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1930 U.S. Open

Tournament information
Dates	July 10–12, 1930
Location	Edina, Minnesota
Course(s)	Interlachen Country Club
Organized by	USGA
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play − 72 holes
Statistics
Par	72
Length	6,672 yards (6,101 m)
Field	142 players, 69 after cut
Cut	156 (+12)
Prize fund	$5,000
Winner's share	($1,000)
Champion
Bobby Jones (a)
287 (−1)
← 19291931 →

The 1930 U.S. Open was the 34th U.S. Open, held July 10–12 at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb southwest of Minneapolis. Bobby Jones won his second consecutive and record-tying fourth U.S. Open title. Having already won the British Amateur and the British Open in June, Jones secured his third consecutive major title of the single-season at the U.S. Open. He completed the grand slam with a victory in late September at Merion in the fourth and final leg, the U.S. Amateur.

The 1930 U.S. Open was played in oppressive heat, and the first round on Thursday saw Macdonald Smith and 1927 champion Tommy Armour share the lead, with Jones a stroke behind. Jones was one-under through eight holes in his second round when he hit one of his most famous shots: the "lily pad shot." Jones was attempting to reach the par-5 9th in two shots when two spectators ran onto the fairway during his swing. He mishit the ball toward the lake where it fell about twenty yards short of dry ground. Incredibly, the ball skipped off a lily pad and onto the far bank, just thirty yards short of the green. Jones would get up-and-down for an unlikely birdie, one that only added to his growing legend. Jones finished the round with a 73, putting him at 144 in a tie for second, two strokes behind leader Horton Smith.

Jones took command over the final two rounds on Saturday; he shot 68 in the third round in the morning and started the final round with a front-nine 38. However, he ran into trouble with a bogey at 12 and a double bogey at 13. Now leading Smith by only one shot, Jones birdied 14 and 16. After finding the water on 17 and settling for a bogey, he needed to two-putt from 40 feet (12 m) on the 18th for the championship. Instead, he holed out for birdie and a two-stroke victory over Smith, who claimed the $1,000 winner's share of the $5,000 purse as the top professional. In third place was 36-hole leader Horton Smith, who won the first edition of Jones' "Augusta National Invitation Tournament" in 1934, later known as the Masters Tournament, and again in 1936.

Jones became the first to successfully defend his Open title since John McDermott in 1911–12. He was now tied with Willie Anderson with four Open titles, but he would not attempt to win a fifth. Only four have won consecutive U.S. Opens since: Ralph Guldahl (1937, 1938), Ben Hogan (1950, 1951), Curtis Strange (1988, 1989), and Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018). After completing the Grand Slam with his U.S. Amateur win, Jones retired from competitive golf at age 28.

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, July 10, 1930

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Tommy Armour	70	−2
	Macdonald Smith
T3	Wiffy Cox	71	−1
	Bobby Jones (a)
T5	Harry Cooper	72	E
	Walter Hagen
	John Rogers
	George Smith
	Horton Smith
T10	Olin Dutra	73	+1
	Jack Forrester
	Irwin Ottman
	Joe Turnesa
	Eddie Williams
	Craig Wood

Source:

Second round

Friday, July 11, 1930

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Horton Smith	72-70=142	−2
T2	Harry Cooper	72-72=144	E
	Bobby Jones (a)	71-73=144
	Charles Lacey	74-70=144
5	Macdonald Smith	70-75=145	+1
T6	Tommy Armour	70-76=146	+2
	Wiffy Cox	71-75=146
	Johnny Farrell	74-72=146
T9	Johnny Golden	74-73=147	+3
	Walter Hagen	72-75=147

Source:

Third round

Saturday, July 12, 1930 (morning)

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Bobby Jones (a)	71-73-68=212	−4
2	Harry Cooper	72-72-73=217	+1
T3	Johnny Golden	74-73-71=218	+2
	Horton Smith	72-70-76=218
T5	Macdonald Smith	70-75-74=219	+3
	Johnny Farrell	74-72-73=219
7	Craig Wood	73-75-72=220	+4
T8	Tommy Armour	70-76-75=221	+5
	Charles Lacey	74-70-77=221
T9	Walter Hagen	72-75-76=223	+7
	Wiffy Cox	71-75-77=223

Source:

Final round

Saturday, July 12, 1930 (afternoon)

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Bobby Jones (a)	71-73-68-75=287	−1	0
2	Macdonald Smith	70-75-74-70=289	+1	1,000
3	Horton Smith	72-70-76-74=292	+4	750
4	Harry Cooper	72-72-73-76=293	+5	650
5	Johnny Golden	74-73-71-76=294	+6	550
6	Tommy Armour	70-76-75-76=297	+9	450
7	Charles Lacey	74-70-77-77=298	+10	350
8	Johnny Farrell	74-72-73-80=299	+11	250
T9	Bill Mehlhorn	76-74-75-75=300	+12	138
	Craig Wood	73-75-72-80=300

Source:

(a) denotes amateur

References

1. Mickelson, Paul (July 10, 1930). "Country's leading golfers primed for National Open at Interlachen today". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 12.
2. "141 out to get Bobby Jones in U.S. Open today". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. July 10, 1930. p. 19.
3. Gould, Alan (July 13, 1930). "Jones wins fourth U.S. Open golf crown". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 1.
4. ^ Barry, Howard (July 13, 1930). "Jones wins; his 12th crown". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 1.
5. ^ "Bobby Jones proves right to be called golf world monarch". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 14, 1930. p. 13.
6. Pegler, Westbrook (September 28, 1930). "Jones wins; hold all major golf titles". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, sec. 1.
7. ^ "Armour, Mac Smith share lead in National Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 11, 1930. p. 1.
8. ^ Berry, Howard (July 11, 1930). "Mac Smith, Armour tie for Open golf lead". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 21.
9. ^ "Horton Smith takes lead in Open with 142 total". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 12, 1930. p. 1.
10. ^ Barry, Howard (July 12, 1930). "Horton Smith's 142 takes lead in Open golf". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 13.

External links

• USGA Championship Database
• USOpen.com - 1930

44°54′54″N 93°22′48″W / 44.915°N 93.38°W / 44.915; -93.38

• U.S. Open (golf)
• Golf tournaments in Minnesota
• Edina, Minnesota
• 1930 in golf
• 1930 in American sports
• 1930 in sports in Minnesota
• July 1930 sports events