On this date in 1912, the year the Titanic sank and one year before Francis Ouimet shocked the world with his U.S. Open victory, John McDermott won the U.S. Open for the second straight year. He won by two shots over Tom McNamara at the Country Club of Buffalo. McDermott shot two under par for 72 holes.
Lloyd Mangrum, the Hall of Fame golfer with the look of a stereotypical riverboat gambler, was born on this date in 1914 in Trenton, Texas. The World War II veteran had one major victory at the 1946 U.S. Open and also played in four Ryder Cups and won the Vardon Trophy twice.
On this day in 1983, the U.S. Women’s Open concluded at Cedar Ridge C.C. in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with Australian Jan Stephenson winning her third major title, winning by one shot over fan favorite JoAnne Carner and Patty Sheehan. The winning score was six over par.
Today will be an interesting conclusion to the Senior Open Championship at tenacious Royal Porthcawl with Alex Cejka up by one at level par overall. On this date in 2006, the Senior Open was won by American Loren Roberts in a playoff at Turnberry over Eduardo Romero of Argentina. Roberts’ nickname is The Boss of the Moss for his putting expertise.
On this day in 1934, Little Poison, aka Paul Runyan, defeated Craig Wood, 1 up, in the final of the PGA Championship at the Park Club of Buffalo, New York. Runyan was diminutive in size but made up for a lack of length with a dynamite short game and pinpoint fairway woods. He would take down the mighty Sam Snead four years later.
On this date in 1987, England’s Laura Davies broke the hearts of JoAnne Carner fans when she won an 18-hole playoff for the U.S. Women’s Open that included Ayako Okamoto at Plainfield CC. Davies shot 71, Okamoto 73 and Carner 74.
On this weekend at Royal Porthcawl, the 36th Senior Open Championship will be played. On this date in 2003 at Turnberry, Scotland, three-time champion Tom Watson parred the second playoff hole to defeat English journeyman Carl Mason for his 10th career major victory. Watson shot a six-under-par 64 but bogeyed the last hole of regulation.
On this date in 1981, Pat Bradley won the U.S. Women’s Open at LaGrange Country Club in Illinois, winning by one over Beth Daniel. Bradley scored nine under par for 72 holes.
On this date in 1982, Janet Anderson won the U.S. Women's Open with a six-shot margin over four players: Beth Daniel, Donna White, JoAnne Carner and Sandra Haynie. Anderson was five under par for four rounds at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, California.
Don January won a playoff on this date in 1967 to take the PGA Championship at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver. January defeated Don Massengale in an 18-hole playoff, 69-71.
The Open Championship ended on this date in 1989 in the first four-hole aggregate playoff ever contested for golf’s oldest major, held for the 118th time, at Royal Troon in Scotland. Mark Calcavecchia won over Wayne Grady and Greg Norman.
In a remarkable battle featuring two global titans, Seve Ballesteros won the Open Championship on this date in 1984 after making a birdie on the 18th hole, just ahead of Tom Watson, who made a disheartening bogey from the fairway on The Road Hole 17th. Some speculate the outcome contributed to Watson’s inability to win another major in his prime years.
On this date in 1985, Sandy Lyle won the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England. He shot two over par overall and won by one shot over Payne Stewart, and three years later Lyle would win the Masters.
On this date in 1958, history was made for the PGA Championship and Dow Finsterwald. It was the first year the PGA was competed at stroke play after previously at match play. Finsterwald, a close friend of Arnold Palmer’s who was almost exactly the same age, won by two shots over Billy Casper at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pennsylvania. It was also the first PGA played by Palmer and he tied for 40th.
On this date in 1981, The 110th Open Championship was won by Bill Rogers at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. Rogers’ only major championship was won by four strokes over runner-up Bernhard Langer.
On this date in 1988, Seve Ballesteros won his third Open Championship, edging Nick Price by two at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. Seve shot 65 to beat the 54-hole leader Price. The championship was forced to finish on a Monday for the first time ever due to heavy rain on Saturday.
On this date in 1983, Tom Watson won his final major, his fifth Open Championship, at the age of 33. The victory came at Birkdale by one shot. Watson could have won the next year at St. Andrews but was edged out by Seve Ballesteros.
It’s been 10 years already since Australian Adam Scott, he of the picture-perfect swing, won the Masters for his first major victory. He is running out of prime years to win more. On this date he celebrates his 43rd birthday. Flawless as a ball striker, Scott has been held back in his career with inconsistent putting. Perhaps the slower greens at the Open Championship this upcoming week will help him.
At age 21, Bobby Jones won his first of four U.S. Opens on this date in 1923 when he beat Bobby Cruickshank in a playoff, 76-78, at Inwood Country Club in New York.
On this date in 1973, Tom Weiskopf won his only major, the Open Championship, in a 12-under-par performance at Troon Golf Club, three ahead of Johnny Miller and four up on Jack Nicklaus.