1911 U.S. Open Winner and Scores

The 1911 U.S. Open was the 17th time the tournament was played. It ended with a three-man playoff, and the champion who emerged became the first native-born American winner and also the youngest winner.

Winner: John McDermott, 307

Where it was played: Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois

Tournament dates: June 23-25, 1911

Leader after first round: Alex Ross, 74

Leader after second round: Fred McLeod and Alex Ross, 149

Leader after third round: Fred McLeod, 225

What Happened in the 1911 U.S. Open Golf Tournament

A year earlier, when he was 18 years old, Johnny McDermott lost in a 3-way playoff at the 1910 championship. But here at the 1911 U.S. Open, McDermott won in a 3-way playoff.

And that means McDermott won the U.S. Open at 19 years of age. He was the youngest champion then, and he remains the youngest U.S. Open winner ever still today. He also remains the only teen-aged winner of this trophy.

There was more significance to McDermott's victory than just that, however: He also was the first native-born American golfer to win the American national championship. Golf in America was still dominated by English and Scots golfers at this point, but McDermott helped turn the tide.

McDermott repeated as champion in 1912, and he had other big wins in the 1910-1913 period, too. But a series of personal, financial and professional setbacks caused some kind of mental breakdown in McDermott late in 1914. His professional golf career was over at age 23, and he spent much of the rest of his life in mental institutions.

Mike Brady and George Simpson had already finished at 307, both scoring 75s in the final round, when McDermott reached the 72nd hole trailing by one. But McDermott sank a birdie putt to get to 307 himself and make it a three-man, 18-hole playoff. Fred McLeod, the 1908 champ, held a three-stroke lead after the third round but scored 83 in Round 4 and finished one stroke out of the playoff.

Simpson was ill during the playoff and never a factor. McDermott led Brady by four shots after nine holes, but Brady battled back into a tie after the 14th. But McDermott went back ahead when Brady bogeyed the 15th, and closed it out with great approach shot on the final hole. McDermott won with an 80 to Brady's 82. (Simpson finished with an 85.)

Brady finished third the following year. He was the runner-up in the 1919 U.S. Open, also losing in a playoff in that one.

1911 U.S. Open Final Scores

John McDermott	81-72-75-79—307 (80)
Mike Brady	76-77-79-75—307 (82)
George Simpson	76-77-79-75—307 (85)
Fred McLeod	77-72-76-83—308
Jock Hutchison	80-77-73-79—309
Gilbert Nicholls	76-78-74-81—309
Herbert Barker	75-81-77-78—311
George Sargent	76-77-84-74—311
Peter Robertson	79-76-78-79—312
Alex Ross	74-75-81-82—312
a-Albert Seckel	78-80-80-75—313
Alex Campbell	81-77-72-84—314
Harry Turpie	77-76-82-79—314
Chester Nelson	79-85-74-77—315
James Donaldson	78-81-83-74—316
George Low	80-78-82-76—316
R.L. Simpson	81-82-75-79—317
John Burke	79-77-78-85—319
a-Ned Sawyer	84-79-77-79—319
Grange Alves	82-80-73-85—320
George Cummings	82-80-79-79—320
a-Mason Phelps	78-78-78-86—320
a-H. Chandler Egan	81-80-77-83—321
a-Robert Gardner	81-78-79-83—321
Alex Smith	76-78-82-85—321
a-Robert Watson	82-79-78-82—321
James B. Simpson	81-82-78-80—321
Walter Fovargue	83-81-80-78—322
a-S.J. Foulis	79-80-82-83—324
Otto Hackbarth	78-74-83-89—324
Robert MacDonald	80-82-75-87—324
Tom McNamara	77-87-79-81—324
Lee Nelson	80-84-81-80—325
a-Knowlton Ames	84-81-80-81—326
David Patrick	83-81-77-85—326
John Gatherum	80-81-82-84—327
Willard Hutchinson	82-80-81-84—327
David Livie	82-83-77-85—327
Willie Mann 3	84-79-81-83—327
Charles Rowe	83-82-83-79—327
Jack Hobens	82-82-81-83—328
William Hoare	82-82-81-84—329
David Hunter	79-81-82-87—329
Alex Taylor	85-82-79-83—329
Charles Bell	80-84-82-84—330
William Sherwood	79-80-87-87—333
James Foulis Jr.	83-82-85-84—334
Jack Croke	83-78-88-86—335
John Dingwall	88-80-81-86—335
Jack Jolly	80-82-84-89—335
Robert Peebles	84-82-85-84—335
a-John Sellers	80-81-85-89—335
Willie Nelson	82-82-80-92—336
Jack Morton	81-84-84-91—340
a-Carl Devol	82-81-87-91—341

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