The 1947 U.S. Open was the 47th U.S. Open, held June 12–15 at St. Louis Country Club in Ladue, Missouri, a suburb west of St. Louis. Lew Worsham denied Sam Snead his elusive U.S. Open title by prevailing in an 18-hole playoff. For Snead, it was his second of four career runner-up finishes at the Open.
In the third round, amateur Jim McHale Jr. tied the tournament record with a 65, and he established a new nine-hole record with a 30 on the front nine. That mark was equaled fifteen times before it was broken in 1995 by Neal Lancaster, who carded a 29 on the back nine in the final round.
Worsham's win marked the 17th consecutive victory in a major championship for an American-born golfer. This remains the longest stretch ever for American golfers. A significant reason this occurred is because the British Open, which is usually won by international golfers, was cancelled for most of the 1940s due to World War II.
The purse was $10,000 with a winner's share of $2,000 and $1,500 for the runner-up. In addition, both playoff participants received a $500 bonus.
Course layout
Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal Yards3952331874215453251503475373,1403493991805764165001883654193,3926,532Par433454345354435453443671 Source:
Round summaries First round Thursday, June 12, 1947 PlacePlayerScoreTo parT1 Chick Harbert 67 −4 Henry Ransom Harry Todd 4 Bobby Locke 68 −3T5 Leland Gibson 69 −2 Otto Greiner Dick Metz Bud Ward (a) T9 Ed Furgol 70 −1 Ben Hogan Al Smith Horton Smith Lew Worsham Source:
Second round Friday, June 13, 1947 PlacePlayerScoreTo parT1 Chick Harbert 67-72=139 −3 Dick Metz 69-70=139 3 Lew Worsham 70-70=140 −2 T4 Jim Ferrier 71-70=141 −1 Henry Ransom 67-74=141 Bud Ward (a) 69-72=141 T7 Bobby Locke 68-74=142 E Johnny Palmer 72-70=142 Sam Snead 72-70=142 Harry Todd 67-75=142 Source:
Third round Saturday, June 14, 1947 (morning) PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Lew Worsham 70-70-71=211 −2 T2 Bobby Locke 68-74-70=212 −1 Sam Snead 72-70-70=212 T4 Ed Oliver 73-70-71=214 +1 Bud Ward (a) 69-72-73=214 T6 Jim Ferrier 71-70-74=215 +2 Ben Hogan 70-75-70=215 Joe Kirkwood, Sr. 72-73-70=2159 Sammy Byrd 72-74-70=216 +3 T10 Ed Furgol 70-75-72=217 +4 Dick Metz 69-70-78=217 Johnny Palmer 72-70-75=217 Paul Runyan 71-74-72=217 Source:
Final round Saturday, June 14, 1947
Worsham began the final round with a stroke lead over Snead and Bobby Locke. A front-nine 33 kept him in the lead, but after three bogeys on the back he had to settle for a 71 and a 282 total. Snead overcame two early bogeys with birdies at 5, 6, and 15. After a bogey at 17, Snead needed a birdie on the 72nd hole to tie Worsham and force a playoff the next day. His approach shot left him away, which he rolled in for final-round 70. Locke shot 73 to finish three strokes back, in a tie for third place.
PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)T1 Lew Worsham 70-70-71-71=282 −2 Playoff Sam Snead 72-70-70-70=282 T3 Bobby Locke 68-74-70-73=285 +1 900 Ed Oliver 73-70-71-71=2855 Bud Ward (a) 69-72-73-73=287 +3 0T6 Jim Ferrier 71-70-74-74=289 +5 400 Vic Ghezzi 74-73-73-69=289 Leland Gibson 69-76-73-71=289 Ben Hogan 70-75-70-74=289 Johnny Palmer 72-70-75-72=289 Paul Runyan 71-74-72-72=289 Source: (a) denotes amateur
Playoff Sunday, June 15, 1947
In the 18-hole playoff on Sunday morning, Snead led Worsham by two strokes with just three holes remaining. Worsham birdied the par-3 16th with a putt and Snead bogeyed 17 after he missed the fairway and overshot the green from the rough. The match was all-even at the tee of the 90th hole, a par-4 of . Both put lengthy drives in the fairway, and Snead's approach shot stopped pin-high and left of the hole. Worsham was long and lay feet past the cup on the apron of the green. His downhill chip hit the hole without dropping, and ended up away, leaving Snead his birdie putt for the win. Snead left it well short and as he prepared to hole out in continuation, Worsham called for an official to determine who was further away. With a tape measure, it was determined that it remained Snead's turn, who was visibly flustered with the unnecessary interruption and delay. Snead missed the putt. Worsham then rolled in his par-saving putt for a 69 and the title, which averted an additional 18-hole playoff in the afternoon. PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)1 Lew Worsham 69 −22,500 2 Sam Snead 70 −12,000 Prize money includes $500 playoff bonus for each.
Scorecard Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415161718Par433454345 443545344 WorshamEEEEEEE+1E−1−1−2−2−2−1−2−2−2 Snead−1−1−1−1−2EE−1−1−2−2−2−3−3−3−3−2−1 {|class="wikitable" span = 50 style="font-size:85%; |- |style="background: Pink;" width=10| |Birdie |style="background: PaleGreen;" width=10| |Bogey |style="background: Green;" width=10| |Double bogey |} Source:
References
External links USGA Championship Database