| 1940 U.S. Open | |
Gene Sarazen was 38 years old in 1940, hadn't won in two years and would win only once more after the 1940 U.S. Open. He didn't win this tournament - Lawson Little did - but in a way it was Sarazen's last hurrah in what are now recognized as the professional majors.
Little had been a major star of amateur golf in the early and mid 1930s, winning the U.S. and British amateurs in 1934, and then doing it again in 1935. Huge things were expected from Little as a professional, and his eight PGA Tour career wins would be regarded as something of a letdown. Still, he won the 1940 U.S. Open by beating Sarazen in an 18-hole playoff.
Six others were disqualified when they all started their final rounds ahead of schedule, rushing to get the round in before expected rains arrived. Those six were Porky Oliver, Dutch Harrison, Leland Gibson, Johnny Bulla, Ky Lafoon and Claude Harmon. All were disqualified after the final round ended.
Which was particularly painful for Oliver, because he had tied Little and Sarazen at 287. Despite Sarazen and Little asking the USGA to allow Oliver to take part in the 18-hole playoff, Oliver was DQ'd with the other five.
In the playoff, Sarazen was within one stroke of Little with five holes to play, but Little eased away to win, 70 to 73.
Ben Hogan finished fifth, posting his first Top 10 in a U.S. Open. Defending champion Byron Nelson tied Hogan. The Top 8 finishers - Little, Sarazen, Horton Smith, Craig Wood, Ralph Guldahl, Hogan, Nelson and Lloyd Mangrum - were all past or future major champions, and were all future Hall of Famers.
As noted, Sarazen won only once more after this. But the Squire continued as a figure in golf until the end of the 20th century. He didn't play in his last major until the 1973 British Open - where he made an ace at age 71. And Sarazen was an honorary starter at The Masters until 1999, when he was 97 years old.
1940 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1940 U.S. Open golf tournament played at the par-72 Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio (a-amateur):
| x-Lawson Little | 72-69-73-73--287 | $1,000 |
| Gene Sarazen | 71-74-70-72--287 | $800 |
| Horton Smith | 69-72-78-69--288 | $700 |
| Craig Wood | 72-73-72-72--289 | $600 |
| Ralph Guldahl | 73-71-76-70--290 | $325 |
| Ben Hogan | 70-73-74-73--290 | $325 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | 75-70-71-74--290 | $325 |
| Byron Nelson | 72-74-70-74--290 | $325 |
| Dick Metz | 75-72-72-72--291 | $175 |
| Ed Dudley | 73-75-71-73--292 | $137 |
| Frank Walsh | 73-69-71-79--292 | $137 |
| Tommy Armour | 73-74-75-71--293 | $100 |
| Harold "Jug" McSpaden | 74-72-70-77--293 | $100 |
| Henry Picard | 73-73-71-76--293 | $100 |
| Vic Ghezzi | 70-74-75-75--294 | $100 |
| Jim Foulis | 73-73-77-72--295 | $50 |
| Gene Kunes | 76-72-73-74--295 | $50 |
| Johnny Revolta | 73-74-72-76--295 | $50 |
| Sam Snead | 67-74-73-81--295 | $50 |
| Andrew Gibson | 71-75-77-73--296 | $50 |
| Jimmy Hines | 73-74-77-72--296 | $50 |
| Felix Serafin | 77-74-71-74--296 | $50 |
| Jock Hutchison Jr. | 73-72-75-77--297 | $50 |
| Eddie Kirk | 73-77-74-73--297 | $50 |
| a-Wilford Wehrle | 78-73-72-74--297 | |
| Leland Wilcox | 75-73-74-75--297 | $50 |
| Ray Mangrum | 73-78-75-72--298 | $50 |
| Johnny Farrell | 75-77-76-71--299 | $50 |
| Bruce Coltart | 80-72-74-74--300 | $30 |
| a-Jim Ferrier | 73-74-78-75--300 | |
| Al Huske | 70-80-76-74--300 | $30 |
| Sam Parks Jr. | 69-74-79-78--300 | $30 |
| Henry Ramson | 75-77-74-74--300 | $30 |
| Jack Ryan | 75-75-77-73--300 | $30 |
| a-Andrew Szwedko | 76-77-76-71--300 | |
| a-Dick Chapman | 74-78-76-73--301 | |
| Willie Goggin | 78-74-75-74--301 | |
| Matt Kowal | 72-75-77-77--301 | |
| Tony Manero | 75-75-77-74--301 | |
| Johnny Morris | 75-77-74-75--301 | |
| Sam Byrd | 72-78-79-73--302 | |
| Toney Penna | 80-73-76-74--303 | |
| Leonard Dodson | 72-72-80-81--305 | |
| Al Espinosa | 79-71-76-79--305 | |
| Jim Milward | 74-79-76-76--305 | |
| John Thoren | 73-78-77-77--305 | |
| Al Brosch | 74-73-82-77--306 | |
| Johnny Rogers | 73-76-79-78--306 | |
| Paul Runyan | 74-79-78-76--307 | |
| Jerry Gianferante | 76-77-81-74--308 | |
| Henry Kaiser | 71-78-80-79--308 | |
| a-Bob Babbish | 71-77-80-81--309 | |
| Bill Barbour | 75-78-80-76--309 | |
| Mike Pavella | 79-74-81-76--310 | |
| Frank Commisso | 73-78-80-81--312 | |
| Pete Webb | 77-74-83-78--312 | |
| Oscar Willoweit | 75-78-82-77--312 | |
| a-Toby Lyons | 77-76-80-80--313 |
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