1908 U.S. Open Winner and Scores
Winner: Fred McLeod, 322
Where it was played: Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, Massachussetts
Tournament dates: August 27-29, 1908
Leader after first round: Willie Smith, 77
Leader after second round: Willie Smith, 159
Leader after third round: Willie Smith, 244
What Happened at the 1908 U.S. Open
Fred McLeod defeated Willie Smith in an 18-hole playoff to claim victory at the 1908 U.S. Open, after Smith had led following each of the first three rounds.While it was the only major championship victory for McLeod, he remained competitive for many more years at golf's top levels. McLeod had eight Top 10s in the U.S. Open, the last in 1921 (when he was 39 years old). His last Top 10 at the British Open was in 1926. McLeod continued appearing at The Masters until 1963, and from 1963 through 1976 — when he was 94 years old — was one of the original honorary starters at The Masters.
High winds over the two days of the tournament led to a winning score of 322, the third-highest winning score in tournament history. McLeod was able to break 80 in only one round, the fourth round.
Smith, the 1899 U.S. Open winner, led the field by three and McLeod by five at the midway point. But McLeod trimmed the deficit to one after three rounds, then shot 77 (tied for lowest round of the tournament) to Smith's 78 to force the playoff.
McLeod won the playoff by six strokes, 77 to 83, but most of that margin was forged over the final five holes. The two had been tied after the 13th hole. Smith thus became the first golfer in U.S. Open history to lead after each of the first three rounds but fail to win. Willie Smith's brother Alex Smith finished third. Willie finished second to Alex at the 1906 U.S. Open. And at the 1910 U.S. Open, Alex Smith defeated another Smith brother, Macdonald, in a playoff to win.
Trivia note about McLeod: At only 108 pounds, he is the lightest-ever U.S. Open winner.
1908 U.S. Open Final Scores
| Fred McLeod | 82-82-81-77—322 |
| Willie Smith | 77-82-85-78—322 |
| Alex Smith | 80-83-83-81—327 |
| Willie Anderson | 85-86-80-79—330 |
| John Jones | 81-81-87-82—331 |
| Jack Hobens | 86-81-85-81—333 |
| Peter Robertson | 89-84-77-83—333 |
| Percy Barrett | 94-80-86-78—338 |
| Jock Hutchison | 82-84-87-85—338 |
| Richard Kimball | 84-86-83-86—339 |
| Tom McNamara | 85-82-86-86—339 |
| Donald Ball | 90-81-86-83—340 |
| Alex Campbell | 85-83-89-83—340 |
| George Low | 92-80-84-84—340 |
| Robert Peebles | 85-85-85-85—340 |
| David Hunter | 87-87-84-83—341 |
| Herbert Barker | 84-85-88-86—343 |
| Mike Brady | 86-87-87-83—343 |
| Orrin Terry | 86-87-83-87—343 |
| David Robertson | 89-83-86-86—344 |
| Laurie Auchterlonie | 85-83-83-95—346 |
| H.T. Rawlins | 85-89-88-84—346 |
| Isaac Mackie | 94-88-84-81—347 |
| Alex Ross | 89-85-91-82—347 |
| a-Walter Travis | 90-83-87-87—347 |
| Jack Campbell | 91-89-87-82—349 |
| David Brown | 87-86-91-86—350 |
| David Ogilvie | 91-89-87-83—350 |
| Arthur Smith | 97-85-85-85—352 |
| Herbert Strong | 91-89-88-84—352 |
| Bert Way | 92-88-87-85—352 |
| George Cummings | 90-85-96-83—354 |
| James Maiden | 94-85-86-90—355 |
| John Dingwall | 98-83-85-90—356 |
| a-John B. Hylan | 93-85-89-89—356 |
| J.S. Pearson | 93-84-92-87—356 |
| Ernest Way | 89-90-93-84—356 |
| a-John G. Anderson | 95-83-89-90—357 |
| Walter Fovargue | 93-87-85-92—357 |
| Otto Hackbarth | 90-92-84-92—358 |
| Donald Ross | 93-86-88-91—358 |
| David Honeyman | 91-86-93-89—359 |
| Stewart Maiden | 93-89-85-92—359 |
| William Robinson | 95-87-86-91—359 |
| Jack Croke | 91-90-93-86—360 |
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