1910 U.S. Open: A Schism In the Smith Family
The 1910 U.S. Open was the 16th time the tournament was played. The champion emerged from a 3-way playoff.
Winner: Alex Smith, 298
Where it was played: Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania
Tournament dates: June 18-20, 1910
Leader after first round: Tom Anderson Jr., 72
Leader after second round: Alex Smith, 146
Leader after third round: John McDermott, 223
What Happened at the 1910 U.S. Open
Alex Smith won his second U.S. Open title in a playoff that also included his brother plus an 18-year-old. The 18-year-old was John McDermott, who went on to win the next two times the tournament was played. Macdonald Smith was Alex's brother. But Alex didn't take it easy on either his family or the kid, shooting 71 in the 18-hole playoff to win by four over McDermott and six over Macdonald.The Smith brothers were Scotsmen working as club professionals in America. Another brother, Willie Smith, was the 1899 U.S. Open winner. Alex had previously won the 1906 U.S. Open, with brother Willie as runner-up that time. So in both Alex's U.S. Open, one of his brothers finished second. Of the three golfing Smith brothers, Macdonald won the most events that are now recognized as PGA Tour victories — 24 — but he never won a major.
Alex Smith, meanwhile, finished in the Top 10 at the U.S. Open 10 of the 15 times he played between 1898 and 1912 (including three runners-up and three thirds), plus once more in his final appearance in the 1921 U.S. Open. By adding the 1910 title to the won he won in 1906, Smith became the U.S. Open's first two-time champion.
McDermott was the third-round leader by two, but Macdonald Smith — who started the final round four off the lead — caught him with a 71. Alex Smith was the last of the three to finish, and he had a putt of less than two feet for birdie and outright victory on the 72nd hole. But he missed.
So the three played another 18 the following day, with Alex shooting 71, McDermott 75 and Macdonald Smith 77. McDermott went on to win the 1911 U.S. Open and 1912 U.S. Open.
According to the USGA, host club Philadelphia Cricket Club was the first U.S. Open site to give the professionals access to the clubhouse and locker room. Most clubs of this era prohibited pro golfers from entering those areas.
Other finishes of note: Famous golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast tied for 25th playing as an amateur. And four-time U.S. Open winner Willie Anderson finished 11th in his final appearance in this tournament. He died a few months later at age 31.
Final Scores of the 1910 U.S. Open
| x-Alex Smith | 73-73-79-73—298 |
| John McDermott | 74-74-75-75—298 |
| Macdonald Smith | 74-78-75-71—298 |
| Fred McLeod | 78-70-78-73—299 |
| Tom McNamara | 73-78-73-76—300 |
| Gilbert Nicholls | 73-75-77-75—300 |
| Jack Hobens | 74-77-74-76—301 |
| Tom Anderson Jr. | 72-76-81-73—302 |
| Herbert Barker | 75-78-77-72—302 |
| Jock Hutchison | 77-76-75-74—302 |
| Willie Anderson | 74-78-76-75—303 |
| George Low | 75-77-79-74—305 |
| Charles Thom | 80-72-78-75—305 |
| Tom Bonnar | 78-78-71-80—307 |
| George Cummings | 78-73-79-77—307 |
| Alex Campbell | 79-76-80-74—309 |
| George Sargent | 77-81-74-77—309 |
| Jack Campbell | 77-77-81-75—310 |
| James Thomson | 74-80-80-76—310 |
| a-Fred Herreshoff | 76-77-79-79—311 |
| George Smith | 76-78-79-80—313 |
| Alex Ross | 78-84-73-79—314 |
| Otto Hackbarth | 79-82-78-76—315 |
| Martin Oloughlin | 77-82-80-76—315 |
| a-A.W. Tillinghast | 80-81-79-76—316 |
| William Robinson | 83-81-78-75—317 |
| Jack Burke Sr. | 81-77-77-84—319 |
| James Donaldson | 80-78-87-75—320 |
| David Honeyman | 83-79-79-79—320 |
| Irving Stringer | 83-77-82-78—320 |
| Jack Croke | 77-78-83-83—321 |
| Alfred Campbell | 78-84-81-79—322 |
| Walter Fovargue | 79-86-75-82—322 |
| Peter Robertson | 79-81-80-82—322 |
| Orrin Terry | 82-84-79-77—322 |
| Isaac Mackie | 81-82-80-80—323 |
| Sam White | 82-79-82-80—323 |
| Willie Maguire | 76-83-81-84—324 |
| Frank Peebles | 80-85-77-82—324 |
| Robert Peebles | 83-81-80-80—324 |
| Jack Jolly | 83-80-82-80—325 |
| George Griffin | 81-81-85-79—326 |
| Robert Mcwatt | 83-79-82-82—326 |
| Joe Mitchell | 78-82-83-84—327 |
| Karl Keffer | 84-79-87-79—329 |
| James Campbell | 86-78-80-86—330 |
| a-Robert Watson | 86-76-86-83—331 |
| a-Charles Burgess | 81-83-88-81—333 |
| William F. Hackney | 78-85-88-84—335 |
Photo credit: Golfer Alex Smith/public domain via Library of Congress
