1948 U.S. Open (golf)
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 10–12, 1948 |
| Location | Pacific Palisades, California |
| Course(s) | Riviera Country Club |
| Organized by | USGA |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,020 yards (6,419 m)[1] |
| Field | 167 players, 57 after cut |
| Cut | 148 (+6) |
| Prize fund | $10,000 |
| Winner's share | $2,000 |
| Champion | |
 Ben Hogan | |
| 276 (–8) | |
|
«1947 1949» | |
The 1948 U.S. Open was the 48th U.S. Open, held June 10–12 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, northwest of Los Angeles. Ben Hogan won the first of his four U.S. Open titles at the course that became known as "Hogan's Alley," as it was his third win at Riviera in less than 18 months. He had won the Los Angeles Open at the course in early 1947 and 1948.[2][3][4] It was the third of Hogan's nine major titles; he had won his second PGA Championship a few weeks earlier. He was only the second to win both titles in the same year, joining Gene Sarazen in 1922.[1] Later winners of both were Jack Nicklaus in 1980 and Tiger Woods in 2000.
Although Sam Snead held the lead after 36 holes,[5] Hogan dominated the final two rounds, shooting 68-69 on Saturday for a total of 276 (–8), two shots ahead of runner-up Jimmy Demaret. Hogan decimated the U.S. Open scoring record (281 by Ralph Guldahl in 1937) by five strokes,[4] and his three rounds in the 60s was a tournament first.[6] The scoring record stood for 19 years, until bested by a stroke by Jack Nicklaus in 1967. Hogan's 8-under-par set a U.S. Open record that stood until 2000, when it was broken by Tiger Woods (12-under, broken by Rory McIlroy in 2011 at 16-under).
Eight months later, Hogan and his wife were involved in a serious automobile accident, a head-on collision with a Greyhound bus in west Texas.[7] The injuries he sustained prevented a defense of his title in 1949 while he recovered. Hogan returned to competition and won the U.S. Open in 1950, 1951, and 1953. (He led after 36 holes in 1952, but finished third.)
Ted Rhodes became the first African-American to play in the U.S. Open since 1913. He made the cut and finished in 51st place.
This was the first U.S. Open played on the West Coast; the first in the western U.S. was a decade earlier, in 1938 near Denver. The first major played on the West Coast was the PGA Championship in 1929, played at Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles. At the time, the course at Riviera was the longest ever for a U.S. Open at 7,020 yards (6,419 m).[6]
Babe Didrikson Zaharias became the first woman to attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open, but her application was rejected by the USGA. They stated that the event was intended to be open to men only.[8]
Past champions in the field
Made the cut
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lew Worsham | United States | 1947 | 67 | 74 | 71 | 73 | 285 | +1 | 6 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | United States | 1946 | 71 | 72 | 74 | 74 | 291 | +7 | T21 |
| Ralph Guldahl | United States | 1937, 1938 | 73 | 75 | 75 | 71 | 294 | +10 | T32 |
Missed the cut
| Player | Country | Year(s) won | R1 | R2 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawson Little | United States | 1940 | 72 | 78 | 150 | +8 |
| Craig Wood | United States | 1941 | 76 | 75 | 151 | +9 |
| Gene Sarazen | United States | 1922, 1932 | 77 | 77 | 154 | +12 |
| Tony Manero | United States | 1936 | 78 | 78 | 156 | +14 |
| Olin Dutra | United States | 1934 | 82 | 75 | 157 | +15 |
Source:[9]
Final leaderboard
Saturday, June 12, 1948
| Place | Player | Country | Score | To par | Money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Hogan | United States | 67-72-68-69=276 | –8 | 2,000 |
| 2 | Jimmy Demaret | United States | 71-70-68-69=278 | –6 | 1,500 |
| 3 | Jim Turnesa | United States | 71-69-70-70=280 | –4 | 1,000 |
| 4 | Bobby Locke | .svg.png){kind=small} South Africa | 70-69-73-70=282 | –2 | 800 |
| 5 | Sam Snead | United States | 69-69-73-72=283 | –1 | 600 |
| 6 | Lew Worsham | United States | 67-74-71-73=285 | +1 | 500 |
| 7 | Herman Barron | United States | 73-70-71-72=286 | +2 | 400 |
| T8 | Johnny Bulla | United States | 73-72-75-67=287 | +3 | 300 |
| Toney Penna | United States | 70-72-73-72=287 | |||
| Smiley Quick | United States | 73-71-69-74=287 |
References
- 1 2 "Ben Hogan sets mark, wins Open". Youngstown Vindicator. United Press. June 13, 1948. p. 1-sports.
- ↑ "Ben Hogan captures $10,000 Los Angeles Open meet". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. January 6, 1948. p. 6.
- ↑ "Ben Hogan sets record in taking U.S. Open". Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. June 13, 1948. p. 18.
- 1 2 "Open golf win goes to Hogan". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. June 14, 1948. p. 13.
- ↑ "Snead takes Open golf lead with 138". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 12, 1948. p. 13.
- 1 2 "Hogan's 276 wins Open, smashes Guldahl mark". Miami News. United Press. June 13, 1948. p. 1-C.
- ↑ "Ben Hogan is seriously hurt as car, bus collide head on". Milwaukee Journal. February 3, 1949. p. 7-L.
- ↑ Phlegar, Ben (April 7, 1948). "The Babe 'Not Welcome' In National Open Play". The Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, Iowa). Associated Press. p. 11.
- ↑ "National Open golf scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 12, 1948. p. 13.
External links
Coordinates: 34°03′00″N 118°30′04″W / 34.050°N 118.501°W