1946 U.S. Open Results
The 1946 U.S. Open was the 46th time the tournament was played; it ended with a 36-hole playoff that involved three golfers, including Byron Nelson. But Nelson wasn't the winner.
Winner: Lloyd Mangrum, 284
Where it was played: Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio
Tournament dates: June 12-16, 1946
Leader after first round: Toney Penna and Sam Snead, 69
Leader after second round: Vic Ghezzi and Ben Hogan, 140
Leader after third round: Byron Nelson, 211
What Happened in the 1946 U.S. Open
The U.S. Open resumed in 1946 for the first time since 1941, having been on pause due to World War II. And a war hero was the winner. Lloyd Mangrum, who earned two Purple Hearts during the war, including one after being wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, won a three-man playoff by a single stroke. He beat Vic Ghezzi and Byron Nelson in that 36-hole playoff.Nelson led Mangrum and Ghezzi by one stroke heading into the final round, but the three golfers wound up tied at 284. Nelson led by two strokes with three holes to play, but bogeyed the 71st and 72nd holes to fall back into the tie. Nelson's caddie also cost him a stroke in the third round when the caddie accidentally kicked Nelson's ball. The USGA official on-site assessed a 1-stroke penalty. (Herman Barron had a birdie putt on the 72nd hole that would have won him the tournament, but three-putted and finished tied for fourth.)
Mangrum, Ghezzi and Nelson teed off again the following morning in a playoff scheduled for 18 holes. Then all three tied again, each shooting 72. So they played another 18 holes in the afternoon. After nine holes of the afternoon 18, Nelson and Ghezzi were tied, two strokes ahead of Mangrum. On the final nine holes, Nelson bogeyed Nos. 11, 13 and 17, Ghezzi had one birdie but four bogeys, while Mangrum built a lead with birdies on 13, 15 and 16. When Mangrum bogeyed the final two holes, he still had a one-stroke edge — and the U.S. Open trophy. Mangrum's playoff total was 144, Nelson and Ghezzi finished at 145.
Nelson, his nerves wearing thin in the stress of competition, retired from full-time tournament golf later in 1946. He was just one year removed from his spectacular, record-setting 1945 PGA Tour season that included 18 total wins and 11 consecutive victories.
Mangrum never won another major, but he won 36 times total on the PGA Tour. He also finished in the Top 10 at The Masters 10 straight years (1947-56) and in the Top 10 of the U.S. Open from 1950 through 1954. Ghezzi was the 1941 PGA Championship winner who finished his career with 11 total PGA Tour wins.
Ben Hogan, not yet a major winner, tied for fourth, one stroke out of the playoff. Ben's brother, Royal Hogan, missed the cut as an amateur. Willie Macfarlane, winner of the 1925 U.S. Open, withdrew after the first round in his final appearance in any of the major championships.
Following this 36-hole playoff, the USGA instituted a new playoff rule: If a scheduled 18-hole playoff ended in a tie, it would go to sudden death, rather than another full 18 holes.
1946 U.S. Open Final Scores
| Lloyd Mangrum | 74-70-68-72—284 (72-72—144) |
| Vic Ghezzi | 71-69-72-72—284 (72-73—145) |
| Byron Nelson | 71-71-69-73—284 (72-73—145) |
| Herman Barron | 72-72-72-69—285 |
| Ben Hogan | 72-68-73-72—285 |
| Jimmy Demaret | 71-74-73-68—286 |
| Ed Oliver | 71-71-74-70—286 |
| Chick Harbert | 72-78-67-70—287 |
| Dick Metz | 76-70-72-69—287 |
| Dutch Harrison | 75-71-72-70—288 |
| Lawson Little | 72-69-76-71—288 |
| Ed Furgol | 77-69-74-69—289 |
| Clayton Heafner | 75-72-71-71—289 |
| Henry Picard | 71-73-71-74—289 |
| Claude Harmon | 72-77-70-72—291 |
| Chandler Harper | 76-74-67-74—291 |
| Steve Kovach | 71-72-73-75—291 |
| Toney Penna | 69-77-74-71—291 |
| Gene Kunes | 74-73-73-72—292 |
| Sam Snead | 69-75-74-74—292 |
| Paul Runyan | 75-72-76-70—293 |
| Johnny Bulla | 72-74-73-75—294 |
| Henry Ransom | 71-73-73-77—294 |
| Harry Todd | 75-73-70-76—294 |
| Lew Worsham | 73-74-76-71—294 |
| Leland Gibson | 74-71-78-72—295 |
| Smiley Quick | 75-76-72-72—295 |
| Mike Turnesa | 70-76-74-75—295 |
| Ellsworth Vines | 73-72-75-75—295 |
| a-Bud Ward | 74-77-72-72—295 |
| Toby Lyons | 74-73-72-77—296 |
| Jug McSpaden | 76-73-74-73—296 |
| Otey Crisman | 77-72-74-74—297 |
| Raymond Gafford | 75-73-75-74—297 |
| Johnny Palmer | 77-74-74-73—298 |
| Charles Penna | 75-74-75-74—298 |
| Jimmy Hines | 77-73-75-74—299 |
| Pat Circelli | 77-73-75-75—300 |
| Pete Cooper | 72-75-74-79—300 |
| Bobby Cruickshank | 72-75-78-75—300 |
| George Fazio | 77-74-76-73—300 |
| Herman Keiser | 76-75-72-77—300 |
| Fred Haas | 74-75-77-75—301 |
| Al Watrous | 76-75-74-76—301 |
| Billy Burke | 76-75-76-75—302 |
| a-Gene Dahlbender | 73-76-80-73—302 |
| a-Frank Stranahan | 74-76-77-75—302 |
| Skip Alexander | 71-79-76-77—303 |
| Bill Jelliffe | 73-74-80-76—303 |
| Rod Munday | 77-72-78-77—304 |
| a-Bob Servis | 76-75-77-76—304 |
| Joseph Zarhardt | 74-76-79-75—304 |
| Al Brosch | 72-78-77-78—305 |
| Henry Castillo | 74-77-80-74—305 |
| a-A.F. Kammer | 75-76-74-80—305 |
| Dick Shoemaker | 78-72-76-79—305 |
| Joe Kirkwood Sr. | 78-73-75-81—307 |
| Joe Mozel | 73-77-77-80—307 |
| Frank Commisso | 74-76-77-81—308 |
| Willie Goggin | 76-73-78-81—308 |
| a-Otto Greiner | 75-75-81-77—308 |
| a-Ted Adams | 73-78-75-85—311 |
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