| 1931 U.S. Open | |
Most golfers at the 1931 U.S. Open played one tournament. Billy Burke and George Von Elm played two. Most golfers at the 1931 U.S. Open played 72 holes. Billy Burke and George Von Elm played 144 holes.
That's because Burke and Von Elm were tied after 72 holes, then played the longest playoff in tournament history.
Burke and von Elm finished the regulation 72 holes tied at 292, after Burke closed with a 73 to Von Elm's 75. So they entered into a 36-hole playoff (the U.S. Open standard at the time) the following day. At the end of those 36 extra holes, they were still tied at 149 after Burke sank a birdie putt on the 36th hole. So they played another 36 holes the next day, and, finally, Burke emerged the winner by one stroke. Burke shot 292 in the regulation 72 holes, then 297 in the playoff 72 holes.
Burke is credited with 13 PGA Tour wins. His victory here in the 1931 U.S. Open was his first Top 10 in a major, and remained his only victory in a major.
Von Elm was best known as a top amateur player of the 1920s. He was runner-up to Bobby Jones at the 1924 U.S. Amateur, then beat Jones in the championship match to win the 1926 U.S. Amateur. He played as a pro in the 1930s, but never won a professional major.
Three-time British Open winner Henry Cotton played the U.S. Open only twice, and this was the first of those two appearances. He missed the cut.
1931 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1931 U.S. Open golf tournament played at the par-72 Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio (x-won playoff; a-amateur):
| x-Billy Burke | 73-72-74-73--292 | $1,000 |
| George Von Elm | 75-69-73-75--292 | $750 |
| Leo Diegel | 75-73-74-72--294 | $650 |
| Wiffy Cox | 75-74-74-72--295 | $450 |
| "Wild" Bill Mehlhorn | 77-73-75-71--296 | $450 |
| Gene Sarazen | 74-78-74-70--296 | $450 |
| Mortie Dutra | 71-77-73-76--297 | $200 |
| Walter Hagen | 74-74-73-76--297 | $200 |
| a-Philip Perkins | 78-76-73-70--297 | |
| Al Espinosa | 72-78-75-74--299 | $105 |
| Johnny Farrell | 78-70-79-72--299 | $105 |
| Macdonald Smith | 73-73-75-78--299 | $105 |
| Guy Paulsen | 74-72-74-80--300 | $77 |
| Frank Walsh | 73-77-75-75--300 | $77 |
| Herman Barron | 71-75-78-77--301 | $57 |
| "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper | 76-75-75-75--301 | $57 |
| Ed Dudley | 75-76-76-74--301 | $57 |
| Al Watrous | 74-78-76-73--301 | $57 |
| Charles Guest | 71-75-76-80--302 | $50 |
| Tony Manero | 74-75-80-73--302 | $50 |
| Olin Dutra | 76-76-76-75--303 | $25 |
| John Kinder | 79-72-75-77--303 | $25 |
| Laurie Ayton | 76-79-74-75--304 | |
| Willie Klein | 75-80-70-79--304 | |
| Denny Shute | 79-73-77-76--305 | |
| Eddie Williams | 71-74-81-79--305 | |
| Johnny Golden | 79-75-78-74--306 | |
| Horton Smith | 77-78-75-76--306 | |
| Auguste Boyer | 75-80-72-80--307 | |
| Henry Ciuci | 73-79-81-74--307 | |
| W.H. Davies | 73-83-74-77--307 | |
| Tom Creavy | 80-72-80-76--308 | |
| Ralph Guldahl | 77-80-75-76--308 | |
| Joe Turnesa | 73-75-79-81--308 | |
| Alex Watson | 75-79-78-76--308 | |
| Clarence Clark | 76-76-77-80--309 | |
| Bobby Cruickshank | 74-76-81-78--309 | |
| Peter O'Hara | 78-76-81-74--309 | |
| Walter Kozak | 75-77-80-78--310 | |
| August Nordone | 83-73-78-76--310 | |
| Massie Miller | 75-78-81-77--311 | |
| Francis Scheider | 78-75-78-80--311 | |
| Clarence Hackney | 80-74-82-76--312 | |
| Reggie Myles Jr. | 76-76-80-80--312 | |
| Lloyd Gullickson | 75-80-82-77--314 | |
| Percy Alliss | 78-75-78-84--315 | |
| Tommy Armour | 75-83-79-78--315 | |
| a-Lester Bolstad | 80-77-78-80--315 | |
| George Smith | 75-78-76-86--315 | |
| Jack Forrester | 75-78-84-79--316 | |
| Clark Morse | 77-81-79-80--317 | |
| Neal McIntyre | 78-78-84-79--319 | |
| Nick Weber | 81-76-84-80--321 | |
| Hugh Carpenter | 78-79-87-80--324 |
Back to list of U.S. Open Winners
Related Articles
More on the U.S. Open
• Masters Winners
• British Open Winners
• PGA Championship Winners
• U.S. Open FAQ
• U.S. Open Golf Tournament
