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°58′19″N 78°43′37″W / 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
DatesAugust 1–2, 1912
LocationAmherst, New York
Course(s)Country Club of Buffalo
Organized byUSGA
FormatStroke play − 72 holes
Statistics
Par74
Length6,326 yards (5,784 m)[1]
Field120, 78 after cut
Cut166 (+18)
Winner's share$300
Champion
United States John McDermott
294 (−2)
← 1911
1913 →
Country Club of Buffalo is located in the United States
Country Club of Buffalo
Country Club
of Buffalo
Country Club of Buffalo is located in New York
Country Club of Buffalo
Country Club
of Buffalo

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

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(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

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First round

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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

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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

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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

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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

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  1. ^ a b "Start Open golf play today". Chicago Daily Tribune. August 1, 1912. p. 14.
  2. ^ a b c d "M'Dermott tops Open golf field". Chicago Daily Tribune. August 3, 1912. p. 10.
  3. ^ a b c "Three tie in golf tourney". Chicago Daily Tribune. August 2, 1912. p. 12.
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42°57′29″N 78°48′40″W / 42.958°N 78.811°W / 42.958; -78.811