The USGA hopes it will be able to hold the U.S. Open September 17-20, postponed from this coming weekend at Winged Foot because of the global health crisis. On this date in 1974 the notorious U.S. Open at Winged Foot, called a “massacre” because of the 7-over-par winning score, came to a merciful halt with Hale Irwin winning his first of three U.S. Opens by two shots over Forrest Fezler. The 36-hole cut came at 13 over par.
On this date in 1947, Sam Snead had one of his four runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open. He played Lew Worsham in a playoff at St. Louis Country Club, and led by two with three holes to go. But Worsham birdied 16 and Snead bogeyed 17. On the 18th, a controversial finish on the putting green was part of a Snead three-putt bogey as Worsham saved par to win the playoff 69-70. It was Worsham’s only major victory.
The USGA hopes it will get to conduct the U.S. Open this September at the outstanding Winged Foot Golf Club, having postponed it from this coming week due to the health crisis. On this date in 1959, Billy Casper won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot for his first of two National Opens. He finished a shot ahead of Bob Rosburg.
A few legendary figures in golf won majors on this date. In 1895, J.H. Taylor won a second straight Open Championship, this at St. Andrews, beating Sandy Herd by four shots. The following year, Taylor had a third straight title halted by Harry Vardon, who won at Muirfield in a 36-hole playoff. And in 1953, Ben Hogan won the U.S. Open by six shots over Sam Snead at Oakmont, taking the title for a fourth time.
One of the U.S. Open championships that concluded on this date was Byron Nelson’s 36-hole playoff victory over Craig Wood and Denny Shute at Philadelphia Cricket Club.
A pair of Open Championships ended on this date, with the champion on each occasion winning for the fourth time. In 1903 at Prestwick, Harry Vardon won by six shots over his younger brother Tom. And in 1909, J.H. Taylor won at Royal Cinque Ports, also by six shots, over James Braid and Tom Ball.
On this date in 1904, The Open Championship was ended at Royal St. George’s Golf club with Jack White the winner by one shot over the legendary twosome and future five-time winners James Braid and J.H. Taylor.
On this date in 1898, Harry Vardon won his second Open Championship, at Prestwick GC, by one shot over Willie Park Jr.
On this date a pair of men’s majors ended. The 39th Open Championship ended in 1899 with Harry Vardon winning for the third time, by five shots over Jack White. And in 1935, surprise winner Sam Parks Jr. won the U.S. Open at Oakmont at a whopping 11 over par, by two shots over long-hitting Jimmy Thomson.
On this date in 1900, the Open Championship was completed at the Old Course in St. Andrews, won by J.H. Taylor by eight strokes over Harry Vardon. It was Taylor’s third of five Open victories.
The 28th U.S. Open ended on this date in 1924 at Oakland Hills in Birmingham, Michigan. The winner was unheralded Cyril Walker, who won his only big title by three shots over Bobby Jones at a stout nine over par.
Harry Vardon frittered away a four-shot lead after the first day and lost the 1902 Open Championship on this date to Sandy Herd, who won by a stroke over Vardon and James Braid at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England.
On this date in 1927, the first Ryder Cup Match concluded in a United States 9½–2½ victory over Great Britain, held at Worcester Country Club in Worcester, Massachusetts. The U.S. captain Walter Hagen played in two matches and won both his June 3 foursomes match (with Johnny Golden) and his Singles match versus Arthur Havers. The GB captain was Ted Ray, who lost both his matches. The fate of playing this year’s Ryder Cup is still to be determined.
The hall-of-fame golfer Hale Irwin was born on this date in 1945 in Joplin, Missouri. Irwin was known for playing hard golf courses well, and won the U.S. Open in 1974, 1979 and 1990, plus the U.S. Senior Open in 1998 and 2000.
Charlie Sifford was born on this date in 1922 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sifford was a groundbreaking African-American golfer who won twice on the PGA Tour and persevered through horrible treatment to play the game he loved and pave the way for other minorities. He won the PGA Seniors' Championship in 1975.
On this date in 1975, the LPGA Championship wrapped up at Pine Ridge Golf Course, with Kathy Whitworth winning it for the third time, by one shot over Sandra Haynie
Bobby Jones got his Grand Slam feat of 90 years ago started on this date in 1930 by winning the British Amateur at St. Andrews. He won a 7 and 6 contest with Englishman Roger Wethered.
On this date in 1937, Denny Shute won his second straight PGA Championship by defeating Harold (Jug) McSpaden in 37 holes at the Pittsburgh Field Club.
On this date in 2011, Tom Watson made a birdie on the first playoff hole with David Eger to win the 72nd Senior PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. It was his second Senior PGA victory. That is a more golfworthy event on this day than another event for another “TW” who attended Stanford: Tiger Woods was arrested in 2017 and charged with DUI in Jupiter, Florida.
Julius Boros died on this date in 1994, having won three majors: PGA in 1968, U.S. Open in 1952 and 1963); he died at age 74 of a heart attack.