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1934 U.S. Open

Tournament information
Dates	June 7–9, 1934
Location	Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Course(s)	Merion Golf Club East Course
Organized by	USGA
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play − 72 holes
Statistics
Par	70
Length	6,694 yards (6,121 m)
Field	146 players, 65 after cut
Cut	155 (+15)
Prize fund	$5,000
Winner's share	$1,000
Champion
Olin Dutra
293 (+13)
← 19331935 →

The 1934 U.S. Open was the 38th U.S. Open, held June 7–9 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia. Olin Dutra won his only U.S. Open, a stroke ahead of runner-up Gene Sarazen on the East Course. Dutra overcame an eight-stroke deficit after 36 holes to win his second major title; he won the PGA Championship in 1932.

Bobby Cruickshank opened the tournament with a pair of 71s, and had a three-stroke lead over Sarazen at the midway point. Sarazen carded a 73 in the third round to take a one-shot lead over Cruickshank. In the final round on Saturday afternoon, both Cruickshank and Sarazen were overcome by Dutra, who took the lead after birdies at 10 and 15. Sarazen took a triple bogey on the 11th while Cruickshank bogeyed 5 of the final 7 holes. Despite a pair of bogeys to finish the round, Dutra's 72 (+2) and total of 293 (+13) was enough to secure the victory.

Dutra's win was all the more impressive after he fell ill before the tournament and was laid up for three days in his hotel room. He lost fifteen pounds (7 kg) and could not practice for ten days. He was about to withdraw until his brother Mortie, who finished in 28th place, convinced him to play on. His 36-hole comeback from eight shots down was the largest in U.S. Open history until Arnold Palmer equaled it in 1960. From California, Dutra was the first U.S. Open champion born in the western United States.

Former caddies in Texas at the same course in Fort Worth, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson played in their first major championship, and both missed the cut, shooting 158 and 162, respectively. Lawson Little finished as low amateur in 25th place; he won the title six years later in 1940 as a professional.

Merion Golf Club was affiliated with the Merion Cricket Club until 1941. This was the first U.S. Open at Merion, which hosted its fifth in 2013, all on the East Course.

Course

East Course

Source:

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 7, 1934

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Wiffy Cox	71	+1
	Bobby Cruickshank
	Charles Lacey
4	Gene Sarazen	73	+3
T5	Rodney Bliss	74	+4
	Henry Ciuci
	Mortie Dutra
	Willie Goggin
	Paul Runyan
	Jimmy Thomson
	Horton Smith
	George Von Elm

Source:

Second round

Friday, June 8, 1934

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Bobby Cruickshank	71-71=142	+2
2	Gene Sarazen	73-72=145	+5
3	Wiffy Cox	71-75=146	+6
T4	Leo Diegel	76-71=147	+7
	Rodney Bliss	74-73=147
	Billy Burke	76-71=147
	Horton Smith	74-73=147
T8	Henry Ciuci	74-74=148	+8
	Joe Kirkwood	75-73=148
	Macdonald Smith	75-73=148

Source:

Third round

Saturday, June 9, 1934 (morning)

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Gene Sarazen	73-72-73=218	+8
2	Bobby Cruickshank	71-71-77=219	+9
3	Wiffy Cox	71-75-74=220	+10
T4	Olin Dutra	76-74-71=221	+11
	Ralph Guldahl	78-73-70=221
T6	Harry Cooper	76-74-74=224	+14
	Billy Burke	76-71-77=224
T8	Leo Diegel	76-71-78=225	+15
	Johnny Golden	75-76-74=225
T10	Al Espinosa	76-74-76=226	+16
	Joe Kirkwood	75-73-78=226
	Butch Krueger	76-75-75=226
	Johnny Revolta	76-73-77=226
	Macdonald Smith	75-73-78=226

Source:

Final round

Saturday, June 9, 1934 (afternoon)

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Olin Dutra	76-74-71-72=293	+13	1,000
2	Gene Sarazen	73-72-73-76=294	+14	750
T3	Harry Cooper	76-74-74-71=295	+15	400
	Wiffy Cox	71-75-74-75=295
	Bobby Cruickshank	71-71-77-76=295
T6	Billy Burke	76-71-77-72=296	+16	300
	Macdonald Smith	75-73-78-70=296
T8	Tom Creavy	79-76-78-66=299	+19	116
	Ralph Guldahl	78-73-70-78=299
	Jimmy Hines	80-70-77-72=299
	Johnny Revolta	76-73-77-73=299

Source:

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	4	5	3	5	4	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	4
Dutra	+11	+11	+11	+11	+11	+12	+12	+12	+13	+12	+12	+12	+12	+12	+11	+11	+12	+13
Sarazen	+8	+8	+9	+9	+9	+9	+9	+10	+10	+10	+13	+13	+12	+13	+13	+13	+13	+14
Cruickshank	+9	+9	+10	+10	+10	+10	+10	+10	+10	+10	+10	+11	+11	+12	+13	+14	+14	+15
Cox	+10	+10	+9	+10	+10	+11	+12	+12	+12	+12	+12	+14	+14	+14	+14	+14	+14	+15

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

Birdie

Bogey

Double bogey

Triple bogey+

Source:

References

1. ^ Gould, Alan (June 10, 1934). "Olin Dutra's 293 wins National Open in sensational finish". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. D1. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
2. ^ "Thirty-eighth National Open Golf Championship" (PDF). Trenham Golf History. Official Program. 1934. p. 35. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
3. Bartlett, Charles (June 10, 1934). "Olin Dutra's 293 takes U.S. Open golf title". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 21.
4. Bartlett, Charles (June 9, 1934). "Cruickshank leads National Open golf with 142". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 17.
5. Cavagnaro, Bob (June 10, 1934). "Dutra wanted to stay home". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. D4.
6. ^ "National Open scores". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 9, 1934. p. 18.
7. "154 start play in U.S. Open golf tourney today". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 7, 1934.
8. Bartlett, Charles (June 8, 1934). "Three tie at 71 for National Open golf lead". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 27.
9. ^ "National Open scores". Chicago Sunday Tribune. June 10, 1934. p. 6, part 2.
10. "National Open results". Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. June 10, 1934. p. 9. Retrieved May 8, 2013.

External links

• USGA Championship Database
• USOpen.com - 1934
• Trenham Golf History – 1934 U.S. Open
• USGA – Looking back: 1934 U.S. Open

40°00′04″N 75°18′43″W / 40.001°N 75.312°W / 40.001; -75.312

• U.S. Open (golf)
• Golf tournaments in Pennsylvania
• 1934 in golf
• 1934 in American sports
• 1934 in sports in Pennsylvania
• June 1934 sports events