1939 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Winner and Scores
Winner: Byron Nelson, 284
Where it was played: Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania
Tournament dates: June 8-12, 1939
Leader after first round: Sam Snead, 68
Leader after second round: Sam Snead, 139
Leader after third round: Johnny Bulla, 211
What Happened in the 1939 U.S. Open
His win at the 1939 U.S. Open was the ninth of Byron Nelson's 52 career wins on the PGA Tour, and the second of his five career major championship victories (after the 1937 Masters).It was also one of two 36-hole playoffs in the U.S. Open for Nelson. Here, Nelson, Craig Wood and Denny Shute tied at 284 and went into an 18-hole playoff. Nelson and Wood were still tied after shooting 68s (Shute had a 76) and so they continued for another 18. Then Nelson shot 70 to Wood's 73 to win.
In the 1946 U.S. Open, Nelson was on the losing end of a 36-hole playoff won by Lloyd Mangrum (and also involving Vic Ghezzi). The playoff here was also the second time Wood and Shute faced each other in a playoff for a major championship. Shute defeated Wood in a 36-hole playoff to win the 1933 British Open.
Nelson, Wood and Shute all got into the playoff thanks to a major mistake by Sam Snead on the 72nd hole of the tournament. Snead never won the U.S. Open, finishing second four times. Here, he was in great position to win. All Snead needed was a par of 5 on the last hole. Unfortunately, Snead was under the impression he had to birdie the last hole to win (there were no giant scoreboards next to every hole back in these days, and the leaders didn't automatically tee off last). He got aggressive, drove the ball into rough, and by the time the hole was over he'd used eight strokes for a triple bogey. Snead finished in fifth place, two strokes out of the playoff.
Nelson was five strokes off Johnny Bulla's lead when the final round began. He then shot 68, making an 8-foot putt on the 72nd hole to post 284 as the clubhouse leader. Wood birdied the final hole to match Nelson, while Shute parred (after making bogey on the 17th hole) to also finish on 284. (Bulla scored 76 and finished three strokes out of the playoff.)
The playoff was scheduled for 18 holes. Shute was never a factor, scoring 76. But Nelson and Wood matched 68s. Wood had a putt to win on the 18th, but missed. So those two played another 18 holes.
And in the second 18, Nelson was in control from early. Wood double-bogeyed the third hole, then Nelson holed out for an eagle on the par-4 fourth hole. Nelson was then able to cruise to a 3-stroke win, 70 to 73 (138 to 141 for the full 36 playoff holes).
Ben Hogan finished third from the bottom, tied for 62nd, among players who made the cut. But he did the make cut, and it was Hogan's first cut made in a U.S. Open. The low amateur, Bud Ward, finished in fourth place, one stroke out of the playoff.
1939 U.S. Open Final Scores
| Byron Nelson | 72-73-71-68—284 (68-70—138) |
| Craig Wood | 70-71-71-72—284 (68-73—141) |
| Denny Shute | 70-72-70-72—284 (76-x) |
| a-Bud Ward | 69-73-71-72—285 |
| Sam Snead | 68-71-73-74—286 |
| Johnny Bulla | 72-71-68-76—287 |
| Ralph Guldahl | 71-73-72-72—288 |
| Dick Metz | 76-72-71-69—288 |
| Ky Laffoon | 76-70-73-70—289 |
| Harold "Jug" McSpaden | 70-73-71-75—289 |
| Paul Runyan | 76-70-71-72—289 |
| Harry Cooper | 71-72-75-72—290 |
| Ed Dudley | 76-72-73-69—290 |
| Henry Picard | 72-72-72-74—290 |
| Horton Smith | 72-68-75-76—291 |
| Sam Byrd | 75-71-72-74—292 |
| Olin Dutra | 70-74-70-78—292 |
| Clayton Heafner | 73-73-66-80—292 |
| a-Wilford Wehrle | 71-77-69-75—292 |
| Jimmy Hines | 73-74-77-69—293 |
| Johnny Rogers | 75-70-69-79—293 |
| Tommy Armour | 70-75-69-80—294 |
| Jimmy Demaret | 72-76-72-74—294 |
| Johnny Revolta | 73-76-71-74—294 |
| Bobby Cruickshank | 73-74-73-75—295 |
| Jim Foulis | 73-75-77-70—295 |
| Dutch Harrison | 75-72-74-74—295 |
| Matt Kowal | 69-76-75-75—295 |
| Vic Ghezzi | 73-71-76-76—296 |
| Ed "Porky" Oliver | 75-77-72-72—296 |
| Felix Serafin | 80-72-71-73—296 |
| Al Espinosa | 75-73-74-75—297 |
| Alvin Krueger | 71-77-73-76—297 |
| Ray Mangrum | 71-74-81-71—297 |
| Jim Turnesa | 75-74-75-73—297 |
| Art Bell | 73-75-79-71—298 |
| Leo Walper | 74-75-79-70—298 |
| Terl Johnson | 73-76-76-74—299 |
| a-Edwin Kingsley | 76-75-73-75—299 |
| Frank Moore | 73-70-77-79—299 |
| Sam Parks Jr. | 73-73-77-76—299 |
| Billy Burke | 74-74-77-75—300 |
| William Francis | 78-74-74-74—300 |
| Gene Kunes | 76-73-75-76—300 |
| Lawson Little | 69-74-76-81—300 |
| Frank Walsh | 74-75-76-75—300 |
| Joe Belfore | 76-76-68-81—301 |
| a-Otto Greiner | 77-73-77-74—301 |
| Gene Sarazen | 74-72-79-76—301 |
| Pat Sawyer | 75-75-77-74—301 |
| a-Willie Turnesa | 77-74-76-74—301 |
| Bruce Coltart | 78-73-80-71—302 |
| Tom Creavy | 72-78-77-75—302 |
| Al Houghton | 73-76-76-77—302 |
| Ted Luther | 73-75-77-78—303 |
| Tony Manero | 74-76-78-76—304 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | 70-74-81-79—304 |
| Ted Turner | 75-74-80-76—305 |
| George Von Elm | 72-77-76-81—306 |
| Norman Von Nida | 79-73-72-82—306 |
| a-Edward Meister Jr. | 71-76-81-79—307 |
| Ben Hogan | 76-74-78-80—308 |
| George Slingerland | 74-78-81-75—308 |
| Frank Gelhot | 74-76-78-81—309 |
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