The 1906 U.S. Open was the twelfth U.S. Open, held June 28–29 at Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago. Alex Smith won the first of his two U.S. Open titles, seven strokes ahead of runner-up Willie Smith, his younger brother and the 1899 champion.
Willie Anderson, three-time defending champion and club pro at Onwentsia, was the heavy favorite. He trailed Alex Smith by two strokes after the first 36 holes on Thursday, and by three after the third round on Friday morning, but an 84 that afternoon dropped him to a distant fifth. Smith posted rounds of 73-74-73-75 for 295, a U.S. Open record and the first sub-300 winning score. Not only did his brother Willie finish in second, his brother-in-law James Maiden tied for third.
Smith's win marked the end of a streak where Scottish-born players won seven consecutive major championships.
For the first time, no player from the inaugural U.S. Open in 1895 participated. Horace Rawlins, the first champion, had played in every edition until this year.
Round summaries First round Thursday, June 28, 1906 (morning) PlacePlayerScoreT1 Willie Anderson 73 Alex Smith Willie Smith 4 Jack Hobens 75T5 Laurie Auchterlonie 76 Alex Campbell Gilbert Nicholls Alex Ross James WatsonT10 Walter Fovargue 77 William "Bim" Lovekin Source:
Second round Thursday, June 28, 1906 (afternoon) PlacePlayerScore1 Alex Smith 73-74=1472 Willie Anderson 73-76=149 3 James Maiden 80-73=153T4 Laurie Auchterlonie 76-78=154 Willie Smith 73-81=154 T6 George Cumming 79-76=155 Alex Ross 76-79=155 George Smith 79-76=155T9 Fred Brand 78-78=156 Stewart Gardner 80-76=156 Bernard Nicholls 79-77=156 Source:
Third round Friday, June 29, 1906 (morning) PlacePlayerScore1 Alex Smith 73-74-73=2202 Willie Anderson 73-76-74=223 3 Willie Smith 73-81-74=228 4 Laurie Auchterlonie 76-78-75=229 T5 James Maiden 80-73-77=230 Alex Ross 76-79-75=230 T7 Chandler Egan (a) 79-78-76=233 Stewart Gardner 80-76-77=233 9 Gilbert Nicholls 76-81-77=234 10 Jack Hobens 75-84-76=235 Source:
Final round Friday, June 29, 1906 (afternoon) PlacePlayerScoreMoney ($)1 Alex Smith 73-74-73-75=295 3002 Willie Smith 73-81-74-74=302 150T3 Laurie Auchterlonie 76-78-75-76=305 90 James Maiden 80-73-77-75=3055 Willie Anderson 73-76-74-84=307 706 Alex Ross 76-79-75-80=310 607 Stewart Gardner 80-76-77-78=311 50T8 Chandler Egan (a) 79-78-76-80=313 0 Gilbert Nicholls 76-81-77-79=313 4010 Jack Hobens 75-84-76-79=314 30 Source:
Amateurs: Egan (313), Wood (327), Hunter (332), Sellers (337), Potter (342).
References
External links 1906 U.S. Open USGA Championship Database