, 1951. p. D-1.

External links

1951 Men's Major Golf Championships

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

U.S. Open Championships

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Coordinates: 42°32′38″N 83°16′37″W / 42.544°N 83.277°W / 42.544; -83.277

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