| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 12–16, 1946 |
| Location | Beachwood, Ohio |
| Course(s) | Canterbury Golf Club |
| Organized by | USGA |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,921 yards (6,329 m)[1] |
| Field | 168 players, 62 after cut |
| Cut | 151 (+7) |
| Prize fund | $8,000[2] |
| Winner's share | $1,833 [3] |
| Champion | |
 Lloyd Mangrum | |
| 284 (−4), playoff | |
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Golf Club
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Golf Club
The 1946 U.S. Open was the 46th U.S. Open, held June 12–16 at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb east of Cleveland. In the first U.S. Open since 1941, Lloyd Mangrum, a World War II veteran and recipient of two Purple Hearts, defeated Byron Nelson and Vic Ghezzi in 36 playoff holes to win his only major title.[4]
Nelson's caddie possibly cost Nelson the championship in the third round when he accidentally kicked Nelson's ball; Nelson was assessed a one stroke penalty.[5] Two months after the championship, Nelson announced his retirement from the tour at age 34, though he continued to play at the Masters through 1966. He also played twice again at the U.S. Open (1949 and 1955), and once at the British Open in 1955.
The purse was $8,000 with a winner's share of $1,500.[2] The three participants received a playoff bonus of $333 each.[3]
This was the last playoff at the U.S. Open that ended in a tie without sudden-death. The next dozen 18-hole full round playoffs determined a winner without the need for extra holes. The first time sudden-death was used for the 91st hole was in 1990, Hale Irwin's third title. It was needed again in 1994 and 2008.
This was the second U.S. Open at Canterbury in six years; the 1940 edition was won by Lawson Little. It later hosted the PGA Championship in 1973, won by Jack Nicklaus.
- ^ Sixty, Billy (June 17, 1946). "Mangrum wins 'Open' title in play-off in heavy storm". Milwaukee Journal. p. 4-L.
- ^ a b "U.S. Open history: 1946". USGA. Archived from the original on July 6, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
- ^ a b Cavagnaro, Bob (June 17, 1946). "Lloyd Mangrum captures national open; beats Nelson, Ghezzi in 36-hole playoff". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. 10.
- ^ Bartlett, Charles (June 17, 1946). "Mangrum, war veteran, wins U.S. Open". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 25.
- ^ Fraley, Oscar (June 16, 1946). "Nelson, Mangrum, Ghezzi tie for National Open title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. p. 10.