1931 U.S. Open: Two Tournaments In One
Winner: Billy Burke, 292
Where it was played: Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio
Tournament dates: June 2-6, 1931
Leader after first round: Eddie Williams, Charles Guest, Mortie Dutra and Herman Barron, 71
Leader after second round: George Von Elm, 144
Leader after third round: George Von Elm, 217
Notable Notes: The longest playoff in major championship history happened here when Billy Burke and George Von Elm played an extra 72 holes — a whole other tournament just for the two of them — to decide the victor. At the conclusion of regulation play, the two were tied at 292. The playoff was scheduled for 36 holes, but after that they were still tied (at 149). So they had to play another 36 holes, and finally, after an extra 72 holes, Burke was the winner by one stroke. ... They did all that in sweltering heat that caused this Open to be called "The Inferno at Inverness."
Two equipment tidbits worth sharing: First, Burke was the first golfer to win a U.S. Open using steel shafts in his clubs. That means Bobby Jones, winner of the 1930 U.S. Open (who didn't play here because he had retired from competitive golf) was the last winner of a U.S. Open to use hickory shafts.
Second, the USGA made golfers use what came to be called the "balloon ball" in the 1931 Open as what turned out to be a one-year experiment. The balloon ball was larger (1.68 inches as opposed to 1.62) but lighter (1.55 ounces as opposed to 1.62) than the previous American ball size. The effect was a ball that didn't travel as far and didn't fare well in wind.
Final Scores
| x-Billy Burke | 73-72-74-73—292 |
| George Von Elm | 75-69-73-75—292 |
| Leo Diegel | 75-73-74-72—294 |
| Wiffy Cox | 75-74-74-72—295 |
| Bill Mehlhorn | 77-73-75-71—296 |
| Gene Sarazen | 74-78-74-70—296 |
| Mortie Dutra | 71-77-73-76—297 |
| Walter Hagen | 74-74-73-76—297 |
| a-Philip Perkins | 78-76-73-70—297 |
| Al Espinosa | 72-78-75-74—299 |
| Johnny Farrell | 78-70-79-72—299 |
| Macdonald Smith | 73-73-75-78—299 |
| Guy Paulsen | 74-72-74-80—300 |
| Frank Walsh | 73-77-75-75—300 |
| Herman Barron | 71-75-78-77—301 |
| Harry Cooper | 76-75-75-75—301 |
| Ed Dudley | 75-76-76-74—301 |
| Al Watrous | 74-78-76-73—301 |
| Charles Guest | 71-75-76-80—302 |
| Tony Manero | 74-75-80-73—302 |
| Olin Dutra | 76-76-76-75—303 |
| John Kinder | 79-72-75-77—303 |
| Laurie Ayton | 76-79-74-75—304 |
| Willie Klein | 75-80-70-79—304 |
| Denny Shute | 79-73-77-76—305 |
| Eddie Williams | 71-74-81-79—305 |
| Johnny Golden | 79-75-78-74—306 |
| Horton Smith | 77-78-75-76—306 |
| Auguste Boyer | 75-80-72-80—307 |
| Henry Ciuci | 73-79-81-74—307 |
| W.H. Davies | 73-83-74-77—307 |
| Tom Creavy | 80-72-80-76—308 |
| Ralph Guldahl | 77-80-75-76—308 |
| Joe Turnesa | 73-75-79-81—308 |
| Alex Watson | 75-79-78-76—308 |
| Clarence Clark | 76-76-77-80—309 |
| Bobby Cruickshank | 74-76-81-78—309 |
| Peter O'Hara | 78-76-81-74—309 |
| Walter Kozak | 75-77-80-78—310 |
| August Nordone | 83-73-78-76—310 |
| Massie Miller | 75-78-81-77—311 |
| Francis Scheider | 78-75-78-80—311 |
| Clarence Hackney | 80-74-82-76—312 |
| Reggie Myles Jr. | 76-76-80-80—312 |
| Lloyd Gullickson | 75-80-82-77—314 |
| Percy Alliss | 78-75-78-84—315 |
| Tommy Armour | 75-83-79-78—315 |
| a-Lester Bolstad | 80-77-78-80—315 |
| George Smith | 75-78-76-86—315 |
| Jack Forrester | 75-78-84-79—316 |
| Clark Morse | 77-81-79-80—317 |
| Neal McIntyre | 78-78-84-79—319 |
| Nick Weber | 81-76-84-80—321 |
| Hugh Carpenter | 78-79-87-80—324 |
