1936 U.S. Open Winner and Scores
The 1936 U.S. Open was the 40th time the tournament was played. A little-known golfer won the trophy by playing a great final round.
Winner: Tony Manero, 282
Where it was played: Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey
Tournament dates: June 4-6, 1936
Leader after first round: Ray Mangrum, Paul Runyan and Clarence Clark, 69
Leader after second round: Ray Mangrum and Vic Ghezzi, 140
Leader after third round: Harry Cooper, 211
What Happened at the 1936 U.S. Open
Little-known today, Tony Manero denied "Lighthorse Harry" Cooper a major championship by winning the 1936 U.S. Open, bypassing Cooper in the final round to do it.Manero won eight titles now classified as PGA Tour wins, and this was the seventh of those titles. His win in the 1936 U.S. Open is Manero's only Top 10 finish in a major outside of several quarterfinal and semifinal showings in the match-play PGA Championship. Manero only got into this tournament by chipping in on the final hole of a sectional qualifying tournament.
Cooper won 31 PGA Tour events, the record for most wins by a golfer who never won a major. Cooper came close plenty of times, with four seconds and nine other Top 10s.
Manero's victory was not without controversy. Back in these early years of professional golf, pairings were not based on players' tournament standings; golfers were often paired for obscure reasons, reasons of traditions, or for numerous other reasons — including, sometimes, because one golfer requested a pairing with another.
Manero trailed Cooper by four strokes entering the final round, and Manero was paired with Gene Sarazen (who was well down in the standings). The reason is that Sarazen requested the pairing. Sarazen felt that Manero would be more relaxed playing with him — he was Manero's idol and friend — and stand a better chance of playing well over the final 18 holes.
Sarazen was right, as Manero closed with a then-course-record 67 to Cooper's 73. But afterward, someone lodged a complaint with the USGA that Sarazen, trying to be comforting and encouraging to Manero throughout the final round, crossed the line into giving advice, and Manero crossed the line into asking for advice. The USGA's tournament history states that officials met for an hour to consider the charge before dismissing it without penalty, keeping Manero as victor.
Manero's 282 total bettered the previous best in a U.S. Open — a record held by Chick Evans since 1916 — by four strokes, but was itself bettered the following year by Ralph Guldahl. Evans, by the way, finished tied 50th here, the final time he made the cut in a U.S. Open.
Walter Hagen tied for 33rd, the last time he played all four rounds of a U.S. Open. Hagen was disqualified in his only later appearance in this tournament, at the 1940 U.S. Open.
1936 U.S. Open Final Scores
| Tony Manero | 73-69-73-67—282 |
| Harry Cooper | 71-70-70-73—284 |
| Clarence Clark | 69-75-71-72—287 |
| Macdonald Smith | 73-73-72-70—288 |
| Wiffy Cox | 74-74-69-72—289 |
| Ky Laffoon | 71-74-70-74—289 |
| Henry Picard | 70-71-74-74—289 |
| Ralph Guldahl | 73-70-73-74—290 |
| Paul Runyan | 69-75-73-73—290 |
| Denny Shute | 72-69-73-77—291 |
| Herman Barron | 73-74-69-76—292 |
| Tom Kerrigan | 70-75-72-75—292 |
| Ray Mangrum | 69-71-76-76—292 |
| a-Charles Kocsis | 72-71-73-77—293 |
| Frank Moore | 70-74-75-74—293 |
| Johnny Revolta | 70-71-77-75—293 |
| Jimmy Thomson | 74-73-71-75—293 |
| a-Billy Burke | 72-76-72-74—294 |
| Vic Ghezzi | 70-70-73-81—294 |
| Willie Goggin | 73-73-72-76—294 |
| Jug McSpaden | 75-71-78-70—294 |
| Tommy Armour | 74-76-74-71—295 |
| Johnny Farrell | 75-75-70-75—295 |
| Jerry Gianferante | 74-73-71-77—295 |
| a-Johnny Goodman | 75-73-73-74—295 |
| Felix Serafin | 72-73-74-76—295 |
| Horton Smith | 75-75-72-73—295 |
| Al Brosch | 73-75-72-76—296 |
| Zell Eaton | 72-75-72-77—296 |
| Dick Metz | 74-73-73-76—296 |
| a-Jack Munger | 74-70-76-76—296 |
| Gene Sarazen | 75-72-75-74—296 |
| Walter Hagen | 74-72-73-78—297 |
| Ted Longworth | 71-74-74-78—297 |
| Al Watrous | 76-75-74-72—297 |
| Mortie Dutra | 75-75-75-73—298 |
| Vincent Eldred | 74-73-78-73—298 |
| Dutch Harrison | 74-75-76-73—298 |
| Willie Klein | 75-73-75-75—298 |
| Jake Fassezke | 72-79-74-74—299 |
| John Kinder | 75-74-77-73—299 |
| Charles Lacey | 74-74-77-74—299 |
| Gunnar Nelson | 74-76-74-75—299 |
| Frank Walsh | 74-74-73-78—299 |
| Siesui Chin | 76-71-78-75—300 |
| Bruce Coltart | 75-76-72-77—300 |
| Olin Dutra | 74-77-75-74—300 |
| Clarence Doser | 72-75-78-76—301 |
| George Low Jr. | 75-72-77-77—301 |
| a-Chick Evans | 77-74-77-74—302 |
| Willie Hunter Jr. | 73-75-77-77—302 |
| Al Huske | 77-74-76-75—302 |
| Gene Kunes | 73-77-75-77—302 |
| Clarence Owen | 76-75-75-76—302 |
| Joe Ezar | 75-75-73-80—303 |
| Leslie Madison | 70-75-81-77—303 |
| Jack Toomer | 74-74-78-77—303 |
| a-Wilford Wehrle | 74-77-74-78—303 |
| Ralph Beach | 74-76-78-76—304 |
| Ed Dudley | 76-75-78-75—304 |
| a-Maurice McCarthy Jr. | 76-75-74-79—304 |
| Ted Turner | 77-74-78-75—304 |
| Johnny Bulla | 71-78-75-81—305 |
| Albert Alcroft | 76-75-76-79—306 |
| William Schuchart | 78-73-81-74—306 |
| Pat Circelli | 74-77-80-76—307 |
| Jack Isaacs | 75-75-79-78—307 |
| Charles Schneider | 74-74-82-77—307 |
| Craig Wood | 71-80-78-78—307 |
| a-Chris Brinke | 75-73-85-76—309 |
| Clarence Hackney | 77-74-76-82—309 |
| Len Gallett | 73-77-79-81—310 |
| a-Morton McCarthy | 72-76-83-80—311 |
| James Fogertey | 76-74-79-83—312 |
| Al Nelson | 72-78-81-82—313 |
| Raymond Schirmer | 74-77-81-82—314 |
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