1912 U.S. Open (golf)

The 1912 U.S. Open was the 18th U.S. Open, held August 1–2 at the Country Club of Buffalo in Amherst, New York, a suburb east of Buffalo. (The course is now Grover Cleveland Golf Course, owned by Erie County. The Country Club of Buffalo relocated several miles east in 1926 to Williamsville (42.972°N 78.727°W / 42.972; -78.727).) Twenty-year-old John McDermott successfully defended his U.S. Open title, two strokes ahead of runner-up Tom McNamara.^[2]

1912 U.S. Open

Tournament information
Dates	August 1–2, 1912
Location	Amherst, New York
Course(s)	Country Club of Buffalo
Organized by	USGA
Format	Stroke play − 72 holes
Statistics
Par	74
Length	6,326 yards (5,784 m)[1]
Field	120, 78 after cut
Cut	166 (+18)
Winner's share	$300
Champion
John McDermott
294 (−2)
← 1911 1913 →

Country Club
of Buffalo

Location in the United States

Country Club
of Buffalo

Location in New York

At the end of the second round on Thursday, Mike Brady, Percy Barrett, and Alex Smith were tied for the lead, with defending champion McDermott two back.^[3]

In the third round on Friday morning, played in rainy conditions with thunderstorms threatening to disrupt play, McDermott managed to card a 74 despite hitting two drives out of bounds. He still trailed Brady by three going into the final round in the afternoon, but Brady struggled on his way to a 79 and 299 total. McNamara, seven back at the start of the round, fired a course-record 69 to post 296; his 142 over the last two rounds was a new tournament record, but not enough to catch McDermott. Despite a bogey on the last hole, McDermott carded a 71 for a 294 total, two shots ahead of McNamara.^[2]

McDermott, age 20, was already a two-time U.S. Open champion, but by 1914 his golf career was over. After a series of personal setbacks, he began suffering from mental illness and spent most of the rest of his life in a mental institution.

Jim Barnes, a future champion in 1921, tied for 18th in his first U.S. Open. Horace Rawlins, the winner of the inaugural Open in 1895, made his final appearance and missed the cut.

The par-6 tenth hole measured 606 yards (554 m), the longest hole in U.S. Open history up to that point and the only time a hole was given a par more than five.

Course

Main article: Country Club of Buffalo

(present-day Grover Cleveland Golf Course)

Hole	Yards	Par		Hole	Yards	Par
1	345	4		10	606	6
2	315	4		11	400	4
3	406	4		12	340	4
4	380	4		13	210	3
5	455	5		14	170	3
6	300	4		15	516	5
7	125	3		16	155	3
8	430	5		17	540	5
9	300	4		18	333	4
Out	3,056	37		In	3,270	37
Source:[1]			Total		6,326	74

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, August 1, 1912 (morning)

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Mike Brady	72	−2
	Dan Kenny
	George Sargent
T4	Frank Peebles	73	−1
	Walter Travis (a)
T6	Grange Alves	74	E
	Percy Barrett  Canada
	Alex Campbell
	Jack Campbell
	Jack Croke
	John McDermott
	Tom McNamara
	David Ogilvie

Source:^[3]

Second round

Thursday, August 1, 1912 (afternoon)

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Percy Barrett  Canada	74-73=147	−1
	Mike Brady	72-75=147
	Alex Smith	77-70=147
T4	Jack Campbell	74-75=149	+1
	John McDermott	74-75=149
	Frank Peebles	73-76=149
T7	Jim Barnes	77-73=150	+2
	George Sargent	72-78=150
T10	Tom Anderson, Jr.	75-76=151	+3
	Alex Campbell	74-77=151

Source:^[3]

Third round

Friday, August 2, 1912 (morning)

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Mike Brady	72-75-73=220	−2
2	John McDermott	74-75-74=223	+1
3	Alex Smith	77-70-77=224	+2
4	George Sargent	72-78-76=226	+4
5	Tom McNamara	74-80-73=227	+5
6	Otto Hackbarth	77-77-75=229	+7
T7	Charlie Murray	75-78-77=230	+8
	Walter Travis (a)	73-79-78=230
T9	Alex Campbell	74-77-80=231	+9
	Jack Dowling	76-79-76=231

Source:^[2]

Final round

Friday, August 2, 1912 (afternoon)

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	John McDermott	74-75-74-71=294	−2	300
2	Tom McNamara	74-80-73-69=296	E	150
T3	Mike Brady	72-75-73-79=299	+3	90
	Alex Smith	77-70-77-75=299
5	Alex Campbell	74-77-80-71=302	+6	70
6	George Sargent	72-78-76-77=303	+7	60
T7	Jack Dowling	76-79-76-74=305	+9	45
	Otto Hackbarth	77-77-75-76=305
9	Charlie Murray	75-78-77-76=306	+10	40
T10	Tom Anderson, Jr.	75-76-81-75=307	+11	25
	Frank Peebles	73-76-83-75=307
	Walter Travis (a)	73-79-78-77=307		0

Source:^[2]

Amateurs: Travis (+11), J. Anderson (+14), Gardner (+23), Lee (+29).

References

1. "Start Open golf play today". Chicago Daily Tribune. August 1, 1912. p. 14.
2. "M'Dermott tops Open golf field". Chicago Daily Tribune. August 3, 1912. p. 10.
3. "Three tie in golf tourney". Chicago Daily Tribune. August 2, 1912. p. 12.

External links

• USGA.org

42.958°N 78.811°W / 42.958; -78.811