1924 U.S. Open (golf)

1924 U.S. Open
Tournament information
Dates June 5–6, 1924
Location Birmingham, Michigan
Course(s) Oakland Hills Country Club
South Course
Organized by USGA
Format Stroke play − 72 holes
Statistics
Par 72
Length 6,874 yards (6,286 m)[1][2]
Field 84
Cut none
Winner's share $500
Champion
England Cyril Walker
297 (+9)
Oakland Hills Country Club
Location in the United States
Oakland Hills Country Club
Location in Michigan

The 1924 U.S. Open was the 28th U.S. Open, held June 5–6 at Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Cyril Walker, a relatively unknown Englishman, won his only major title at the South Course, three strokes ahead of runner-up Bobby Jones, the defending champion.[3][4]

After the first two rounds of play on Thursday, Jones shared the lead with Bill Mehlhorn, with Walker a shot back.[1] Walker shot a third consecutive 74 in the third round to tie Jones after 54 holes, with Mehlhorn one back. Jones and Mehlhorn, playing ahead of Walker in the final round, both played poorly, each carding 78. Leading by three on the 15th, Walker made bogey but then responded with a birdie on 16. He parred the final two holes to secure the championship.

This was the high point of Walker's golf career. He never won another significant title, and it was his only top ten finish in the U.S. Open; his next best finish in a major was the semifinals of the PGA Championship in 1921. A heavy drinker, Walker wound up working as a caddy and a dishwasher; unable to afford a room, he died in a New Jersey jail cell of pneumonia in 1948 at age 56.[5][6][7]

This was the first of nine major championships held at the South Course through 2017; six U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships.

Course layout

South Course

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4364901984184073533844502373,4034504035521424614123841914763,4716,874
Par453444443354453544353772

Source:[1]

Past champions in the field

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Bobby Jones (a) United States192374737578300+122
Walter Hagen United States1914, 191975757677303+15T4
Chick Evans (a) United States191677777677307+19T10
Gene Sarazen United States192274808079313+25T17
Fred McLeod Scotland190881768086323+35T40
George Sargent England190979847784324+3643

Source:[4]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 5, 1924 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Bill Mehlhorn United States72E
T2Eddie Loos United States73+1
Dave Robertson United States
T4Bobby Jones (a) United States74+2
Gene Sarazen United States
Herbert Lagerblade United States
Cyril Walker England
T8Mike Brady United States75+3
Johnny Golden United States
Walter Hagen United States
Willie Ogg Scotland
 United States

Source:[1]

Second round

Thursday, June 5, 1924 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Bobby Jones (a) United States74-73=147+3
Bill Mehlhorn United States72-75=147
3Cyril Walker England74-74=148+4
T4Bobby Cruickshank Scotland77-72=149+5
Dave Robertson United States73-76=149
T6Walter Hagen United States75-75=150+6
Macdonald Smith Scotland
 United States[8]		78-72=150
8Abe Espinosa United States80-71=151+7
T9Mike Brady United States75-77=152+8
Tom Kerrigan United States75-77=152

Source:[1]

Third round

Friday, June 6, 1924 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
T1Bobby Jones (a) United States74-73-75=222+6
Cyril Walker England74-74-74=222
3Bill Mehlhorn United States72-75-76=223+7
4Bobby Cruickshank Scotland77-72-76=225+9
T5Walter Hagen United States75-75-76=226+10
Dave Robertson United States73-76-77=226
7Macdonald Smith Scotland
 United States		78-72-77=227+11
T8Abe Espinosa United States80-71-77=228+12
Tommy Armour Scotland
 United States		77-76-75=228
T10Peter O'Hara United States76-79-74=229+13
Mike Brady United States75-77-77=229
Eddie Loos United States73-81-75=229

Source:[4]

Final round

Friday, June 6, 1924 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Cyril Walker England74-74-74-75=297+9500
2Bobby Jones (a) United States74-73-75-78=300+120
3Bill Mehlhorn United States72-75-76-78=301+13300
T4Bobby Cruickshank Scotland77-72-76-78=303+15150
Walter Hagen United States75-75-76-77=303
Macdonald Smith Scotland
 United States		78-72-77-76=303
T7Abe Espinosa United States80-71-77-77=305+1785
Peter O'Hara United States76-79-74-76=305
9Mike Brady United States75-77-77-77=306+1875
T10Chick Evans (a) United States77-77-76-77=307+190
Eddie Loos United States73-81-75-78=30763
Dave Robertson United States73-76-77-81=307

Source:[4]

Amateurs: Jones (+12), Evans (+19), Guilford (+29), Sweet (+55).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Davis, Joe (June 6, 1924). "Jones, Mehlhorn low with 147 in National Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 25.
  2. ↑ "Jones divides National Open lead". Miami News. Associated Press. June 6, 1924. p. 8.
  3. ↑ "Cyril Walker wrests National Open golf title from Jones". Miami News. Associated Press. June 7, 1924. p. 8.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Davis, Joe (June 7, 1924). "Walker wins National Open, Jones second". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 13.
  5. ↑ "Cyril Walker dies; beat Bobby Jones". Toledo Blade. Ohio. United Press. August 7, 1948. p. 10.
  6. ↑ "Cyril Walker a pocket-sized Ben Hogan of his golfing day". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. August 23, 1948. p. 8.
  7. ↑ Carroll, Dick (July 2, 1955). "The tragedy of Cyril Walker". Montreal Gazette. p. 8.
  8. ↑ According to his naturalization certificate (available at Ancestry.com) Smith became a U.S. citizen in 1923

Coordinates: 42°32′38″N 83°16′37″W / 42.544°N 83.277°W / 42.544; -83.277

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