| 1938 U.S. Open | |
Ralph Guldahl isn't much remembered today, but he was arguably the best golfer of the mid- and late 1930s. From 1934 through 1939 he won 12 times, including three straight Western Opens at a time when the Western was one of the biggest pro tournaments. And Guldahl also won back-to-back U.S. Opens, with the 1938 U.S. Open being the second of those two wins.
Guldahl added the 1939 Masters to his trophy case, then won twice more in 1940 before essentially disappearing (an early Ian Baker-Finch or David Duval case).
Metz never won a major, but he is credited with 10 PGA Tour victories. And he posted numerous Top 10s in majors over a long period of time. Metz finished 10th at the 1935 U.S. Open, and was seventh in the 1958 U.S. Open. In-between, and including his runner-up here, Metz had 15 other Top 10s in majors.
A record was set at the 1938 U.S. Open, but it was one the holder would rather not have. Ray Ainsley recorded a score of 19 on the 16th hole of Cherry Hills Country Club, a par-4 hole, in the second round. Ainsley's ball rolled into a creek. Ainsley didn't know the rules very well, apparently, because he later said he didn't know he was allowed to drop (with penalty) outside the hazard. So Ainsley just kept whacking at that little white pellet sitting in the water, until finally he got it out of the creek. Ainsley's score for the round was 96. No, he didn't make the cut.
1938 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1938 U.S. Open golf tournament played at the par-71 Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado (a-amateur):
| Ralph Guldahl | 74-70-71-69--284 | $1,000 |
| Dick Metz | 73-68-70-79--290 | $800 |
| Harry Cooper | 76-69-76-71--292 | $650 |
| Toney Penna | 78-72-74-68--292 | $650 |
| Byron Nelson | 77-71-74-72--294 | $412 |
| Emery Zimmerman | 72-71-73-78--294 | $412 |
| Frank Moore | 79-73-72-71--295 | $216 |
| Henry Picard | 70-70-77-78--295 | $216 |
| Paul Runyan | 78-71-72-74--295 | $216 |
| Gene Sarazen | 74-74-75-73--296 | $106 |
| Vic Ghezzi | 79-71-75-72--297 | $106 |
| Jimmy Hines | 70-75-69-83--297 | $106 |
| Denny Shute | 77-71-72-77--297 | $106 |
| George Von Elm | 78-72-71-76--297 | $106 |
| Willie Hunter Jr. | 73-72-78-75--298 | $100 |
| Olin Dutra | 74-71-77-77--299 | $50 |
| Harold "Jug" McSpaden | 76-67-74-82--299 | $50 |
| Johnny Revolta | 74-72-77-76--299 | $50 |
| Jim Foulis | 74-74-75-77--300 | $50 |
| Horton Smith | 80-73-73-74--300 | $50 |
| Al Zimmerman | 76-77-75-72--300 | $50 |
| Charles Lacey | 77-75-75-75--302 | $50 |
| Tommy Armour | 78-70-75-80--303 | $50 |
| Al Huske | 76-79-76-73--304 | $50 |
| Johnny Rogers | 71-76-73-84--304 | $50 |
| Charles Sheppard | 79-73-74-79--305 | $50 |
| Joe Belfore | 75-73-80-78--306 | $50 |
| Stanley Kertes | 77-72-82-75--306 | $50 |
| Alvin Krueger | 79-69-79-79--306 | $50 |
| Ray Mangrum | 77-77-73-79--306 | |
| Mike Turnesa | 75-79-75-78--307 | |
| Vernon Allen | 81-74-75-78--308 | |
| Art Bell | 78-77-78-75--308 | |
| Neil Christian | 75-80-79-74--308 | |
| Willie Macfarlane | 79-73-78-78--308 | |
| Jimmy Thomson | 82-70-77-79--308 | |
| Frank Walsh | 75-77-80-76--308 | |
| Lawson Little | 78-77-78-76--309 | |
| Levi Lynch | 74-74-81-80--309 | |
| Sam Snead | 77-76-76-80--309 | |
| Al Brosch | 76-77-77-80--310 | |
| a-Art Doering | 75-77-80-78--310 | |
| Willie Goggin | 79-75-78-78--310 | |
| Bob Stupple | 78-74-81-77--310 | |
| a-Wilford Wehrle | 74-76-81-80--311 | |
| Bobby Cruickshank | 83-71-73-85--312 | |
| Alex Follmer | 74-76-81-81--312 | |
| Tony Manero | 74-80-81-78--313 | |
| Mortie Dutra | 78-74-85-77--314 | |
| a-Dick Chapman | 74-77-83-81--315 | |
| Ed Dudley | 77-77-78-83--315 | |
| Mike Murra | 81-71-78-85--315 | |
| Herb Bowers | 77-74-80-87--318 | |
| a-Ted Adams | 74-80-86-81--321 | |
| a-Bob Babbish | 78-75-86-83--322 |
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