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1948 U.S. Open

Tournament information
Dates	June 10–12, 1948
Location	Pacific Palisades, California
Course(s)	Riviera Country Club
Organized by	USGA
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Statistics
Par	71
Length	7,020 yards (6,419 m)
Field	171 players, 57 after cut
Cut	148 (+6)
Prize fund	$10,000
Winner's share	$2,000
Champion
Ben Hogan
276 (−8)
← 19471949 →

The 1948 U.S. Open was the 48th U.S. Open, held June 10–12 at Riviera Country Club in the northwest Los Angeles district of Pacific Palisades, California. Ben Hogan won the first of his four U.S. Open titles at the course that became known as "Hogan's Alley," as it was his third win at Riviera in less than 18 months. He had won the Los Angeles Open at the course in early 1947 and 1948. It was the third of Hogan's nine major titles; he had won his second PGA Championship a few weeks earlier. He was only the second to win both titles in the same year, joining Gene Sarazen in 1922. Later winners of both were Jack Nicklaus in 1980 and Tiger Woods in 2000.

Although Sam Snead held the lead by a stroke after 36 holes with a record 138, Hogan dominated the final two rounds, shooting 68-69 on Saturday for a total of 276 (−8), two shots ahead of runner-up Jimmy Demaret. Hogan decimated the U.S. Open scoring record (281 by Ralph Guldahl in 1937) by five strokes, and his three rounds in the 60s was a tournament first. The scoring record stood for 19 years, until bested by a stroke by Jack Nicklaus in 1967. Hogan's 8-under-par set a U.S. Open record that stood until 2000, when it was broken by Tiger Woods (12-under, broken by Rory McIlroy in 2011 at 16-under).

Eight months later, Hogan and his wife were involved in a serious automobile accident, a head-on collision with a Greyhound bus in west Texas. The injuries he sustained prevented a defense of his title in 1949 while he recovered. Hogan returned to competition and won the U.S. Open in 1950, 1951, and 1953. (He led after 36 holes in 1952, but finished third.)

Ted Rhodes became the first African-American to play in the U.S. Open since 1913. He opened with 70, made the cut, and finished in 51st place.

This was the first U.S. Open played on the West Coast; the first in the western U.S. was a decade earlier, in 1938 near Denver. The first major played on the West Coast was the PGA Championship in 1929, played at Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles. At the time, the course at Riviera was the longest ever for a U.S. Open at 7,020 yards (6,419 m).

Babe Didrikson Zaharias became the first woman to attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open, but her application was rejected by the USGA. They stated that the event was intended to be open to men only.

Course layout

Source:

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, June 10, 1948

Place	Player	Score	To par
T1	Ben Hogan	67	−4
	Lew Worsham
T3	Ken Rogers (a)	69	−2
	Sam Snead
T5	Bobby Locke	70	−1
	Toney Penna
	Ted Rhodes
T8	Skip Alexander	71	−1
	John Bass
	Charles Congdon
	John Dawson (a)
	Jimmy Demaret
	Jim Ferrier
	Leland Gibson
	Herman Keiser
	Dave Killen
	Lloyd Mangrum
	Andrew Mills
	Jim Turnesa
	Marvin Ward (a)
	Gene Webb
	Al Zimmerman

Source:

Second round

Friday, June 11, 1948

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Sam Snead	69-69=138	−4
T2	Ben Hogan	67-72=139	−3
	Bobby Locke	70-69=139
4	Jim Turnesa	71-69=140	−2
T5	Charles Congdon	71-70=141	−1
	Jimmy Demaret	71-70=141
	George Schneiter	73-68=141
	Frank Stranahan (a)	72-69=141
	Lew Worsham	67-74=141
T10	Herman Keiser	71-71=142	E
	Joe Kirkwood, Jr.	72-70=142
	Toney Penna	70-72=142

Source:

Third round

Saturday, June 12, 1948  (morning)

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Ben Hogan	67-72-68=207	−6
2	Jimmy Demaret	71-70-68=209	−4
3	Jim Turnesa	71-69-70=210	−3
4	Sam Snead	69-69-73=211	−2
T5	Charles Congdon	71-70-71=212	−1
	Bobby Locke	70-69-73=212
	Jug McSpaden	74-69-69=212
	Lew Worsham	67-74-71=212
9	Smiley Quick	73-71-69=213	E
T10	Herman Barron	73-70-71=214	+1
	Joe Kirkwood, Jr.	72-70-72=214

Source:

Final round

Saturday, June 12, 1948  (afternoon)

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Ben Hogan	67-72-68-69=276	−8	2,000
2	Jimmy Demaret	71-70-68-69=278	−6	1,500
3	Jim Turnesa	71-69-70-70=280	−4	1,000
4	Bobby Locke	70-69-73-70=282	−2	800
5	Sam Snead	69-69-73-72=283	−1	600
6	Lew Worsham	67-74-71-73=285	+1	500
7	Herman Barron	73-70-71-72=286	+2	400
T8	Johnny Bulla	73-72-75-67=287	+3	300
	Toney Penna	70-72-73-72=287
	Smiley Quick	73-71-69-74=287

Source:

References

1. ^ "Riviera layout for Open championship". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. Associated Press. June 11, 1948. p. 20.
2. ^ "Ben Hogan sets mark, wins Open". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. United Press. June 13, 1948. p. 1, sports.
3. "Worsham begins defense of National Open title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 10, 1948. p. 20.
4. "Ben Hogan captures $10,000 Los Angeles Open meet". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Florida. Associated Press. January 6, 1948. p. 6.
5. "Ben Hogan sets record in taking U.S. Open". Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. June 13, 1948. p. 18.
6. ^ "Open golf win goes to Hogan". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. June 14, 1948. p. 13.
7. Bartlett, Charles (June 12, 1948). "Snead's 138 sets U.S. Open golf record". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
8. "Snead takes Open golf lead with 138". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 12, 1948. p. 13.
9. ^ "Hogan's 276 wins Open, smashes Guldahl mark". Miami News. United Press. June 13, 1948. p. 1-C.
10. "Ben Hogan is seriously hurt as car, bus collide head on". Milwaukee Journal. February 3, 1949. p. 7-L.
11. Phlegar, Ben (April 7, 1948). "The Babe 'Not Welcome' In National Open Play". The Telegraph Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. Associated Press. p. 11.
12. Bartlett, Charles (June 11, 1948). "Hogan, Worsham tie at 67 for U.S. Open Lead". Chicago Daily Tribune.
13. "National Open golf scores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 12, 1948. p. 13.
14. Bartlett, Charles (June 13, 1948). "Ben Hogan's record 276 wins U.S. Open". Chicago Sunday Tribune. p. 1, part 2.

External links

• USGA Championship Database
• USOpen.com – 1948

34°03′00″N 118°30′04″W / 34.050°N 118.501°W / 34.050; -118.501

• U.S. Open (golf)
• Golf tournaments in California
• Golf in Los Angeles
• 1948 in golf
• 1948 in American sports
• 1948 in sports in California
• June 1948 sports events in the United States