1919 U.S. Open (golf)


The 1919 U.S. Open was the 23rd U.S. Open, held June 9–12 at Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb west of Boston. In the first U.S. Open since 1916, Walter Hagen defeated Mike Brady by one stroke in an 18-hole playoff to win his second and final U.S. Open. It was the second of Hagen's eleven major titles. The championship was not held in 1917 and 1918 due to the First World War.
Charles Hoffner, age 22, opened the tournament with a 72 to take the first round lead, but he fell off the pace with a 78 in the second round. Mike Brady carded consecutive rounds of 74 to take the 36-hole lead by two over Hoffner, with Walter Hagen in a group three back. Brady shot 73 in the third round and opened up a commanding five-shot lead over Hagen. In the final round, he stumbled to an 80 for 301 total, allowing Hagen back into the championship. Hagen had a 10-footer to win at the 18th, but his putt lipped out.
In the playoff the next day, Hagen carried a two-stroke lead to the 17th but then bogeyed to see his lead cut to one. But both players made par on the 18th, giving Hagen the title. Hagen's victory in the playoff came after he partied with entertainer Al Jolson all night before showing up to play.
This was the first U.S. Open to be played over three days, with the first and second rounds played on the first two days and the third and final rounds played on the last day. It reverted to the two-day schedule the following year; the three-day schedule returned in 1926 and the four-day schedule began in 1965.
Willie Chisholm set an unfortunate tournament record in the first round at the par-3 8th hole. His approach shot landed in a rocky ravine and he took several shots to get out. He eventually settled for an 18 on the hole, a dubious record that would stand until a 19 was recorded in 1938.
Defending champion Chick Evans finished twelve strokes back in tenth place and was the low amateur.

Past champions in the field

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Round summaries

First round

Monday, June 9, 1919
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Charles Hoffner72+1
T2George Bowden73+2
T2Louis Tellier73+2
4Mike Brady74+3
5Francis Ouimet 76+5
T6Jim Barnes77+6
T6Chick Evans 77+6
T6Otto Hackbarth77+6
T6Tom Mulgrew77+6
T6Alec Ross77+6

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Second round

Tuesday, June 10, 1919
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Mike Brady74-74=148+6
2Charles Hoffner72-78=150+8
T3George Bowden73-78=151+9
T3Walter Hagen78-73=151+9
T3Louis Tellier73-78=151+9
T6John Cowan79-74=153+11
T6Chick Evans 77-76=153+11
T6Tom McNamara80-73=153+11
9Jock Hutchison78-76=154+12
T10Jim Barnes77-78=155+13
T10Fred McLeod78-77=155+13
T10Francis Ouimet 76-79=155+13
T10Alec Ross77-78=155+13

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Third round

Wednesday, June 11, 1919
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Mike Brady74-74-73=221+8
2Walter Hagen78-73-75=226+13
3George Bowden73-78-76=227+14
4John Cowan79-74-75=228+15
5Jock Hutchison78-76-76=230+17
T6George McLean81-75-76=232+19
T6Tom McNamara80-73-79=232+19
8Louis Tellier73-78-82=233+20
T9Jim Barnes77-78-79=234+21
T9Fred McLeod78-77-79=234+21

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Final round

Wednesday, June 11, 1919
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney
T1Walter Hagen78-73-75-75=301+17Playoff
T1Mike Brady74-74-73-80=301+17Playoff
T3Jock Hutchison78-76-76-76=306+22118
T3Tom McNamara80-73-79-74=306+22118
T5George McLean81-75-76-76=308+2466
T5Louis Tellier73-78-82-75=308+2466
7John Cowan79-74-75-81=309+2552
8Fred McLeod78-77-79-78=312+2842
T9George Bowden73-78-76-86=313+2933
T9Chick Evans 77-76-82-78=313+290

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Playoff

Thursday, June 12, 1919
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney
1Walter Hagen77+6475
2Mike Brady78+7237

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