1899 U.S. Open (golf) explained

1899 U.S. Open
Dates:September 14–15, 1899
Location:Baltimore, Maryland
Course:Baltimore Country Club
Org:USGA
Format:Stroke play − 72 holes
Field:72
Purse:$750
Winners Share:$150
Champion: Willie Smith
Score:315
Previous:1898
Next:1900

The 1899 U.S. Open was the fifth U.S. Open, held September 14–15 at Baltimore Country Club in Baltimore, Maryland.[1] Willie Smith won his only major title, a record eleven strokes ahead of three runners-up.[2]

On Thursday, Smith and future four-time champion Willie Anderson co-led with 77 in the morning and Anderson took the lead in the afternoon at 158, with Smith a stroke back.[3] In the third round on Friday morning, Anderson's 85 allowed Smith to take a four-stroke lead over Alex Campbell, and his 77 in the afternoon distanced him from the field; Campbell ballooned to 94 and fell to twelfth.

Playing out of Midlothian Country Club in Chicago,[2] Smith was the only player to record three sub-80 rounds, and did not score higher than a seven on any hole in the championship. Val Fitzjohn, George Low, and Bert Way tied for second, eleven strokes Smith's margin of victory was the largest in the U.S. Open for 101 years, until Tiger Woods won by fifteen shots in 2000. Smith's brother Alex, a future two-time champion, finished seventh.

Smith won a gold medal and was given custody of the Championship Cup for a year.[4]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, September 14, 1899 (morning)

PlacePlayerScore
1 77
3 80
T4 81
Horace Rawlins
T6 82
Alexander Patrick
Writ Thompson
T9 83
David Foulis
Arthur Smith
Source:[3]

Second round

Thursday, September 14, 1899 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerScore
1 77-81=158
2 77-82=159
3 82-79=161
T4 83-80=163
82-81=163
T6 85-80=165
Alexander Patrick 82-83=165
80-85=165
9 81-85=166
10 81-86=167
Source:[3]

Third round

Friday, September 15, 1899 (morning)

PlacePlayerScore
1 77-82-79=238
2 83-80-79=242
T3 77-81-85=243
88-80-75=243
5 85-80-79=244
T6 82-81-82=245
80-85-80=245
T8 81-86-80=247
84-86-77=247
10 82-79-89=250
Source:[2]

Final round

Friday, September 15, 1899 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerScoreMoney ($)
1 Willie Smith 77-82-79-77=315 150
T2 85-80-79-82=326 125
82-79-89-76=326
80-85-80-81=326
5 77-81-85-84=327 80
6 88-80-75-85=328 70
7 82-81-82-85=330 50
8 81-86-80-84=331 25
T9 86-87-82-78=333 0
84-86-77-86=333
Source:[2]

External links

39.441°N -76.664°W

Notes and References

  1. News: Open tourney on today . Chicago Daily Tribune . September 14, 1899 . 7.
  2. News: Smith is the champion . Chicago Daily Tribune . Murphy . James Shields . September 16, 1899 . 6.
  3. News: Anderson in the lead . Chicago Daily Tribune . Murphy . James Shields . September 15, 1899 . 8.
  4. News: The Golf Championship . North Adams Transcript . Massachusetts. 16 September 1899.