1941 U.S. Open (golf)

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1941 U.S. Open
Tournament information
DatesJune 5–7, 1941
LocationFort Worth, Texas
Course(s)Colonial Country Club
Organized byUSGA
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70 [1][2]
Length7,035 yards (6,433 m)[3][4][5]
Field163 players, 67 after cut
Cut156 (+16)[1]
Winner's share$1,000
Champion
United States Craig Wood
284 (+4)
← 1940
1946 →
Colonial CC is located in the United States
Colonial CC
Colonial CC
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Location in the United States
Colonial CC  is located in Texas
Colonial CC 
Colonial CC 
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Location in Texas

The 1941 U.S. Open was the 45th U.S. Open, held June 5–7 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Craig Wood, who had lost in a playoff at the U.S. Open two years earlier, finally broke through and claimed his first U.S. Open title, three strokes ahead of runner-up Denny Shute in sweltering heat.[2][6] Eight years earlier, Shute had defeated him in a playoff at the 1933 British Open.

Wood opened the tournament with a 73 in the first round and followed that up with a 71 in the rain-delayed second. Part of a four-way tie for the lead after 36 holes,[1][5][7] Wood shot a pair of 70s in the final two rounds, capped by a birdie on the 72nd, to post a 284 total. Only Fort Worth's Ben Hogan managed better than Wood in the final two rounds, but he finished five behind in a tie for third. Denny Shute shot a 287 total to finish three strokes behind Wood in second.[2][6]

Wood, age 39, was almost forced to miss the tournament due to a nagging back injury he aggravated two weeks earlier. After recording a double-bogey 7 on his first hole of the championship, he considered withdrawing but was convinced to continue by playing partner Tommy Armour. With his win here, Wood became the first to win the first two majors in a season; he won the Masters two months earlier. Prior to 1941, he had several near misses, and had lost all four majors in extra holes.

Tyrrell Garth, a month shy of his 16th birthday, established a new tournament record for youngest competitor. He shot an 80 in the first round and withdrew during the second; his record stood for 65 years, until 2006 (Tadd Fujikawa).

This was the last U.S. Open played for five years, until 1946, due to World War II. Colonial has hosted an annual PGA Tour event since 1946, now known as the Fort Worth Invitational.

Course layout[]

Main article: Colonial Country Club (Fort Worth)
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 569 395 468 250 469 395 418 198 343 3,505 403 593 400 192 455 447 207 406 427 3,530 7,035
Par 5 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 35 4 5 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 35 70

Source:[3]

Past champions in the field[]

Made the cut[]

Player Country Year(s) won R1 R2 R3 R4 Total To par Finish
Gene Sarazen  United States 1922, 1932 74 73 72 75 294 +14 T7
Lawson Little  United States 1940 71 73 79 74 297 +17 T17
Byron Nelson  United States 1939 73 73 74 77 297 +17 T17
Ralph Guldahl  United States 1937, 1938 79 76 72 73 300 +20 T21
Sam Parks, Jr.  United States 1935 73 82 74 76 305 +25 T33
Billy Burke  United States 1931 76 77 78 WD

Source:[2][6]

Missed the cut[]

Player Country Year won R1 R2 Total To par
Johnny Goodman (a)  United States 1933 76 81 157 +17
Tommy Armour  Scotland
 United States		 1927 77 83 160 +20
Tony Manero  United States 1936 82 79 161 +21
Johnny Farrell  United States 1928 81 81 162 +22
Chick Evans (a)  United States 1916 84 84 168 +28
Olin Dutra  United States 1934 77 WD

Source:[1][7]

Round summaries[]

First round[]

Thursday, June 5, 1941

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Denny Shute  United States 69 –1
T2 Vic Ghezzi  United States 70 E
Dutch Harrison  United States
T4 Gene Kunes  United States 71 +1
Lawson Little  United States
Jug McSpaden  United States
Dick Metz  United States
Jack Ryan  United States
T9 Clayton Heafner  United States 72 +2
Bill Kaiser  United States
Ted Kroll  United States
Johnny Morris  United States
Henry Ransom  United States
Harry Todd (a)  United States
Bunny Torpey  United States

Source:[4][8]

Second round[]

Friday, June 6, 1941

Thunderstorms caused delays in the morning and afternoon, but only a few players did not complete the second round on Friday.[1][5][7]

Place Player Country Score To par
T1 Clayton Heafner  United States 72-72=144 +4
Lawson Little  United States 71-73=144
Denny Shute  United States 69-75=144
Craig Wood  United States 73-71=144
T5 Dick Metz  United States 71-74=145 +5
Paul Runyan  United States 73-72=145
T7 Herman Barron  United States 75-71=146 +6
Johnny Bulla  United States 75-71=146
Harold McSpaden  United States 71-75=146
Byron Nelson  United States 73-73=146
Henry Ransom  United States 72-74=146
Sam Snead  United States 76-70=146

Source:[1][5][7]

Third round[]

Saturday, June 7, 1941  (morning)

Place Player Country Score To par
1 Craig Wood  United States 73-71-70=214 +4
T2 Paul Runyan  United States 73-72-71=216 +6
Denny Shute  United States 69-75-72=216
4 Johnny Bulla  United States 75-71-72=218 +8
T5 Ben Hogan  United States 74-77-68=219 +9
Lloyd Mangrum  United States 73-74-72=219
Gene Sarazen  United States 74-73-72=219
T8 Herman Barron  United States 75-71-74=220 +10
Jug McSpaden  United States 71-75-74=220
Byron Nelson  United States 73-73-74=220

Source:[2][6]

Final round[]

Saturday, June 7, 1941  (afternoon)

Place Player Country Score To par Money ($)
1 Craig Wood  United States 73-71-70-70=284 +4 1,000
2 Denny Shute  United States 69-75-72-71=287 +7 800
T3 Johnny Bulla  United States 75-71-72-71=289 +9 650
Ben Hogan  United States 74-77-68-70=289
T5 Herman Barron  United States 75-71-74-71=291 +11 413
Paul Runyan  United States 73-72-71-75=291
T7 Dutch Harrison  United States 70-82-71-71=294 +14 216
Jug McSpaden  United States 71-75-74-74=294
Gene Sarazen  United States 74-73-72-75=294
T10 Ed Dudley  United States 74-74-74-73=295 +15 125
Lloyd Mangrum  United States 73-74-72-76=295
Dick Metz  United States 71-74-76-74=295

Source:[2][6]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Four players deadlock for Open golf lead". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 7, 1941. p. 12.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Craig Wood cards 284 to triumph in National Open tournament at Fort Worth". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. June 8, 1941. p. D2.
  3. ^ a b "See Texas golf test of nerves". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. April 6, 1941. p. 5, sports.
  4. ^ a b Considine, Bob (June 6, 1941). "Shute tops Open field with 69". Milwaukee Sentinel. INS. p. B3.
  5. ^ a b c d "Denny Shute's 69 paces Open field". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 6, 1941. p. 18. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e Bartlett, Charles (June 8, 1941). "Woods' 284 captures Open title; Shute 2d". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  7. ^ a b c d Bartlett, Charles (June 7, 1941). "Three tie Shute for Open lead with 144". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 15.
  8. ^ Bartlett, Charles (June 6, 1941). "Shute's 69 leads Open; Little 4th with 71". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 29.

External links[]

Coordinates: 32°43′01″N 97°22′23″W / 32.717°N 97.373°W / 32.717; -97.373

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