| 1946 U.S. Open | |
For the first time in five years, a U.S. Open was played. A little thing called World War II caused the cancellation of the 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1945 tournaments, which made 1941 winner Craig Wood the defending champion.
Unfortunately for Wood, he didn't make the cut. But Lloyd Mangrum, Vic Ghezzi and Byron Nelson did, and those three played a 36-hole playoff before Mangrum emerged as the winner.
Nelson was a year removed from his 18-win season of 1945, and he was in position to win this tournament in regulation. Nelson had a 1-stroke lead over Mangrum and Ghezzi entering the final round, and he led by two with three holes to play. Unfortunately for Lord Byron, he bogied two of those three holes, creating a 3-way tie at 284.
Nelson's caddie also cost him a stroke in the third round when the caddie accidentally kicked Nelson's ball. The USGA official on-site assessed a 1-stroke penalty.
The playoff was scheduled for 18 holes, but all three carded 72s. So they played another 18, and Mangrum finally emerged the winner after another tightly contested round. Mangrum scored 144 in the playoff, beating Nelson and Ghezzi by a stroke.
Nelson, his nerves wearing thin in the stress of competition, retired from full-time tournament golf later in 1946. Mangrum never won another major, but he won 36 times total on the PGA Tour. He also finished in the Top 10 at The Masters 10 straight years (1947-56) and in the Top 10 of the U.S. Open from 1950 through 1954. Ghezzi was the 1941 PGA Championship winner who finished his career with 11 total PGA Tour wins.
Ben Hogan, not yet a major winner, tied for fourth, one stroke out of the playoff. Ben's brother, Royal Hogan, missed the cut as an amateur.
1946 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 1946 U.S. Open golf tournament played at the par-72 Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio (x-won playoff; a-amateur):
| x-Lloyd Mangrum | 74-70-68-72--284 | $1,500 |
| Vic Ghezzi | 71-69-72-72--284 | $875 |
| Byron Nelson | 71-71-69-73--284 | $875 |
| Herman Barron | 72-72-72-69--285 | $550 |
| Ben Hogan | 72-68-73-72--285 | $550 |
| Jimmy Demaret | 71-74-73-68--286 | $350 |
| Ed "Porky" Oliver | 71-71-74-70--286 | $350 |
| Chick Harbert | 72-78-67-70--287 | $225 |
| Dick Metz | 76-70-72-69--287 | $225 |
| Dutch Harrison | 75-71-72-70--288 | $175 |
| Lawson Little | 72-69-76-71--288 | $175 |
| Ed Furgol | 77-69-74-69--289 | $150 |
| Clayton Heafner | 75-72-71-71--289 | $150 |
| Henry Picard | 71-73-71-74--289 | $150 |
| Claude Harmon | 72-77-70-72--291 | $125 |
| Chandler Harper | 76-74-67-74--291 | $125 |
| Steve Kovach | 71-72-73-75--291 | $125 |
| Toney Penna | 69-77-74-71--291 | $125 |
| Gene Kunes | 74-73-73-72--292 | $100 |
| Sam Snead | 69-75-74-74--292 | $100 |
| Paul Runyan | 75-72-76-70--293 | $100 |
| Johnny Bulla | 72-74-73-75--294 | $100 |
| Henry Ransom | 71-73-73-77--294 | $100 |
| Harry Todd | 75-73-70-76--294 | $100 |
| Lew Worsham | 73-74-76-71--294 | $100 |
| Leland Gibson | 74-71-78-72--295 | $100 |
| Smiley Quick | 75-76-72-72--295 | $0 |
| Mike Turnesa | 70-76-74-75--295 | $100 |
| Ellsworth Vines | 73-72-75-75--295 | $100 |
| a-Bud Ward | 74-77-72-72--295 | |
| Toby Lyons | 74-73-72-77--296 | $100 |
| Harold "Jug" McSpaden | 76-73-74-73--296 | $100 |
| Otey Crisman | 77-72-74-74--297 | |
| Raymond Gafford | 75-73-75-74--297 | |
| Johnny Palmer | 77-74-74-73--298 | |
| Charles Penna | 75-74-75-74--298 | |
| Jimmy Hines | 77-73-75-74--299 | |
| Pat Circelli | 77-73-75-75--300 | |
| Pete Cooper | 72-75-74-79--300 | |
| Bobby Cruickshank | 72-75-78-75--300 | |
| George Fazio | 77-74-76-73--300 | |
| Herman Keiser | 76-75-72-77--300 | |
| Fred Haas | 74-75-77-75--301 | |
| Al Watrous | 76-75-74-76--301 | |
| Billy Burke | 76-75-76-75--302 | |
| a-Gene Dahlbender | 73-76-80-73--302 | |
| a-Frank Stranahan | 74-76-77-75--302 | |
| Skip Alexander | 71-79-76-77--303 | |
| Bill Jelliffe | 73-74-80-76--303 | |
| Rod Munday | 77-72-78-77--304 | |
| a-Bob Servis | 76-75-77-76--304 | |
| Joseph Zarhardt | 74-76-79-75--304 | |
| Al Brosch | 72-78-77-78--305 | |
| Henry Castillo | 74-77-80-74--305 | |
| a-A.F. Kammer | 75-76-74-80--305 | |
| Dick Shoemaker | 78-72-76-79--305 | |
| Joe Kirkwood Sr. | 78-73-75-81--307 | |
| Joe Mozel | 73-77-77-80--307 | |
| Frank Commisso | 74-76-77-81--308 | |
| Willie Goggin | 76-73-78-81--308 | |
| a-Otto Greiner | 75-75-81-77--308 | |
| a-Ted Adams | 73-78-75-85--311 |
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